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Heroin Addiction Treatment

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Providing Trusted, Evidence-Based
Treatment for Three Decades and Counting

If you or a loved one is experiencing addiction, we’re here to help.

people work together in a heroin addiction treatment programWhen patients emerge from a detoxification program, they have purged the drugs from their system. These patients may have worked incredibly hard to achieve this goal, struggling with withdrawal symptoms with the help of medications and living in a treatment facility for days or weeks to complete the process. Undergoing addiction treatment is admirable, but it’s important to note that the patients can’t be considered fully recovered at the end of the detoxification program. In fact, the journey to long-term sobriety has only just begun.

Addiction should be considered a chronic condition. While rehab specialists may tell patients struggling with heroin addiction never to use the drug again, many relapse. People with chronic conditions like addiction often need close monitoring, intensive therapies, and repeat reminders to stick with the changes they have made. They may need these interventions for the rest of their lives. The staff at Michael’s House, a heroin rehab center in Palm Springs, understands that heroin addiction treatment is a lifelong journey. Michael’s House provides patients with substance abuse treatment programs they need to stay sober and lead happy lives. Call 760.548.4032 to speak with someone from the staff about the heroin addiction treatment program in Palm Springs.

Fundamental Aspects of Heroin Addiction Treatment

Heroin addiction treatment programs can vary widely, but the underlying principles of successful rehab programs are often the same. They can be summed up in 10 statements:
  • Addiction is a chronic disease that changes the way the brain works.
  • Therapies must be customized to meet the needs of each individual.
  • The treatment plan should change over time as the addict’s needs change.
  • The treatments should focus on the entire person, not just the person’s addiction. The program must also address medical problems such as HIV/AIDS.
  • Addicts must have easy access to treatment.
  • People with addiction often have other mental health disorders that programs must also address.
  • Remaining in therapy is crucial.
  • Counseling can help.
  • Treatment doesn’t need to be voluntary to be effective.
  • Monitoring drug use is essential as relapses occur.

At Michael’s House, treatments for heroin addiction closely follow these guidelines. The staff also customizes treatment plans to meet the needs of each patient.

Heroin Addiction Treatment Facilities

When people think about heroin rehabilitation, they often consider long-term residential programs.

Inpatient Treatment Programs

When undergoing programs like this, patients live in the treatment facility—sometimes for months at a time. In some facilities, patients can come and go and maintain contact with work and home. In other facilities, patients are asked to stay on the grounds at all times but are sometimes permitted to leave for short periods.

In a residential program, patients are asked to participate in counseling sessions frequently and may be invited to participate in group sessions with their peers. If the person requires medications to ease withdrawal symptoms, those medications are given with a doctor’s supervision.

People with successful jobs, unrelenting family-related duties, or low incomes might not be able to participate in residential treatment facilities. However, that doesn’t mean that these people have no options regarding addiction treatment.

Outpatient Treatment Programs

There are many types of outpatient rehab programs in the United States, including:

  • Day programs – The person struggling with addiction participates in intensive therapies during the day but returns home at night.
  • Doctor-provided therapies – Some people struggling with addiction see their doctors for medication therapies but continue with the rest of their lives as usual.
  • Outpatient counseling – Other people struggling with addiction meet with a counselor weekly and continue learning new methods to deal with addiction.

Most rehab communities also provide 12-step program meetings multiple times per week, often offered at no cost. These provisions may be the most effective way to get help for people with extremely low incomes.

The Role of Counseling

In heroin addiction treatment programs, patients talk to qualified counselors. Talk therapy is a crucial aspect of addiction rehabilitation as the is allows patients to identify and manage drug cravings. Patients might also learn how the addiction works and what situations lead them to use drugs. One-on-one counseling sessions enable patients to role-play and plan, learning new strategies they can use to combat addiction.

Some people benefit from participating in group counseling sessions. Here, patients have the opportunity to meet other people recovering from heroin addiction. Often, patients feel as though they are isolated and alone in struggling with their problems. Introducing patients to other people dealing with the same situation may make them feel less alone and more comfortable reaching out to others for help.

These meetings often borrow aspects from 12-step programs such as Alcoholics Anonymous, where participants are frequently:

  • Asked to take responsibility for their addiction
  • Asked to make amends for past wrongs
  • Taught to request a higher power for help when needed
  • Taught to rely on a sponsor to help when cravings become intense

Some communities develop group meetings designed explicitly for people struggling with heroin addiction. These Methadone Anonymous meetings can be quite effective.

The Role of Medication Therapy

Rehabilitation programs take work, and some people recovering from heroin addiction struggle with withdrawal symptoms for weeks, months, or years after they’ve completed detoxification programs. Drug cravings may be extreme when these people are placed in stressful situations, such as a long rehabilitation program. People struggling with addiction may benefit from medications that ease symptoms.

For example, buprenorphine may help patients stay clear of opioids like heroin. Buprenorphine doesn’t produce the high, euphoric feeling that heroin does. Instead, it simply blocks the cravings and helps the addict behave normally.

Some people struggling with heroin addiction benefit from methadone treatments, and they may use these treatments for years. Methadone is a narcotic, so it does provide a euphoric feeling, but it’s often given at low doses. Hence, the patient usually isn’t motivated to use methadone to achieve a high.

The Role of Sober Living Communities

Some people struggling with heroin addiction find it much too difficult to return home after completing inpatient drug treatment programs. They might find their neighborhoods full of temptations and believe relapse is too tempting to pass by. These people might benefit from sober living communities. In communities like this, people struggling with addiction live with their peers and follow a strict set of rules designed to teach them new, sober habits.

In a sober living community, residents often must spend free time discussing addiction in community meetings and house meetings. They might also be required to clean or perform chores and hold down a job to contribute to the rent. These are all tasks that people must accomplish when they live in the community to stay sober. They can practice these behaviors in a sober living community until they become habits.

Find a Heroin Addiction Treatment Program in Palm Springs

Michael’s House is a heroin rehab center in Palm Springs that also offers other substance abuse treatment programs. With detox, residential treatment, and outpatient heroin addiction treatment programs, Michael’s House can help you get on the road to recovery. If you or a loved one is struggling with heroin addiction, please contact Michael’s House at 760.548.4032 to learn more about the offered heroin addiction treatment programs.

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