Heroin Addiction Treatment

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Heroin is the most potent of all the opiates, and usually results in strong physical and psychological addiction. Treatment for heroin requires intensive medical care and counseling.

Heroin Detox

Heroin addicts quickly develop a tolerance to the drug, and need to use ever increasing amounts to achieve the desired effect; and this can intensify the addiction. Heroin is so difficult to quit because the withdrawal effects are very unpleasant, and start to occur only hours after the last dosage.

Heroin dependent users should not attempt to detox without medical supervision. The withdrawal symptoms can be very severe, and include an intense craving for the drug, nausea, diarrhea, bone pain, convulsions, anxiety and many others. The physical withdrawal symptoms are so intense and unpleasant that few people can refrain from taking more heroin, just to ease the pain. Additionally, these withdrawal symptoms can be dangerous, and in some cases fatal.

Ideally, heroin detoxification should be done under the supervision of an addiction treatment professional, and this professionally supervised detox may also include the use of anti anxiety drugs such as benzodiazepines, to reduce the severity of the symptoms.

Heroin addiction treatment

There are two primary methods for heroin treatment. One approach to heroin addiction is to substitute heroin with another drug such as methadone or buprenorphine, which are also opiates, but are given at dosages which do not create a "high". These drugs are then gradually tapered off until the addict becomes drug free.

The alternative method of treatment involves peer support group programs and intensive counseling from addiction treatment professionals, often in an immersive environment. Addicts, who have progressed beyond the initial phase of physical withdrawal, learn strategies that will allow them to remain drug free when they return to their homes and their lives.

Heroin addicts will often need the continuing support of an addiction treatment councilor, and peer support groups such as narcotics anonymous, once reintegrated into society.