Williamstown 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.

Aftercare and Ongoing Support in Williamstown, WV

Because every recovery process is as different as the person recovering, heroin rehab centers will carefully plan for ongoing care once the initial treatment duration has ended. To do so, many treatment programs will offer their own aftercare programs or will go to great lengths to plan for or arrange extended treatment or aftercare for all treatment alumni.

People in recovery tend to do best when they have a plan in place for when they check out. During the treatment process, trained counselors will work with you to develop an aftercare plan, which can include outpatient treatment, private therapy, 12-step meetings, long-term residential treatment, and sober-living housing.

How Do I Find Help for a Heroin Addiction in Williamstown, WV?

Heroin rehab programs provide effective treatment and support for people addicted to heroin. Comprehensive heroin rehab is offered in a number of treatment settings, including both inpatient and outpatient. Many rehabs for heroin or other opioid drugs include a detox program at the start of treatment. Then the patient receives a combination of therapeutic interventions, such as individual therapy, group counseling, family therapy, peer support groups, and more, to help rectify drug-using behaviors and avoid relapse.

What are the long-term effects of heroin abuse in Williamstown, WV?

Prolonged use of heroin has devastating physical effects. Chronic users may develop liver disease, collapsed veins, abscesses and infections. They may experience pulmonary diseases such as pneumonia. Because heroin sold on the street is not pure, it may contain additives that can clog vessels in the brain, lungs, kidneys or liver. If this complication does not result in death, it can cause infection. It destroys the addict both physically and emotionally if used for a long enough period of time. Call us to find out how we can find you a heroin rehabilitation center that will keep things from going this far.

Are You Ready for Rehab in Williamstown, WV?

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.

Heroin Detox in Williamstown, WV

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.

Dangers of Heroin Abuse and Addiction

Heroin addiction and abuse is the epidemic of our generation and affects people of all race, background, and class. Opiate related deaths are the leading cause of accidental deaths in the United States. The death toll per year of opiate overdoses resulting in death has recently taken the lead to vehicular collisions. Every 19 minutes someone is losing their life to this deadly drug.

Overdose and death are not the only worries for those using heroin. Injecting the drug puts users at high risks of contracting diseases through blood and bodily fluids. HIV and hepatitis C are among the common diseases we see transmitted through sharing needles.