Heroin Addiction Detox Program near Minneapolis & St. Paul, MN

The importance of detox for heroin abuse

Heroin is a powerful drug that belongs to the opioid family of substances. In medical settings, prescription opioids are used to treat severe pain, but recreational opioids such as heroin have no place in medicine, as they are simply too dangerous. When ingested, opioids act as depressants, meaning that they slow down the activity of the central nervous system, which includes the brain. As a result, heroin produces feelings of intense pleasure and relaxation when it is ingested.

These pleasurable feelings can cause individuals to return time and time again to the drug. With repeated use, an individual’s body becomes more and more tolerant of the drug and even begins to need a certain amount of heroin in its system in order to function effectively. At some point, many individuals abstain from use, either by choice or because they are unable to obtain more heroin. In these situations, a person can begin to experience symptoms of withdrawal.

During withdrawal, a person’s body reacts to the absence of heroin. It attempts to reorient itself to operating without the presence of the drug, but this process is by no means smooth. Heroin withdrawal involves a range of painful or extremely uncomfortable symptoms that can cause even the most determined individuals to fail in their attempts to abstain from heroin use. Perhaps the most insidious fact about heroin withdrawal is that the fastest way to alleviate symptoms of withdrawal is by ingesting more heroin. As a result, it can be all but impossible for individuals to overcome heroin abuse without professional help. A program that helps individuals successfully make it through withdrawal is called a detoxification, or detox, program.

Benefits of detox near Minneapolis & St. Paul, MN

As described in the previous section, the symptoms of withdrawal can cause individuals to relapse when they are trying to cleanse themselves of heroin. Detox care offers individuals a number of benefits that they cannot receive elsewhere, such as:

• Medical supervision. Detox programs are staffed by caring teams of professionals who have extensive experience with the withdrawal process and are able to monitor each person’s progress through withdrawal to ensure that the process is as safe and comfortable as possible. In addition, these professionals can administer medications to help alleviate some symptoms of withdrawal.
• Drug-free environment. By their nature, detox programs are drug-free. As a result, an individual going through withdrawal cannot act on the temptation to use heroin during the withdrawal process. By removing access to heroin, detox programs give individuals a much better chance to successfully withdraw from the drug.
• Individualized care. A good detox program recognizes that each person’s struggle with heroin is unique and as a result, each person has a different set of strengths, needs, and treatment goals. These programs will create customized treatment plans that address each person’s needs and give him or her the best possible chance of success.
• Smooth transition into residential care. Ensuring that there is no interruption between heroin abuse detox and residential care is one of the best ways to support individuals as they pursue sobriety. Detox programs coordinate with other treatment centers near Minneapolis & St. Paul, Minnesota to ensure continuity of care and a smooth transition into residential treatment.

Without professional help, it is likely that a person who struggles with heroin addiction will not be able to recover. The problems associated with heroin abuse, which ranges from social and relational disruption to job loss to physical ailments, are likely to grow more severe as a person’s heroin addiction progresses.

Fortunately, however, recovery is possible even from an addiction to this extremely potent drug. At our heroin addiction treatment center, we have extensive experience helping individuals reclaim their lives from heroin abuse. Although we do not provide detox services in-house, we work closely with a number of high-quality detox programs in the area to ensure that individuals who come to us to heal will receive the best possible detox experience and can transition smoothly and quickly into our residential care program.

If you or someone you love is struggling with heroin abuse, now is the time to act. Do not wait any longer. At our addiction treatment center, we have a history of helping individuals overcome addictions to heroin and other drugs. Help is available, and with help, it is possible to overcome an addiction to heroin. To learn more about the world-class treatment that provides, contact us at your earliest convenience. Members of our admissions team will be happy to answer any questions you have. With Burkwood’s help, today could be the first day of freedom from heroin.