Recovering from heroin addiction begins with an effective heroin detox program with around-the-clock monitoring. Medication-assisted treatment and professional therapy can help you get through the first days and weeks of drug-free living. You may require long-term maintenance to achieve your aim of recovery, but it all starts with choosing the right recovery strategies. Additionally, there are support groups that you can tap for support throughout your life.
What Effects Does Heroin Have on the Body?
Heroin has both short-term and long-term effects on your body.
Immediately after using heroin, you experience euphoric feelings accompanied by a heavy feeling in the arms and legs, flushed skin, and dry mouth. After the initial high wears away, many users drift in and out of sleep.
Heroin impacts the central nervous system, resulting in fuzzy mental functionality. You may also notice slower breathing. In case of an overdose, users can also experience respiratory failure.
Long-term Effects of Heroin Drug Addiction
If you share needles and use heroin over a long time, you may notice several negative long-term impacts, such as the following:
- Infection of the heart lining
- Liver disease
- Hepatitis C
- Kidney disease
- Skin infections
- Lung and breathing issues
Getting Help at Heroin Addiction Centers
Choose an addiction treatment center with a history of success. A reputable drug addiction treatment program has a low recurrence rate. This indicates that the administrators can effectively curb cravings and help those with heroin use disorder stay clean after their first stay. Additionally, evidence-based treatment approaches indicate the facility follows scientifically-based protocols based on past successes.
Some rehab centers follow the 12-step program pioneered by Alcoholics Anonymous. Others choose religious beliefs to help clients regain their sense of purpose and hold onto hope. Still, others focus on behavior management. If you have strong views for or against religious sentiment, you may wish to use that as part of the criteria to select a heroin addiction treatment center that matches your beliefs.
Rehab centers have helped thousands of those impacted by drug addiction find their way back to sobriety.
Sources for Continuing Support
When you return home after rehab for addiction, you need a positive support group around you. Completing rehab is a huge step, but you’re not done yet. You have several fantastic options to build a healthy lifestyle and join groups that help you stay on track during recovery.
Here are just some of the ways that you can get involved in the community or concentrate on new interests rather than drug use:
- Join social groups supporting sobriety, such as AA and NA. Get a sponsor.
- Join a church where you feel welcome.
- Take up knitting, cooking, or collecting trains and join a club of like-minded hobbyists.
- Foster healthy friendships.
Filling your time with productive pursuits makes it less likely that you will succumb to heroin addiction cravings.
Therapy can Help Treat Heroin Addiction
Find a good therapist who inspires you to maintain your good work and avoid relapse. Drug addiction is more than chemical dependence. You may have started using heroin to counter stress and triggers in your life. Cognitive-behavioral therapy helps you understand the underlying causes of your addiction.
Work with a therapist to discuss the pain and discomfort of withdrawal symptoms. Individual counseling lets you delve more deeply into emotions and thoughts that you struggled to cope with. Instead of using heroin addiction as a crutch, you can direct your energy into activities that help you live in the moment without overreacting.
Meditation, journaling, and yoga can also help you focus on positive thoughts.
Medical Check-ups
Find a doctor you can trust and tell them about your struggle with heroin addiction. Heroin addiction takes a toll on the body. So, take the time to prioritize your physical health. Ideally, you will pair medical checkups with mental health checkups to add accountability to your recovery.
