If you are looking for a heroin rehab for yourself or a loved one, it is likely you’ll have questions you want answers to.
Most people, when in a crisis, want fast and effective help. They don’t, however, always consider the long term outcome. This is where it is important to understand the nature of heroin addiction.
Heroin drug addiction has an incredibly high relapse rate. This is because too many people are treated as a temporary measure and sent on their way.
In order for heroin rehab to be effective, it needs to be able to treat you or your loved one as a whole person – mind, body and spirit. It also needs to offer long term support for the whole family.
Here, we look at the things you’ll need to consider when seeking effective treatment for heroin addiction. Ideally, you or your loved one only want to undergo treatment once, and for that treatment to provide you with the foundations for a happy and productive heroin free life.
What to look for in a heroin rehab
The first thing to consider is your individual treatment needs and if rehab can comprehensively treat them.
You’ll also want to make sure that the treatment centre you choose is fully accredited, CQC registered, and has qualified medical staff and counsellors.
Detoxing from heroin is considered high risk, not only for your short term health but also in terms of relapse rates.
Many people who need help for a addiction need to be placed somewhere safe, away from temptation, where they can undergo a full medical detox.
The benefits of a full medical detox within a heroin rehab include:
- Advanced pharmaceutical medications to manage your heroin withdrawal and diminish cravings
- A qualified doctor carries out a full medical assessment. A doctor who is experienced in treating dependence and mental health illness
- 24/7 monitoring and support provided by qualified nursing staff and counsellors
- Medications to treat any health complications or co-occurring illnesses
- A comprehensive bespoke rehabilitation programme that commences immediately after your detox is complete
- A safe and comfortable place that is supportive and temptation free
- The support of staff and peers who truly understand the effects of heroin addiction
- A comprehensive discharge programme including aftercare sessions and introductions to support groups
Whilst a heroin detox is a vital step towards recovery, it is not a cure for addiction. Stopping the substance safely then presents a window of opportunity in which you can then receive effective treatment.
The therapy offered by our CQC registered rehabs are evidence-based and designed to heal you as a whole person. Furthermore, they are designed to bring about a huge change in thinking and behaviour, which is necessary for you to stay heroin free and avoid relapse.
“Heroin rehab should be an immersive and transformative experience.”
It should not only save your life but help you to build a new life. A life that is free from addictive substances and behaviours.
Why does the severity of your addiction matter
Addiction is a progressive disorder of the brain. As such, some people are more chronically affected than others.
How severely your addiction affects you needs to be taken into account within your addiction treatment plan.
For example, two different people can suffer from the same addiction but in very different ways. Whilst one person with an addiction may be considered high functioning, another may have lost everything and be unable to function with any kind of normality.
Your heroin rehab treatment needs to take into account how severely you are affected by your condition. This means not only treating you physically and mentally but also socially, emotionally, spiritually and occupationally.
Addiction eventually affects every single area of a sufferer’s life. Not only does it have a devastating impact physically and mentally but changes how they interact with family, friends and how they feel about themselves.
Addiction causes lasting changes in the brain. This is why, even when you manage to stop taking heroin, there will always be a high risk of returning back to a substance.
Recovery from addiction is possible and is attained by undergoing intensive healing and learning solution-based techniques that can be applied to everyday life.
Where to go for heroin rehab
There are multiple rehabs all over the UK and abroad. Whilst it may be tempting to stay local, this is not always for the best.
Getting some distance between your usual environment and some time to solely focus on yourself is often helpful.
You may fear going to a place you are not familiar with. However, we can guarantee you a warm and friendly welcome wherever you choose to go. Our rehab staff are experts at making you feel at ease. You will soon adapt and become familiar with the rehab daily programme and its people.
“Inpatient drug treatment should be a temptation free place.”
This is often not the case if you attend a heroin rehab that is in your local area. You will know exactly who and where to go, should you be tempted to ‘use’.
For this reason, we usually recommend some distance. Close enough that family can visit, but far enough that you can completely focus on getting well
The risks of heroin addiction
If you’ve been using heroin frequently, its associated risks may seem irrelevant to you. This is because you need the drug in order to feel ‘normal’ and not suffer from heroin withdrawal.
Heroin addiction is a deadly downward spiral. You may feel like you are in control but if you need heroin in order to function, are you really?
“Heroin rehab can help treat the long term problems associated with chronic heroin use.”
Long term abuse and addiction can cause many illnesses you could otherwise avoid. Heroin is highly toxic, and abuse of it can lead to respiratory illnesses, liver or kidney disease, infertility, gastrointestinal issues, tooth and gum decay and transmittable blood diseases, including HIV and hepatitis.
Heroin is extremely addictive, and it doesn’t take long for the drug to take hold. Instead of wanting to use heroin, you may find that you NEED to use heroin.
As addiction progresses, you will find you need to use more and more to feel high or relaxed. This is because your brain quickly adjusts to heroin and forms a tolerance to its effects.
“The more you use, the higher your risk for overdose.”
You are also likely to take more risks with regard to your welfare and take less care of yourself. This can ultimately result in accidental overdose and death.
The risks of addiction can be avoided by seeking professional help and treatment from a reputable heroin rehab.
Treatment for addiction
Heroin addiction treatment has advanced in recent years due to a better understanding of what addiction actually is.
Addiction is now medically recognised as a severe mental health illness and a brain disorder. Heroin addiction is both physical and mental in nature. As such, its effects on a person are often devastating. Rehab seeks to treat not only the powerful chemical addiction but the psychological issues at the root and those caused by a drug-fuelled lifestyle.
Detox alone is not sufficient to treat any addiction. It merely presents a window of opportunity in which a person can then undergo rehabilitation.
Heroin addiction treatment consists of 3 main phases:
- Medical detoxification
- Bespoke rehabilitation
- Aftercare and ongoing community support
In order to treat any drug addiction successfully, treatment must be tailored to the individual. Everyone has different treatment needs, so there is no one size fits all when it comes to addiction treatment.
Within our residential rehabs, you will receive comprehensive and bespoke treatment for your addiction.
Our drug rehabs offer the following benefits:
- Full medical detox with 24/7 clinical supervision and support
- A personally tailored intensive rehabilitation programme consisting of the latest in evidence-based addiction treatments
- Treatment for dual diagnosis conditions
- A comfortable, clean and temptation free environment
- All meals, rehab therapy and medications included in the cost
- Family programmes
- Free aftercare on completion of treatment
- An immersive and engaging healing experience
Our rehab programmes include the following evidence-based treatments:
- CBT cognitive behavioural therapy
- Integrated therapy
- Psychotherapy
- Counselling
- One to one therapy
- Group therapy
- Medications approved for the treatment of addiction
- Relapse prevention techniques and strategies
- 12 step treatment
- Nutrition
- Addiction education
- Holistic treatment programme (varies from rehab to rehab)
- Family therapy and support
- Free aftercare sessions for up to 1-year post-treatment
Depending on the rehab you choose, you could also benefit from:
- A personal fitness programme
- Bodywork consultants
- Advanced heroin relapse prevention medications
- Personalised nutrition plan
- Equine therapy
- Drumming therapy
- Yoga, meditation
- Mindfulness
- Art therapy
- Tai Chi
- Trauma therapy
- Spa relaxation days
- Acupuncture
- Massage
- Excursions
- EFT and sensory treatments.
All the treatments that our drug and alcohol rehabs offer have been thoroughly researched and evidenced. If you are interested in accessing a particular treatment, please speak to one of our counsellors.
What to expect as a heroin rehab patient
Our rehabs go out of their way to make every patient comfortable and feel at home. All patients are treated without judgement and with the utmost respect
Most of our qualified treatment professionals and addiction counsellors are in recovery from addiction. They are a prime example of what can be achieved with the right help and support. Furthermore, they have a real understanding of addiction, how it affects the brain and how this affects your behaviour.
Whilst you are within one of our residential heroin rehab centres, you will receive the best care and treatment available. We will provide you with the tools and healing needed to leave heroin addiction behind you once and for all.
Duration of heroin treatment – How long should you stay in rehab?
In order to get the most from your rehab experience, it is advised you stay as long as possible. Heroin addiction has a very high relapse rate.
The longer your duration of treatment, the more therapy you will undergo.
Statistically, it has been proven that those who stay in treatment for longer have better long term outcomes.
The duration of your heroin rehab treatment can often come down to your individual budget. Because of this, we offer a range of different programmes
Treatment programmes for heroin addiction include:
- 2 week medically managed detox
- 4-week programme (including detox and rehabilitation treatments)
- 6-8 week programme (including detox and comprehensive drug rehabilitation)
- 12-week programme (including detox, compressive rehabilitation and supported transition into society )
- 6-month treatment programmes (including detox, comprehensive rehab and secondary care treatment)
- Comprehensive community reintegration programmes (including detox, primary treatment, secondary care and supported housing for up to one-year post-treatment)
If you have a chronic and long-standing addiction, it may take some time before you start feeling physically well and gaining mental clarity. Ideally, this should be factored into the length of your rehab stay.
Comprehensive rehab can only really begin once your detox is complete and the fog has cleared from your brain. Until then, only supportive and motivational therapies can be administered.
If you are unsure of how long you will need in residential treatment, this can always be discussed with your assigned counsellor once you have been admitted. They will be honest with you if they feel your time in treatment should be extended. We can easily arrange to extend your treatment without it interrupting your stay.
How much does heroin rehab cost in the UK?
The cost of addiction treatment in the UK can vary tremendously, from a few hundred pounds a week to a few thousand.
We understand that when you have a tight budget, you will be anxious as to whether or not you can afford private rehab. While we will do everything we can to assist, we will advise you of free addiction treatment services in your area if private treatment is not a viable option.
Many treatment centres accept well-known health insurance policies, such as Bupa. It is always worth checking with us if you have private health insurance.
The most important thing is that you or your loved one get the help you need as soon as possible; contacting us is a start to that process.
Heroin rehab centres UK
When it comes to choosing the right rehab for heroin treatment, the UK is fortunate enough to have plenty of choices.
However, this can sometimes work against you. In particular, when you need to admit urgently and don’t have the luxury of time to research each and every heroin rehab.
Detox Plus only works with the finest rehab centres and detox clinics in the UK. We know in depth what they can offer in terms of accommodation, treatment and medical care. We have very close working relationships with them all and can regularly arrange same-day admissions.
“Our heroin rehabs have to meet strict criteria around the levels of care they provide. All are CQC registered, well established and have an elite team of qualified professionals working for them.”
Whether you are looking for an affordable heroin rehab or luxury residential care, we will work with you to ensure that all of your treatment needs are met.
By calling us and discussing your individual needs, our addiction counsellors can devise a bespoke treatment plan that falls within your budget. We guarantee that you will get the best treatment money can buy and it won’t cost you anything extra.
Knowing when someone is ready for rehab
Often, when we are contacted by a family member looking for heroin rehab, they naturally want to know if their loved one is ready for treatment.
The most important factor in a person succeeding in maintaining their recovery after inpatient rehab is their commitment to staying clean. We cannot stress just how important this is.
A person who enters a rehab for the wrong reasons is not as likely to succeed in their recovery as a person who enters rehab for the right reasons.
So, what are the right reasons and wrong reasons for admitting to private residential drug rehab?
The right reasons for entering drug rehab:
- Having truly had enough and want to get better
- Want to stop heroin use once and for all
- Wanting a better life and being prepared to change
- Sick of being “sick”
- Being prepared to do whatever is necessary in order to stay clean and healthy
The wrong reasons for entering drug rehab:
- Wanting a period of respite
- Trying to be clean for a certain event: for example, a court date
- Feeling pressured to get family members off your back
- Wanting to be pampered and have all your needs met
The best reason for entering into a rehab programme is that the person wants to stop using heroin and create a better life for themselves. If they are only trying to stop heroin to please someone else or stop as a temporary measure, there is less chance of treatment working.
Can I force a family member into drug rehab?
We are often asked if a person can be forced to go into rehab. The simple answer to this is no.
Private heroin rehabs are not secure, locked-down units. Patients can discharge themselves if they choose.
Of course, our counsellors will do all they can to ensure that an early discharge doesn’t happen. However, if someone is determined to go home or back to using drugs, there is little that can be done to prevent it.
Forcing someone into a heroin rehab is not something you can legally do, nor should you attempt it. At best, you could ruin a future opportunity when they are truly ready; at worst you could cause a lifetime of resentment.
“If you have concerns that a family member or friend has a problem with heroin and needs treatment, we can advise you on what to do next.”
Private healthcare works very differently from the NHS, where a person who has been deemed a threat to themselves or others can be sectioned under the Mental Health Act.
For someone to make the most of an opportunity to undergo heroin addiction treatment, they will need to be willing to engage in the treatment plan.
The success rates of residential drug rehab treatment
Before parting with hard-earned money or taking that leap of faith into the unknown, it is helpful to know how effective private heroin drug treatment is and why you should consider it.
A study conducted by the Department of Health’s National Addiction Centre (1995) showed that 47% of patients receiving residential drug treatment remained abstinent for at least 5 years.
This is a substantial increase when compared to community-based treatment services, where only 35% of all patients reached a five-year period of abstinence.
A factor that could make residential treatment statistics even higher is the number of people who entered treatment for the right reasons and, more importantly, stayed and completed treatment.
Community-based NHS services require a person to be very determined and committed. Those who enter into community heroin rehab services have to self refer or give permission to be referred. No one else can do this for them.
During the time since this study, many other studies have been conducted, all showing very similar rates of success.
‘The UK’s best residential drug rehab facilities show a success rate of 60% to 80% for achieving at least 5 years total abstinence.’
A further study published by the NHS National Treatment Agency for Substance Misuse (1995) showed that the UK’s top residential treatment facilities had a success rate of 60%, and 80% of all their patients achieved at least 5 years of abstinence. In contrast, the poorest performing rehabs in the UK had under 20% success rates with patients.
Something to consider when looking for a suitable rehab facility!
Thankfully, we only work with heroin rehabs in the UK with consistently high success rates. Our drug treatment centres are CQC registered, heavily regulated and run by highly skilled addiction treatment professionals.
Free heroin rehab
You can apply for funding for a free heroin rehab place by engaging with your local addiction treatment services.
Your local services will be able to advise you if they have a budget available for rehab placements. If they do and meet the criteria, you will be required to engage in community treatment and complete a pre-rehab preparation course.
The pre-rehab preparation course that local drug and alcohol teams run is there to keep you motivated whilst you wait for admission to become available. They also include elements of therapy to help you mentally prepare for what lies ahead.
Sadly, due to substantial government cuts in addiction services funding, not all areas can fund free heroin rehab treatment. They can, however, offer you a combination of medical and therapeutic treatments.
Community drug services can also help you detox from heroin within the community, using approved opioid treatment medications and support.
Free NHS services for heroin offer the following help:
- A triage assessment of your treatment needs (up to 2 weeks wait)
- Free key worker appointments (Up to 2 weeks wait)
- Information on local support groups (immediately accessible)
- A doctor’s appointment for any drug or alcohol dependence (between 2 and 4 weeks wait)
- Help with applying for a free rehab place (2 to 12 months wait)
- A pre-rehab preparation course
- Low-intensity supportive therapies such as motivational therapy and SMART goal setting
- Referral to an NHS counsellor (6 to 12 weeks wait)
Due to the tremendous demand for addiction help during Covid-19, many NHS mental health services are overwhelmed. This, unfortunately, means longer waiting times than usual.
Please contact your local services for more information.
Another way of applying for a free inpatient rehab place is if you have private or work-related health insurance.
Many of our treatment centres accept private health insurance from the most reputable firms. Please do call us and check if your medical insurance can be accepted as payment for your treatment
Detox Plus can help
Detox Plus is here to support you in accessing the best private addiction treatment available.
As a leading authority on addiction treatment in the UK and in recovery ourselves, it matters to us that you get the treatment that you need when you need it. We don’t want you to waste your money, and we do want you to get well!
We have years of experience in successfully treating heroin addiction within our world-class addiction treatment rehabs. Our heroin rehab treatment plans are tailored to you as an individual, taking into account the severity of your addiction and its effects on you as a whole person.
We want to help more people access life-saving treatment quicker and without the added stress of the unknown.
Detox Plus can help you to break free from the chains of heroin addiction and support you in becoming the very best version of yourself.
Our rehabs accept government-funded places, many private healthcare policies and private funding. Call us today for a free and confidential assessment of your or your loved ones’ treatment needs.
Sources:
- National Treatment Agency for Substance Misuse (NHS) – https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/alcohol-and-drug-misuse-prevention-and-treatment-guidance
- Heroin drug facts National Institute on Drug Abuse – https://www.drugabuse.gov/publications/drugfacts/heroin
- What are the treatments for heroin addiction? NIDA. https://www.drugabuse.gov/publications/research-reports/heroin/what-are-treatments-heroin-use-disorder
- The medical complications of chronic heroin use. https://www.drugabuse.gov/publications/research-reports/heroin/what-are-medical-complications-chronic-heroin-use
