Over the course of the past several decades, rates of heroin abuse, addiction, and overdose-related death have completely skyrocketed throughout the United States. The National Institute on Drug Abuse reported that during the year 2018 alone, over 67,300 Americans over the age of 18 lost their lives as a direct result of a drug-involved overdose. The majority of these overdose deaths directly involved an opioid narcotic – usually a synthetic opioid, a prescription painkiller, or heroin. Deaths involving synthetic opioids like fentanyl have been on the rise, accounting for 31,335 total fatalities reported in 2018. This is due, in large part, to the fact that many drug dealers are now cutting heroin with fentanyl in order to increase its street value.
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Heroin Detox Without Professional Help
Fentanyl is an opioid narcotic between 50 and 100 times more potent than morphine. When an individual uses heroin that is laced with fentanyl, he or she is at increased risk of overdose and an increased risk of developing a severe substance abuse disorder in a short amount of time. If you have been using heroin for any length of time, it is absolutely crucial that you seek professional medical treatment. Many heroin users convince themselves that they should use just “one last time” before seeking the clinical care they need. Unfortunately, the next time might very well be the last.
Heroin Withdrawal On Your Own
Heroin withdrawal occurs when an individual who has been using the drug for any length of time abruptly stops using. The symptoms associated with heroin withdrawal are generally not life-threatening, though they can be very physically and psychologically demanding, ultimately leading to relapse before the detox process has completely come to an end. If you want to quit using heroin, entering into a medical detox is extremely important. In this facility you will be closely monitored by a team of experienced medical professionals who will effectively medicate symptoms as soon as they arise, resulting in a safe and pain-free heroin withdrawal. Sadly, many individuals believe that they can detox on their own and maintain long-term sobriety without entering into a treatment program.
Medical Detox is Needed for a Safe Heroin Withdrawal
This is far from true – medical detox is necessary, and attempting to taper yourself off of heroin can be extremely dangerous. If you are considering tapering yourself off of heroin, we urge you to give us a call instead. You have countless resources available to you that will help you withdraw safely and move on to the next appropriate level of clinical care once the detox process is complete.
Heroin Addiction Help at Recreate Life Counseling
At Recreate Life Counseling, we provide men and women of all ages with a thorough and highly individualized approach to clinical care. When it comes to effective addiction treatment, we believe that medical detox is always a necessary first step on the road to recovery whenever heroin is involved. This highly addictive chemical substance can lead to serious and potentially life-threatening complications when symptoms of withdrawal are left untreated or are not professionally treated in a medically monitored setting. Attempting to taper yourself off of heroin is not only dangerous, but it is – far more often than not – extremely unsuccessful. Intense psychological cravings often lead the individual who is attempting to detox at home straight back to full-blown use within the first several hours.
When it comes to heroin detox, the methodologies that we employ are safe and effective. Rather than tapering an individual off of heroin, we utilize medications like suboxone which are far less dangerous and habit-forming. This opioid antagonist essentially tricks the brain into thinking that opioid narcotics are still being introduced to the system, alleviating physical and psychological symptoms of withdrawal and making the entire process far safer. If you have been abusing heroin for any length of time, give Recreate Life Counseling a call today to begin your own personal journey of long-term heroin addiction recovery.