Here at Action Rehab, our expert team have helped hundreds of clients throughout the years. Our specialist heroin addiction detox programme is reasonably priced and we are staffed by people who genuinely care about your recovery. If you undertake residential rehab with us, you can be assured you’ll be receiving some of the best heroin detox in the UK.
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GET IN TOUCH TODAYIf you, or someone you care about, is suffering from a heroin addiction, please call us today on 0151 268 6992 and speak to our understanding team. We won’t judge you and we will look to get you help as quickly as we can to help you towards the first steps to recovery.
The heroin detox process is an important part of any heroin addiction treatment programme. As with any other depressant, a full detox is required. Due to the unpleasant and severe withdrawal symptoms that detox from a heroin addiction can cause, it is of the utmost importance that it is supervised. Going “cold turkey” or trying to undergo a heroin detox at home is not recommended as it can be extremely dangerous. With our treatment programme, you will be surrounded by experienced professionals and be in a controlled environment.
Each recovery process is different, and while treatment is widely available across the country, different methods are likely to have varying levels of success for different individuals. Withdrawal management is a key phase of the process which will underpin a lot of the discussions within this piece, and refers to the medical procedure undertaken by those reducing their intake of a particular drug and, in turn, their dependence on it.
Some clients need to be put on replacement therapy. This is where a substitute drug, such as buprenorphine or methadone, is prescribed as part of a heroin detox. Buprenorphine is a sever painkiller which can help to prevent intense withdrawal symptoms, and is used as part of the recovery process to replace heroin and to slowly reduce the dependence on heroin’s effects. This allows the gradual tapering off of how much of the drug is being taken over time. Each individual circumstance will be different but there is a blueprint which has helped thousands of heroin addicts on their road to recovery, it is important to stick to the process and trust that things will get easier as time goes on.
Heroin addiction
Heroin is a dangerous and highly addictive substance which can cause long-lasting harm if taken in excess over a sustained period of time. It is said to bring upon a relaxed feeling of elation as well as easing symptoms of pain, and for this reason it is estimated that almost 10 million people worldwide currently take heroin.
Heroin is an opiate (meaning the drug originates from poppies) and it when taken it enters the brain rapidly, binding to opioid receptors to enhance feelings of pleasure and reducing pain, as well as controlling heart rate and sleeping patterns. Action Rehab’s heroin detox is to primarily help clients to discover new ways of controlling drug use or developing abstinence. Almost all heroin addicts will need to undergo an initial detox in order to remove the drugs from your system and to overcome the not insignificant withdrawal symptoms that affect people undergoing a detox. You’ll be observed and assessed by our doctors when your detox begins, and they will ensure you are safe and comfortable throughout the heroin detox process.
Using heroin more and more will allow your body to build up a level of tolerance to it, however this does not mean that it won’t cause you great harm. Your body will continue to need a greater and greater amount to experience the highs associated with the drug, until the point when your body physically depends on it in order to properly function. This dependence is what causes withdrawal symptoms when an individual begins a heroin detox, as is the case with a wide range of different illegal substances.
Our staff include a wide range of experienced, qualified addiction staff, psychologists and psychiatrists along with an array of professional therapists, all of whom will work together to guide you through these difficult times and onto a new path with a fresh perspective on life. The best method to overcome heroin addiction is to take each individual on a case by case basis and provide personalised treatment to suit their specific needs and requirements, giving every person the very best opportunity to make a better life and future for themselves.
How to treat a Heroin addiction
During your initial consultation with your therapist, you will be asked to answer of questions regarding yourself and your heroin usage. These include:
How much heroin do you take?
Are you having any other substances? (drugs/alcohol)
Have you received treatment for heroin addiction previously?
What are your personal circumstances?
How is your physical and mental health?
Once you have provided responses to the initial questions, you will be asked to provide a urine sample which will be used to check confirm that you have been using heroin. Once this step is complete you will then be designated an expert who will work with you to put together a treatment plan specifically designed to fit your own circumstances.
As mentioned above, each heroin addiction case is different and each individual must be assessed accordingly to decipher the best way forwards. There are two main methods to tackling heroin addiction: maintenance and detoxification. Maintenance therapy involves replacing the heroin with a similar but less harmful substitute (typically methadone or buprenorphine) and remaining on a stable dosage of the substitute moving forwards. Detoxification also involves switching to the less damaging alternative, but instead involves gradually reducing the intake until the individual has completely eliminated the substance altogether.
Both methods of treatment are designed to ease the often difficult withdrawal symptoms that occur as a result of reducing intake, primarily so that the individual can eradicate their dependence on heroin and its substitutes forever. You can switch from maintenance therapy to detoxification therapy at any time, and it is important to note that you will also be offered support to overcome any other addictions you might have.
How long does a heroin detox take?
Putting an exact timeframe on the length of heroin detox is very difficult. Every person is different and their addiction different too. The duration of the rehab programme varies and is generally determined by the complexity and severity of your addiction. We ask for a 28-day commitment as a minimum to one of our residential rehab clinics. This allows us time to ensure we can perform both initial and complete assessments of your physical and mental health.
By doing this, we can identify the root cause of your addiction and give you accurate treatment that can make your recovery much easier. Unlike the NHS, there is no waiting list for our treatment and we can begin straight away. You’ll also be treated on a residential basis, not outpatient, meaning you can focus on your recovery and not be exposed to people or places who might otherwise lead you down the wrong path.
While there is no set time period in which every person successfully detoxes from heroin, the process takes approximately 8-12 weeks while living at home, giving the patient sufficient time to slowly reduce their intake whilst experiencing the smallest level of withdrawal symptoms possible.
It’s practically impossible to avoid heroin withdrawal symptoms when undergoing a detox and it will be a very trying part of your treatment. However, once you’ve begun your detox you’ll be able to join in other parts of your treatment, such as group and individual therapy, to tackle other areas of your addiction and to prepare you to sustain your recovery once you leave our care.
Symptoms of heroin addiction
Heroin is undoubtedly one of the most common and dangerous Class A drugs in the world. When consumed it provides feelings of euphoria and is also a method of pain relief – in its prescribed form it is a painkiller. However, the addictive qualities have seen the drug be more recreational than medicinal. Addiction begins when the brain craves the pleasurable feelings that the use of heroin brings.
Addiction can be defined when consumption isn’t controllable and has become compulsive. You will completely change as a person and the drug effectively controls your life – and that of your loved ones.
It is also likely that heroin addicts, as with many other addicts, will reduce their time in social situations and isolate themselves in order to disguise their usage from others. The addiction might also cause an individual to begin within other social circles
Aftercare
Once you have successfully finished the process of combating heroin addiction, there is still work to be done to ensure that problems don’t arise again and a relapse doesn’t occur. When your treatment is completed you’ll have a fresh start and a new viewpoint of your life, but you will need to continue your rehab. Addiction has no cure, but we will show you how to manage it. Much of the emphasis will be on you. You’ll need to change the way you live your life and take responsibility for avoiding triggers, people and places that could cause your addiction to flare up.
Whilst we will give you all the skills you need, you need to continue to abstain. The first 12 months for a recovering addict are the most trying. Statistically, an addict is at their most likely to relapse in the year following a successful heroin detox and rehab. Continual focus on the processes that you have learned during your treatment will be the key to successfully navigating the opening 12 months post-treatment and beyond.
Action Rehab will prepare you for this by drawing up a free, comprehensive 12-month secondary care plan. You will longer be attending
our residential rehab, but we will still be there to help you overcome your heroin addiction. The post-treatment phase of the recovery is as important as the treatment phase itself, and it is vital to monitor any symptoms both physical and mental that you feel during the early stages of your life after treatment. There’s a free helpline that is manned 24/7 and the staff are sympathetic and understanding – many of them are themselves recovering addicts who know what you’re experiencing.
We’ll also introduce you to a support network where you’ll keep in touch with people who you have gone through this experience with in group therapy as you continue to share life experiences and coping mechanisms. Sharing stories and engaging with like-minded individuals is another great way to ensure that your treatment remains successful in the long-term, and it can be extremely beneficial to share ideas with others and to learn techniques of your own to take forwards in your addiction-free life.
We understand that you might feel a sense of shame or embarrassment by calling us. Possibly the biggest and most difficult obstacle to overcome in battling a heroin addiction is to admit to yourself and those close to you that you have a problem and you need help, but heroin addiction is exceptionally dangerous – it can damage the heart, liver, kidneys and the brain and can even kill. A call today could save your life, or that of someone you love.
So please call Action Rehab today on 0151 268 6992 and we can start your heroin detox straight away and help you to resume your normal life.