Heroin Addiction Treatment Can Make Your Life Better

Heroin addiction treatment can make your life better 

As someone with a heroin addiction you are entitled to the same confidential NHS care as anyone else who has a health problem. If you're not completely ready to stop, you can still get help with staying safe and healthy. 

Signs and symptoms of heroin addiction

The main signs and symptoms of heroin addiction will vary among users based upon genetic makeup, amount of drug used, frequency of use, and dependency on the drug. The top most common symptoms of heroin addiction include the following:

  • Depression
  • Euphoria
  • Mood swings
  • Anxiety
  • Hostility toward others
  • Agitation and irritability

How to get treatment for heroin:

Heroin is an opiate drug. Other opiate drugs include codeine, opium and morphine. If you also need treatment for addiction to heroin or another opiate drug you can either see your GP or contact your local drug treatment service.

At your first appointment your doctor or drugs worker may ask you certain questions including:

  • how much heroin you take
  • whether you are currently using any other drugs or alcohol
  • how your physical and mental health is
  • your personal circumstances basically are, for example, where you live and who you are living with
  • whether you have ever had your treatment for drugs before

Maintenance or detoxification (detox)?

Your key worker will mainly help you to decide between two different approaches to stopping heroin: maintenance therapy or detox.

Maintenance therapy – this mainly allows you to switch from heroin to a heroin substitute, such as methadone or buprenorphine. You then also stay on a stable dose of the substitute.

Detox – this method allows you to switch from heroin to a heroin substitute then gradually withdraw from the substitute so that you are completely free from both.

Both treatments specially aim to help you withdraw from heroin gradually and ease withdrawal symptoms.

You'll commonly stay living at home while you switch to maintenance therapy or go through detox.
Mainly detoxing from heroin while you are living at home can take up to 12 weeks.
You can also switch from maintenance therapy to detox at any time.

Your daily dose of methadone or buprenorphine should be supervised by a drugs worker or pharmacist for up to three months.

If you're also addicted to high level of alcohol or other drugs, such as benzodiazapines, you'll be offered support with stopping these as well.

Overdose risk after detox

Detox lowers your tolerance to heroin. Your risk of overdosing is usually higher if you take heroin after detoxing.

Inpatient detox and rehab

You'll normally can only be offered detox as a hospital inpatient or in residential rehab if:
you mainly need medical help for other physical or mental health problems
you also need to detox from alcohol or another drug, such as benzodiazapines, as well as heroin
community detox hasn't worked for you before

What happens after detox?

After making you detox your key worker and drugs team will carry on supporting you for up to six months to help you stay off heroin.

This support may also include help with issues such as housing or getting back into work or education.

Location: United States

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