Like other opioids, heroin provides tremendous relief from physical and emotional pain while robbing people of their ability to think clearly, love deeply, and live purposefully.
If you regularly use heroin and have noticed a decline in your overall way of living, we want to offer an alternative. Contact The Arbor at 844.413.2690 for information about the substance abuse treatment programs at our 67-acre drug rehabilitation ranch outside Austin, Texas.
Opioid Tolerance
More and more often, people are led to heroin use through gateway opioids that are commonly prescribed. These include oxycodone and fentanyl.
The over-prescription and abuse of these drugs can lead people toward the more intense heroin as they develop a tolerance. No matter how someone ends up with a heroin addiction, the best path forward is seeking professional help through a heroin addiction treatment program.
Side Effects of Heroin Abuse
Heroin abuse poses severe risks and can lead to devastating side effects. Short-term side effects of heroin include:
- Euphoria
- Dry mouth
- Nausea
- Severe itching
These symptoms are often accompanied by slowed breathing and heart function, which can result in lethal overdoses.
Long-term side effects of heroin cause extensive damage to the body, including:
- Liver and kidney disease
- Collapsed veins
- Infections of the heart lining and valves
Heroin also significantly disrupts the brain’s chemistry, impairing decision-making and leading to intense physical and psychological dependence.
One of the gravest risks of heroin use is overdose, driven by its unpredictable potency and the potential for it to be mixed with other dangerous substances, such as fentanyl. Additionally, sharing needles increases the likelihood of contracting serious diseases, such as HIV and hepatitis.
Withdrawal symptoms
Withdrawal symptoms make quitting immensely challenging without professional medical assistance. These symptoms include:
- Intense cravings
- Muscle pain
- Diarrhea
- Insomnia
Given these dire side effects, the need for effective addiction treatment becomes crystal clear.
Heroin Addiction Treatment Program
Fear of withdrawal symptoms often prevents people from seeking treatment for heroin addiction. Heroin numbs all physical and emotional pain when a person has the drug in their system. However, long-term, high-dose heroin use actually makes it harder to tolerate pain and discomfort over time.
This causes people to use more and more heroin. Symptoms of heroin withdrawal include:
- Vomiting
- Cramps and muscle pain
- Insomnia
- Mood swings or outright depression
- Restlessness and irritability
Heroin’s many withdrawal symptoms make the withdrawal process uncomfortable for most people. Although attempting to detox from heroin without assistance usually results in relapse, being in a safe, comfortable rehab environment promotes healing and recovery.
Treating heroin addiction also involves intensive periods of behavioral therapy. Behavioral therapies help clients unlearn problematic behaviors and replace them with healthier habits and action patterns that support sobriety.
Dual Diagnosis Treatment for Heroin Addiction
Heroin addiction has a high relapse rate. Many times, heroin addiction is accompanied by a mental health disorder like depression, bipolar disorder, or anxiety. Everyone who seeks treatment at The Arbor receives a personalized addiction treatment plan that takes their mental health into account.
Moreover, The Arbor offers dual diagnosis treatment through our heroin rehab center as part of an integrated approach that seeks to prevent relapse. Dual diagnosis treatment simply means dealing with an addiction and a mental health disorder at the same time. If someone going through recovery from heroin addiction fails to receive the right mental health support, it makes relapse much more likely.
Heroin Rehab Center at The Arbor
The Arbor’s heroin addiction rehab center surrounds clients with support through a dedicated relapse prevention program and an alumni program. Recovery is a lifelong process that deserves a careful, considered approach. The Arbor’s relapse prevention program supports our heroin rehab program by extending care beyond our walls. Examples of aftercare support for people exiting residential treatment include:
- Recovery mentorship
- Career guidance and support
- Drug testing
- Relapse monitoring
- Access to community resources
Everyone who receives treatment at The Arbor gains access to our alumni program. The program holds different meetings and events that support alumni and foster connection and mutual aid. Another element of our heroin rehab program that sets us apart is our focus on family services. Healing from addiction is best done with support from and in the context of a family unit.
Overcome Substance Abuse at The Arbor
The Arbor’s heroin addiction treatment program offers residential and outpatient options. In addition, we specialize in gender-specific programming. Our 67-acre ranch near Austin, Texas, allows us to provide equine-assisted therapy to all of our clients.
A major challenge for people addicted to heroin and other substances is that they have disconnected from who they are and have lost touch with healthy emotions and ways of being. Releasing trauma and pain is critical in the recovery process. Equine-assisted therapy helps our clients rediscover their identities, manage stress, and process difficult emotions.
The time to reclaim your best life is now. Learn more about The Arbor’s heroin rehab center by calling 844.413.2690 or using our online contact form.