An addiction to heroin can be crippling. It’s a difficult drug to break free from because of its addictive nature.

When heroin enters the brain, it creates a sense of euphoria that takes over the user. When the drug wears off, the euphoric feeling goes away. The user then craves to have that feeling return.

Many people don’t realize that they have a problem until they start going through withdrawal symptoms. By this time, treatment is usually necessary.

There are many types of treatment available that can help heroin addicts recover from their addiction. However, heroin addiction treatment success rates vary among recovery centers.

Let’s take a look at the principles that can make recovery from a heroin addiction most successful.

Addiction to heroin is complex but treatable.

Whether your loved one chooses to seek treatment for 30 days or 90 days, this is only the beginning of their journey. Heroin alters the brain’s structure and function. This may explain why heroin users are at risk for relapse long after treatment is complete. However, addiction IS treatable.

No single treatment is right for every heroin addict.

Heroin addicts do not have one form of treatment that works for them. Treatment varies based on the individual user.

The treatment center you choose for your loved one may have a general protocol for treating heroin users, but they should plan on providing your loved one with the proper services.

You should also keep your loved one’s characteristics in mind as you plan an intervention and select a treatment setting.

Heroin addiction treatment needs to be readily available.

When you confront your loved one about their issue, you need to have treatment readily available. Any lapse in the process can cause your loved one to refuse treatment.

Have a drug and alcohol treatment center picked out and transportation waiting. Also make certain that the treatment center will provide detox and counseling, one right after the other.

Treatment needs to focus on the whole person, not just heroin abuse.

To be most effective, heroin treatment needs to address your loved one’s psychological, social and medical states. Simply treating the abuse of heroin isn’t enough to make recovery successful. It’s possible that your loved one could have a co-occurring disorder that needs attention.

It’s also critical that the treatment center provides routine monitoring to ensure that the treatment plan is working. If it’s not, changes to the treatment plan should be made.

All interventions require professional help.

Doing your homework is very important and will help you better prepare for the intervention process. However, you cannot do this alone. You must enlist help from a professional interventionist or counselor. You want to make it hard for your loved one to turn down the help. In other words, you need to have all your ducks in a row before you confront your loved one.

Conclusion

Heroin addiction is debilitating, but it is possible to recover from. The process needs to start somewhere, and for many people, that somewhere is an intervention. If you have any questions about the process and how our treatment center can help your loved one, please call The River Source.

Photo Credit: FreeImages.com/LotusHead