Has A Heroin-Addicted Loved One Finally Agreed To Get Help? Two Factors You Should Consider When Selecting A Treatment Center

28 June 2017 by Brent Woods

If you have a family member or friend who is addicted to heroin, you may dream of the day that they come to you asking for help. If that day comes, you want to be ready to help them get into treatment as quickly as possible, before they have the time to get cold feet or feel the urge to use again. There are many factors you need to consider when selecting a heroin addiction treatment facility, including the location of the facility, the price of the facility, and whether it is inpatient or outpatient. While these are all important elements to consider, there are a few other factors that you may not know to consider. Here are two of the lesser-known factors you should consider when selecting a treatment center for a heroin addicted loved one:

How the Treatment Center Treats Heroin Addiction

There are different ways that heroin addiction can be treated. One of the most common methods includes pharmacological treatment or using medications to slowly wean an addict off of heroin, helping to ease the withdrawal symptoms and lessen the cravings. Another common treatment is contingency management. This is essentially a positive reinforcement method that awards points to a person for each day they stay clean and each drug test they pass. These points can then be redeemed for items that encourage healthy living, such as massages or fun activities, like movie passes or restaurant cards. The last common method for treating heroin addiction is cognitive-behavioral therapy. This type of therapy helps a drug user identify triggers for using and then replace them with healthy alternatives. So if a trigger is stress, the patient will learn what their body's signs of stress are and healthy alternatives that can be utilized, such as exercise, instead of taking heroine.

What the Success Rate for Heroin Addicts is at the Treatment Center

Another factor to consider when you are selecting a treatment center for your loved one's treatment is what their success rate is, specifically with heroin users. Many treatment facilities treat various types of addiction, including alcohol and other illegal drugs. However, each type of drug should be treated differently. A treatment facilities overall success rate may be high if they successfully treat alcohol addiction, but it won't help your loved one if their heroin addiction treatment numbers are low. Ask the facility what percentage of heroin addicts who enter their program complete their program, what percentage relapse and what percentage stay clean for over a year or longer.

When an addict admits they need help, you will want to work quickly to get them into an addiction treatment center. Knowing what factors to look for in a heroin addiction treatment facility will help you find a great center for your loved one.  

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