Friday, February 17, 2012

Getting The Most Of Your Heroin Rehab Experience




If you’re considering entering, or have recently entered a heroin rehab facility, you are already on the road toward the fulfilling, happy and sober lifestyle you deserve. Though this road holds many trials and challenges, there are a few things you can do during your rehab stay to keep yourself headed on the right track.

If you have yet to choose your heroin addiction treatment facility, it’s important to research your available options to ensure it’s suitable to your needs. Not all rehabs are the same. As such, locating a facility that can properly address your recovery in a way that makes sense to you is vital in helping you move forward from your addiction.

Most heroin rehab programs require patients to enroll in a detoxification program prior to entering treatment. Though detox is often viewed as a scary ordeal, the process is actually used as a way to wean addicts off drugs in a safe, comfortable and medically monitored fashion. In this fashion, addicts are able to combat many of the withdrawal symptoms associated with heroin addiction, thus paving the way for a productive and healthy recovery in treatment.

Once you’ve entered treatment, the most important aspect is participation. Addicts with no vested interest in recovery hold little chance in realizing sobriety. Though programs vary, the majority encourage individual and group therapy as a way to work through the addiction. By allowing yourself to express your thoughts and feelings to others, not only are you working to benefit your own condition, but the condition and environment of those around you.

Think positive! Recovery is a life long process involving many ups and downs. Keep your head up and your ears open. By making a decision to actively participate in your initial recovery, you will be setting yourself up for a life of opportunity and wonderment.

Monday, February 13, 2012

Heroin Recovery – Treatment And Understanding



Because heroin is one of the more mentally and physically addictive substances in existence, it’s no surprise that heroin addiction is one of the more challenging addictions to address. As with most substance addictions, heroin abuse involves many emotional and psychological aspects. Though, when these elements are combined with the extensive physical dependency found in most addicts, the challenges or treatment are raised exponentially.

Step 1 – If an addict has agreed to seek help for their addiction, the first step in the recovery process is detoxification. Heroin withdrawal symptoms hit a peak roughly 2- 3 days after last use, and include body aches, vomiting, insomnia, diarrhea and cold flashes. Due to the severity of this process, it is always recommended that an addict enter a detoxification facility prior to attending rehab.

Step 2 – Once the detox treatment is complete, the addict will be provided with a list of treatment options to help continue the recovery process. Look into the drawbacks and benefits of various medications and psychotherapy options and determine which would be most beneficial for the individual in question.

Step 3 – Draw up a treatment plan centered around the individual’s personal preferences and treatment decisions. Studies show a much higher rate of success in addicts who choose individualized treatment programs as opposed to something more “cookie cutter” in nature.

Step 4 – Most heroin rehab facilities encourage patients to keep a daily journal throughout their recovery. In this way, addicts will be able to address emotions brought about in therapy sessions and other aspects of their recovery.

Step 5 – Be patient with your patient. Heroin recovery is a life long process continuing well beyond the confines of a treatment facility. By making a conscious choice to stay loving, positive and committed, you will not only serve well-being of the addict, but yourself as well.

Wednesday, February 8, 2012

Heroin Addiction – The Basics




Heroin addiction is a disease plagued by health and legal risks, causing both a mental and physical dependency after only a short period of time. Ridding oneself of this dependency is never easy, though these days, there are a number of therapeutic and medical treatments available to those willing to fight. Whether you are an addict yourself or a concerned friend or a family member, making a point to research the addiction is vital in ensuring the best potential for recovery. In this entry, we will offer up some basic information to get you started on the road to sobriety.

Usage

A study performed in 2003 suggested that over 3.7 million people had engaged in heroin use at one time for another. Of this initial figure, 57% were then classified as dependent or addicts. In all, only around 280,000 addicts sought help for their issue.

Withdrawal and Addiction

Just as with any other addiction, heroin withdrawal results in intense cravings. Addicts who use regularly will ultimately become physically dependent, commonly experiencing a variety of withdrawal symptoms, including body aches, diarrhea and vomiting once use has stopped.

Detoxification

Though many heroin users associate detox with pain and discomfort, the detoxification process actually works to minimize the withdrawal symptoms. Most addicts placed in heroin recovery program will be forced to enter a medically monitored detoxification facility prior to continuing their recovery. The detox period varies on a case-by-case basis, but generally lasts between 3 – 10 days.

Medications

With over 30 years of success, Methadone has been used as the go-to medication to help address heroin addiction. The medication is provided to individuals once each day to suppress withdrawal symptoms and minimize the cravings associated with the dependency. Other common medications include clonidine, buprenorphine, naltrexone and lofexidine.

Behavioral Therapy

Behavioral therapy is often used in combination with medication to ensure the best possibility for long lasting recovery. In addition to inpatient programs, many addicts will be encouraged to continue their treatment on an outpatient basis post-completion.

Monday, February 6, 2012

Heroin Recovery And The Pursuit Of Happiness




Heroin users come in all shapes and sizes. While the classic junkie is typically perceived as a homeless gap-tooth; the modern user may just as soon be your cousin, neighbor, boss or mother. Fortunately, heroin addiction treatment has progressed leaps and bounds in recent decades, making it possible for users to achieve the vibrant, loving and happy existence we all strive for. If you have a loved one affected by heroin addiction, the following entry will provide you with a few helpful tips to get them back on the right track.

Stay positive! If you’ve become recently aware of the addiction, you may find yourself feeling hurt, scared and angry. Though these feelings are completely natural, dwelling on them will do little to help rectify the situation at hand. When it comes to heroin addiction - more than with many other substances – you’re dealing with a life or death situation. To help ensure a positive outcome, it’s important to approach the addiction from a loving standpoint… if not for them, then your own sake.

Whether you decide to plan an intervention or a one-on-one meeting, it’s imperative that the addiction receives the attention it deserves. If circumstances permit, consider calling close friends and family members to request the addict accept help for their dependency. Many families find this method to be not only effective but also therapeutic. In an intervention setting, a group of close friends and family members gather together to communicate their love and concern for the individual in question. If the addict refuses to accept help, they are provided with a list of consequences.

In the case of a successful intervention, addicts will be promptly transported to a heroin drug rehab center. There, the individual will receive help in addressing the root of their addiction, while also learning to live in a safe, positive, happy and drug free manner.

Though the recovery road is long and often uphill, hope is available to those who seek it. Keep your chin up and your heart open, kid… cloudy days make the sunshine all the brighter.