Understanding What Heroin Treatment Utah Programs Are All About

By Stephen Cole


Heroin is a highly addictive substance that is produced from morphine. It is naturally occurring and is extracted from the seed pods of the opium plant. Addicts of this drug find it extremely difficult to quit. However overcoming this addiction is now possible thanks to heroin treatment Utah programs.

Heroin has the potential to cause serious health complications to the individual. The addiction happens quickly without the knowledge of the person using the drugs. Most addicts get the feeling that they cannot get through the day without using heroin and will go to great lengths just access the drug or have more of it. Loss of memory is also a mental and psychological effect of abusing the drug.

Professional help is crucial if the treatment process is to be successful. Those who try to quit without help might succeed. However, the chances of relapsing are high due to the powerful side effects associated with trying to quit the substance. There is no fixed way of treating heroin addicts, for the rehabilitation to be successful it should be specifically geared towards the condition of the patient.

Detoxification is the initial procedure that is done to help a patient deal with withdrawal symptoms. These signs usually develop once a person starts the medication process and will persist for up to two weeks. The common withdrawal effects will include: restlessness, diarrhea, profuse sweating, nausea, twitching, insomnia and hallucinations. Mood swings and suicidal thoughts are also common.

There are two types of treatment options that are available for patients, these include: the outpatient and the residential facility also known as the inpatient heroin rehab. The inpatient rehabilitation is the most preferred method due to the belief that the environment plays a key role in the addiction process. Here the recovering patient lives at the facility where he or is under constant surveillance.

The outpatient program is meant for people who cannot fully commit to the requirements of the inpatient treatment facility, this may be due to reasons such as the inability to meet the expense of treatment or lack of time to fully commit. They will undergo counseling during the day and are allowed to return home after the exercise, this has proved useful for students and workers who have limited time.

The aftercare is as important to the patient as the actual treatment period. The average duration of rehabilitation takes between one to three months but after this period most patients will need additional time to recover fully. This aftercare program entails going through a series of counseling which is best conducted through a support group to help individuals get their life back together. It helps addicts appreciate milestones and identify flaws that they need to rectify to achieve full recovery.

Most families do not know what to do when any of their loved ones becomes a heroin addict. Undertaking treatment can help restore the overall health and well being of a person struggling with this dangerous addiction. The decision to quit the drug is a positive step in the right direction and addicts should be enrolled in the right programs.




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