Heroin addiction impacts the lives of men and women of all ages and socio-economic groups.  If you think you know what a heroin addict looks like, you are wrong – they come from all walks of life and can be fully functioning individuals.   This heroin rehab guide is designed to shed light on the nature of heroin addiction and the treatment required to help those addicted get vital treatment help and can clear up any heroin rehab myths you have heard.

What Makes Heroin Addiction so Dangerous?

Heroin is a dangerous drug for a number of reasons.   When an individual becomes addicted to heroin, she is putting her life in jeopardy every time she uses.  Consider the following risks unique to heroin abuse and addiction.

• Disease. Through who inject heroin have a tendency to share needles or use dirty needles when getting their “fix” of the drug.   This is high-risk behavior that can lead to the contraction of HIV/AIDS or Hepatitis.
• Overdose. Heroin efficacy can vary wildly from supply to supply.  An individual who has used heroin for years without incident may find herself in the hospital (or morgue) as a result of using a too-powerful batch of the drug.

Heroin Rehabilitation Detox

Before an individual can enter into the core of a drug rehab program for heroin addiction, she must first complete the drug detox process.  Detoxification is means by which an individual defeats the physical addiction to heroin, and is therefore deemed stable enough to continue on into counseling.

There are two primary forms of heroin detox: natural and medical.

• Natural heroin detox. Also known as going “cold turkey”, natural detox has the individual giving up heroin entirely while in the care of medical professionals.   Because there are a number of serious withdrawal symptoms associated with ceasing heroin use, a professional drug detox program is important as it helps the individual through this difficult period – both physically and mentally.
• Medical heroin detox. For some, withdrawal symptoms are simply too much to bear – which in turn makes the threat of relapse too great.   These individuals often choose medical detox – in which they receive smaller and smaller doses of a synthetic opiate (most commonly Methadone) until their physical addiction has subsided.

It is important to note that medical detox can cause addiction to Methadone – leaving the individual with two addictions to deal with instead of one.   The other salient point about detox is that it does NOT represent recovery alone.  The psychological component of heroin addiction must be addressed through heroin rehab counseling and can be financially helped by heroin rehab insurance coverage.

Who Should Consider Heroin Addiction Treatment?

Any individual who is unable to stop using heroin, despite a clear understanding of the damage it is causing her health, well-being and personal relationships should consider Heroin rehab.  Men and women who have developed a tolerance to the drug – so that it continually takes more and more heroin to get high – should enter into a treatment program before it is too late. To show you that this treatment helps, here are some heroin rehab statistics you can look at. Those who have seen their careers, relationships, families or physical health suffer because of heroin addiction need the professional help that only a drug rehab center can provide. There are sole heroin rehab for women centers out there for the individual who may need that kind of help, there is also teen heroin rehab help out there if needed for an adolescent.

Major Types of Heroin Rehab Centers

There are two predominant types of heroin rehab centers: outpatient and residential.  Although both contain detox, counseling and aftercare programs that are essential to the recovery of the individual, each is designed to help a particular type of person. Heroin treatment centers also vary in different types of treatment and there are many different heroin rehab costs.

• Residential Heroin Rehab.  These programs have the individual living at the treatment facility full time for a period of 30 days or longer.  This is a comprehensive treatment experience where the individual is cared for 24/7 – and takes part in a number of different activities designed to change their behavior and give them the tools needed to maintain sobriety for years to come.
• Outpatient Heroin Rehab.   Outpatient heroin rehab help is there for those who are unwilling or unable to enter into residential treatment.  This may be the case because of responsibilities at home, work or school.   Because those in an outpatient heroin rehab attend treatment during the day, and then are free to do as they please the rest of the day, they must not be high-risk for relapse in their environment.   As such, these programs are more helpful to those with less serious heroin addiction issues.

Whichever type of heroin rehab program you choose, the most important thing is to get into treatment!   Trying to go it alone can lead to relapse or worse in even the most strong-willed individuals.