Opioid addiction can disrupt not only a person’s relationships, responsibilities, and routines but also those of their family members. That’s why people struggling with heroin addiction must consider getting admitted into a heroin detox program as soon as possible and then transitioning to a heroin addiction treatment program afterward.
Professional help is sorely needed by people struggling with opioid addiction, particularly when their addictive substance of choice is heroin. Medical detox is usually the first step in a patient’s addiction recovery path, and patients have access to it at a heroin detox center. Looking for a heroin detox program in California? Contact DetoxLA today by calling 818.616.7341 or reaching out to our team online.
What Is Heroin?
Heroin is an illicit opioid drug made from morphine, which is a natural substance taken from the seed pod of the opium poppy plants grown in Colombia, Mexico, Southeast Asia, and Southwest Asia. Heroin can be a brown or white powder, or a black sticky substance, also called black tar heroin.
People can inject, smoke, sniff, or snort heroin. Some people may even mix heroin with crack cocaine—this practice is called speedballing. Heroin enters the brain rapidly and binds to opioid receptors on brain cells. These receptors are involved in controlling heart rate, sleeping, and breathing, as well as feeling pain and pleasure.
What Are the Benefits of Getting Admitted to a Heroin Detox Center?
1. Becoming Healthier and Lengthening Expected Lifespan
Medical detox at a heroin detox center can be life-saving, on top of providing safety, security, and support to patients that are undergoing heroin withdrawal symptoms. Did you know that some withdrawal symptoms can not only be significantly discomforting but life-threatening, too? Some may even lead to medical emergencies, which is why detoxing at home can be fatal.
Detoxing, whether done at a rehab center or at home, removes any trace of heroin in the body. And because the assumption is that a patient will strive to maintain lifelong sobriety, detoxing can also help them to avoid serious long-term complications of heroin addiction. These long-term effects can affect a patient’s expected lifespan and can result in sexual dysfunction, skin infections, and other serious conditions.
2. Easing Withdrawal Symptoms with Medication-Assisted Treatment (MAT)
Did you know that MAT is used in about 75% or more cases that need detoxification? MAT reduces the effects of withdrawal symptoms, including sudden cravings that may distract patients from their primary goal of living a sober life.
When detoxing at home, people may experience a lot of discomfort and pain. They may also not have enough willpower to stop themselves from relapsing quickly because there’s rarely anyone with them to hold them accountable. It’s also much easier to find heroin or other opioids when someone’s not admitted into a rehab center.
3. Starting on the Path to Successful Heroin Addiction Treatment
For many people who successfully complete addiction treatment, their first step was getting admitted into a heroin detox center. Some patients may have never tried to quit heroin or were unsuccessful. Going through the detox process at a rehab center, alongside healthcare professionals, not only means that a patient has medical support but also others that can supervise their actions. Although they may want to relapse due to sudden cravings, they won’t be able to because they’re already at a heroin detox center.
However, detox is not a replacement for treatment but the crucial first stage of the addiction recovery process. To continue on that path, patients must transition to more comprehensive addiction treatment programs—which often include psychotherapy, skill-building workshops, and even a continuation of MAT if needed.
4. Uncovering Possible Co-Occurring Disorders
If someone starts on their addiction recovery path at a heroin detox center, they’ll need to undergo assessment and diagnosis.
Even people that have struggled with addiction for years may not be aware that they’re also struggling with a co-occurring disorder and therefore have a dual diagnosis. Cases like this need to be handled differently to give patients a higher chance of successful recovery. The addiction and the co-occurring disorder must be treated at the same time because the symptoms of each can affect the other.
When Should You Consider a Heroin Detox Program?
It’s rare for someone struggling with opioid addiction to successfully detox at home, with no medical attention or supervision. If you or someone you care about is struggling with opioid addiction, particularly involving heroin, you should definitely consider a heroin detox program.
Rehab experts generally recommend medical detox for people like this, and a heroin detox program offers that type of treatment—along with help in transitioning into further addiction treatment afterward.
Learn More About DetoxLA’s Heroin Detox Program
If you’re searching for a heroin detox program in California, contact DetoxLA today. Call 818.616.7341 or reach out to our team online.