Cross Creek Township Heroin Drug Detox and Rehab Treatment Centers

What Does Heroin Addiction Look Like?

Heroin is a typical opioid in terms of how addictive it is, and it leads to both physical and psychological addiction. While users may be able to hide their addiction for a brief time, there are many telltale signs you can look for if you believe a friend or loved one may be in trouble and require heroin rehab.

On top of these immediate and short-term effects, long-term heroin abuse can also lead to dangerous health complications, such as heart problems, chronic pulmonary disease, blood-borne infections from needle sharing, blood clots, bacterial infections, liver disease, arthritis, and seizures. Without the help from an effective heroin treatment center, many of these health problems can be life-threatening, and addicts are always at risk of dying from an overdose.

Why You Should Enter a Residential Treatment Center in Cross Creek Township, PA?

The risk of heroin relapse is high, particularly during the early part of the recovery process. People can amend their medications and put their health at risk, or they can run into dealers and street hawkers with heroin to sell. Temptation can be around every single corner when people keep living at home, but much of that disappears in a residential program. Here, no drugs are allowed. It's a clean environment, filled with people who want to get better and staffers who want to help people to do just that.

Heroin Detox in Cross Creek Township, PA

The next step in the heroin rehab is detox from heroin. The main objective of detox is to relieve your withdrawal symptoms while your body adjusts to functioning without the drug. Detox from heroin should be completed under medical supervision.

The type of detox program will depend on the facility chosen. Some facilities choose to ease the detox process through medication-assisted treatment. Providing tapering doses of replacement medications such as Suboxone (buprenorphine and naloxone), buprenorphine, or methadone can reduce the symptoms of withdrawal in a safe, medically monitored setting.

Another type of detox method is abstinence-only or social detox. With this type of detox, there is no replacement drug, and the patient will simply stop using the drug, with no opioid replacement support to minimize the symptoms of withdrawal. Many find this form of detox quite challenging in cases of heroin withdrawal. More recently, medication assisted detox is becoming an increasingly common method for managing heroin dependence.

Signs and Symptoms of Heroin Addiction

If someone is using heroin on a regular basis, you may notice many different changes in both their appearance and behavior. Their skin may be flushed. They may keep scratching "itchy" skin. They may experience vomiting, shallow breathing or even fall asleep without warning. If they are using with needles, you may notice needle marks as well, but now that so many people prefer to sniff or smoke heroin, marks (or lack thereof) are not the only thing you should be looking for. Besides those signs, you may also stumble across their equipment — rubber tubing, syringes, metal or glass pipes, or even dirty spoons.

Types of Rehab for Heroin Addiction in Cross Creek Township, PA

There are three main heroin treatment options available: inpatient, outpatient or residential treatment.

Inpatient rehab is in a facility where people live and undergo heroin detox and withdrawal. Medical providers provide medical and therapy services around the clock. The patient's time is structured to support the healing process.

Outpatient treatment requires a high level of trust between the patient and the doctor. Most doctors will only agree to outpatient treatment if they know the patient well.

Residential rehab blends inpatient and outpatient heroin treatment programs. For this type of treatment, patients live in a facility with access to medical and psychiatric care. However, people can leave and attend jobs, school, or fulfill their obligations. Residential treatment allows people to remove negative influences in their life that encourage drug and alcohol abuse while letting them continue to fulfill their roles.

Heroin Withdrawal Symptoms

Withdrawal symptoms begin between 4 and 24 hours after the last dose of heroin. The severity and duration of withdrawal may depend on how long the individual used heroin, as well as the amount and method of heroin use.

Heroin withdrawal symptoms are described as a severe case of the flu, and typically include:

• Mood changes, like agitation and anxiety;
• Increased body secretions (runny nose, teary eyes, and sweaty skin);
• Stomach problems (nausea, vomiting, cramping, diarrhea, and loss of appetite);
• Muscle problems (aches, twitching, shivering);
• Sneezing;
• Goosebumps;
• Yawning

Rehab Near or Away From Home in Cross Creek Township, PA

Whether you should travel or check in to a heroin rehab center that is near you is a personal choice. If there are a lot of family members and sober supports within the community, staying close may be a better choice.

Some individuals find that traveling helps them start the new path of recovery and avoid outside stressors or triggers. The most important aspect is that the individual seeking treatment feels sufficiently safe and comfortable to focus on treating the addiction.

Are You Ready for Rehab in Cross Creek Township, PA?

Knowing when it is time to enter a heroin rehab center can be difficult. If you have decided that it is time to fix the problem, this is a good indication that you are ready to explore your treatment options.