What is heroin detoxification?
Heroin detoxification is a treatment that aims to enable the patient suffering from heroin addiction to stop using this addictive drug quickly and safely.
In this sense, detoxification represents a cleansing of the organism and the liberation from the physical dependence created by this substance.
Why is it done?
Heroin addiction is a chronic disease, which affects the brain and behavior, and is characterized by dependence on this harmful substance for the organism. That is why its treatment is very important.
Dependence to this substance usually develops on a regular basis, after extended use over time. The time required to become dependent varies depending on the amount and frequency, as well as individual factors such as the person’s vulnerability. The most common symptoms that patients addicted to this drug have are the following:
- Mental health problems: depression, psychosis, anxiety, paranoia, suicidal thoughts.
- Physical health problems: liver damage, thrombosis, overdose, hepatitis B and C, HIV, brain damage and even death.
- Physical dependence, causing withdrawal syndrome, which can lead to insomnia, irritability, panic attacks and visual hallucinations, among other symptoms, when the patient stops using heroin.
- Social problems: financial problems, unemployment, homelessness, relationship problems.
- Problems with the judicial system: crime and theft.
- Tolerance, which is the need to consume increasing amounts of the drug.
- Loss of control.
What does it consist of?
Heroin detoxification is a treatment that combines pharmacological treatments with psychotherapeutic support, with the aim of helping patients overcome their addiction, eliminating or controlling withdrawal symptoms.
This treatment usually consists of different stages:
- Detoxification: in this first step, many people addicted to heroin must enter a center so that different professionals can provide them with help to eliminate the substance from their organism and thus achieve physical stability. This stage is always carried out with medical and psychiatric control, to monitor the patient’s evolution.
- Detoxification: once the patient is detoxified and no longer suffers the effects of the withdrawal syndrome, detoxification is carried out. This process is carried out with psychotherapeutic support so that the person does not consume the substance again. The objective of this phase is for the patient to be able to live without using heroin, improving his psychosocial functioning and acquiring healthy habits.
- Rehabilitation and readaptation: in this stage the patient’s personality is strengthened to face his new life, motivating him to continue with the change to face the situations that led him to use heroin.
Once these three stages have been completed, the patient can get emotional support through self-help groups. In addition, a behavioral therapy program can be initiated to prevent relapse. The treatment ends with the patient’s full reintegration into his or her environment.
Preparation for heroin detoxification
Before initiating heroin detoxification treatment, the specialist must assess the patient’s physical and psychological state to determine whether heroin detoxification is appropriate.
Post-procedure care
Once heroin detoxification has been completed, it will be important to provide long-lasting and effective follow-up care, as well as to implement programs to prevent relapse, motivating the patient for his or her new life.