Almost half a million Americans over the age of 12 use heroin regularly. But only about one in five people with opioid use disorder (OUD) receive addiction treatment. People with heroin addiction desperately need professional intervention to stop using safely. If you’re looking for help with this disease, congratulations on taking this important step. Discover how our treatment programs at Crest View Recovery Center can help you overcome heroin addiction.
Individualized Treatment at Crest View Recovery Center
Every person has unique circumstances regarding their OUD. So a standardized program will not likely be an effective means of recovery. We at CVRC tailor your treatment according to your addiction history and physical, mental, and spiritual needs. We believe that this holistic approach gives people a significantly greater chance of long-term recovery.
Admissions Process for Heroin Addiction Rehab
You don’t have to wait any longer to start beating heroin addiction. At Crest View Recovery Center in Asheville, NC we’re ready to welcome you, 24 hours a day and seven days a week. We strive to make our rehab admissions process as smooth and comfortable as possible for you and your family. Our compassionate, competent staff will collect information about your situation and devise a specific plan for your recovery.
Payment Options for Heroin Addiction Treatment
We’ll cover your options for payment and work with insurance providers or other agencies to help minimize your addiction treatment costs. We partner with many major companies including:
- Aetna
- Amerihealth
- Anthem
- Blue Cross Blue Shield
- Cigna
- Horizon Healthcare
- United Healthcare
- Value Options/Beacon Health Options
Thanks to the Affordable Care Act of 2010, healthcare insurance companies must provide at least some coverage for addiction rehab services. It’s likely that your plan can offer some financial assistance for some recovery treatment programs. Coverage varies based on the provider and type of plan. So it’s important to know the details of your policy. If you need help understanding what treatment services are covered by your plan, please contact us at Crest View Recovery Center for help today.
The cost of rehab is a major obstacle for many people with addiction; less than 10% get help. Don’t let this concern stop you from calling us for help. If your insurance does not cover all the services you need, or if you do not have insurance at all, there may be other financing options available to you.
Inpatient Rehab for Heroin Addiction in North Carolina
Many former heroin addicts started their successful recovery journey with inpatient rehabilitation. Inpatient rehab removes you from the social factors that have made sobriety difficult up to this point. Residents in inpatient rehab follow a schedule of daily therapy sessions, support groups, and activities. Our psychiatrists, licensed counselors, and other specialists provide a variety of therapy services including:
The inpatient rehab program at CVRC is not the typical traditional set-up you may have observed with many other facilities. While most US treatment centers offer a rehab program of only 30 or fewer days, our programs last an average of 45 days. We combine structure and intensive therapy during the day with evening activities geared toward your treatment goals.
In addition to clinical treatment, we offer an array of holistic or complementary therapies to enhance your recovery from heroin addiction. We have learned that successful rehab treatments must address the physical, emotional, and spiritual issues of a person with SUD. Combined with traditional rehab medical treatments, these modalities are designed to help you identify and deal with underlying emotional issues, build self-confidence, and find positive alternatives to drugs.
Our holistic care amenities include:
We strive to equip you for living real life with the tools to stay sober and thrive. So, we employ a reality-based model that teaches coping techniques, nutrition, and life management skills. Our reality therapy includes role-playing that shows you how to anticipate and work through difficulties in a productive manner.
Professional Detox for Heroin Addiction
One can never overemphasize the importance of professional detoxification for heroin addiction. Consumption of alcohol and drugs such as heroin flood the body with dangerous, mind-altering toxins. Addiction treatment programs typically begin with the process of detoxification, also called detox, which purges the body of these harmful substances.
As the body and mind become dependent on heroin, going sober will likely be excruciatingly difficult. Even people who want to quit often feel that they cannot because of intensely painful withdrawal symptoms. Medical supervision is critical to recovery and health.
Heroin withdrawal symptoms include:
- Cravings
- Anxiety and depression
- Spasms and muscle aches
- Nausea and vomiting
Medication-Assisted Treatment for Heroin Addiction
At Crest View, we carefully monitor your progress in detox and provide medication to help wean you off heroin. Medication-assisted treatment (MAT) combines FDA-approved drugs with counseling and behavioral therapies to treat SUD. Commonly prescribed drugs for reducing cravings for heroin include:
Buprenorphine
Buprenorphine, a type of partial opiate agonist-antagonist medicine, stimulates the brain’s opioid receptors that are affected by heroin. This medication dramatically alleviates withdrawals, cravings, and chronic pain. It is typically prescribed during acute withdrawal and for long-term MAT.
Buprenorphine may be taken by injection, implant, or sublingually in tablet form. It also comes as a sublingual film to be applied under the tongue or as a buccal film to be placed between the gum and cheek. Buprenorphine may be combined with naloxone, an opioid antagonist, to prevent withdrawal symptoms.
Buprenorphine can be dangerous for someone who is not totally resolved to end their heroin addiction. If you use this drug and relapse to heroin, you would risk possible overdose because you would feel the need to use more heroin for the high to which you were accustomed.
Naloxone
Medical professionals prescribe Naloxone to help reverse and impede the effects of opioids such as heroin. It quickly restores normal respiration to a person whose breathing has slowed or stopped from overdosing with heroin or other opioids. Individuals can receive Naloxone via an injection in the thigh or a nasal spray.
Naltrexone
Naltrexone inhibits heroin from reaching opioid receptors in the brain so that the body does not feel the expected “high” from heroin. When combined with buprenorphine, it alleviates withdrawal pain. Heroin use with this medication is extremely dangerous as well.
Methadone
Methadone works like buprenorphine, albeit stronger. Although it is used for short-term detox, it has been more effective for long-term MAT. Methadone treatment helps reduce heroin cravings, but it can be addictive, and overdose is possible.
Non-Opioid Medication
In 2018, the US Food and Drug Administration approved non-opioid Lucemyra to facilitate the immediate cessation of opioid use in adults. It is only approved for a short-term treatment protocol of 14 days. This medication is also meant to be used as part of a longer-term strategy for managing opioid use disorder.
Benefits of MAT for Heroin Addiction Recovery
Research strongly indicates that MAT has helped individuals improve with social functioning. These medications also help people lower their risks of overdose and contracting infectious diseases such as HIV. All of these medications have been approved by the FDA, and they have demonstrated their safety and effectiveness in combination with behavioral therapies and other psychosocial support.
As a part of maintenance treatment, these medications are not heroin substitutes. They are administered under controlled conditions and exert effects that differ from those of illicit drugs. MAT prescriptions do not produce a surge of euphoria. These treatments have helped stabilize individuals and save them the physiological dangers of heroin use.
Heroin Addiction and Co-Occurring Disorders
People with heroin addiction and other SUDs often suffer from a concurrent mental health illness or dual diagnosis. Addiction and mental disorders tend to interact with and worsen one another. The National Survey on Drug Use and Health reported that over 9 million adults experienced a substance use disorder and a mental health issue simultaneously in 2018.
Researchers hypothesize that there are three possible causes of dual diagnosis cases. They share common risk factors such as stress, trauma, and genetics. Sometimes, mental disorders such as depression influence people to self-medicate with addictive substances. With others, substance use can lead to psychological illness by disrupting the normal functioning of the brain.
The factors behind dual diagnosis come in countless combinations, so the symptoms vary greatly. Experts agree that integrated intervention is the most effective treatment for co-occurring disorders. Targeting both concerns during rehab increases your chances of recovering faster and more completely, physically and mentally.
CVRC is a skilled dual diagnosis treatment center with a trauma-informed approach in North Carolina. We can equip you with the knowledge and skills you need to manage your mental health and maintain sobriety. If you want to break free of heroin’s grip but struggle with psychological issues such as depression, phobias, or obsessive-compulsive disorders, don’t hesitate to contact us for help.
Outpatient Rehab for Heroin Addiction
After inpatient treatment, many people still need time and support before venturing out independently. We recommend that our clients continue treatment for 4-6 more weeks in our intensive outpatient program. This allows you to participate in therapy a few times a week while adjusting to daily sober living.
Continued Recovery
Recovery from heroin addiction is not a destination; it is a lifelong journey. Many of our graduates become active in our alumni program. Through various activities, you can stay connected with us, cultivate and maintain a strong network of positive peers, and contribute to the community.
Events we host may include:
- Dinner meetings
- Alumni speakers
- Cookouts
- Bowling
After one year of discharge and staying clean, you will have a chance to be an alumni speaker. You will also be able to work alongside current clients to encourage them in their rehab journey. This will benefit you in your own growth as well as others in their rehabilitation.
Dangers of Heroin Use
Heroin is illegal and highly addictive. Unfortunately, it is a cheap, accessible alternative to prescription opioids. As people develop a tolerance for it, they require more to obtain the desired effect. This addiction leads to other risky behaviors:
- People often use heroin with alcohol or other drugs, increasing the risk of overdose. In 2017, more than 15,000 Americans succumbed to heroin overdose.
- Heroin can be used by smoking, snorting, or injecting. When people inject this drug, they risk contracting bacterial infections of the skin, heart, and blood and viral infections such as hepatitis and HIV.
Conquer Heroin Addiction at Crest View Recovery Center
Throughout your heroin addiction treatment at CVRC, you will receive 24/7 medical support and accountability with multiple levels of evidence-based care. We personalize each treatment plan to meet you where you are and help you rebuild. Our facility is accredited by The Joint Commission and licensed by North Carolina’s Department of Health and Human Services.
Overcoming heroin addiction is not easy, but it is possible. SUD is treatable, so you are not stuck nor are you alone. Put an end to the physical, emotional, and financial devastation that this illness has been causing you and your loved ones. Contact our team at Crest View Recovery Center at (866) 327-2505 for caring, confidential, and professional assistance with heroin addiction recovery.
References:
https://medlineplus.gov/druginfo/meds/a605002.html
https://medlineplus.gov/dualdiagnosis.html
https://www.fda.gov/drugs/information-drug-class/information-about-medication-assisted-treatment-mat
https://www.nami.org/learn-more/mental-health-conditions/related-conditions/dual-diagnosis
https://www.fda.gov/drugs/news-events-human-drugs/cder-conversation-treatment-opioid-use-disorder
https://www.drugabuse.gov/related-topics/opioid-overdose-reversal-naloxone-narcan-evzio
https://www.drugabuse.gov/publications/drugfacts/treatment-approaches-drug-addiction