What is the best way to quit heroin?
Did you know that there are many ways to quit heroin? If you have been wondering how to stop using heroin, please continue reading.
On our heroin recovery podcast, we have discussed some proven ways to help people quit heroin. It is important that people know about the many ways that exist to help them quit this dangerous substance.
Unfortunately, there are groups that will tell you that there is only one way to quit heroin. They say that the only way to quit the powerfully addictive opiate drug is to work the 12 steps with a sponsor.
In order to practice the 12-step recovery program, you must attend meetings, pray, find a sponsor, and follow a number of suggestions. While the 12 steps do work for many people, there are also many people who do not succeed with this practice.
Fortunately, there are alternative ways to quit heroin. While one recovery method may work well for someone, that does not mean it will work well for everyone.
We are all different. It is good that there are different ways to quit heroin to meet the needs of different people. Quitting is important, because of serious heroin effects on the brain.
Medical treatment works well to help people to quit heroin long-term.
Is there a pill that can help you quit taking heroin? In fact, there are three different types of medication approved to help you stop heroin use.
Methadone is a powerful, long-acting opioid drug with unique properties. It has been used for many decades to help heroin users quit heroin quickly and easily.
While some people may criticize, and say that methadone is simply trading one drug for another, the fact is that methadone is much safer than heroin. Methadone is a pharmaceutical product that is pure and measured precisely.
Methadone is also long-acting, and has properties to help block opioid cravings. Additionally, recovering heroin addicts are monitored daily at the methadone maintenance clinic.
Suboxone has become the gold standard for quitting heroin and other opioids.
Suboxone is a brand name drug that contains buprenorphine and naloxone. Buprenorphine is the active medication that helps people to quit heroin.
Because the brand, Suboxone, has been around for so long, we often refer to buprenorphine therapy as Suboxone therapy. When I talk about Suboxone, I mean to include other similar medications that contain bupe.
Suboxone is available in a film, also called a strip, or a tablet. Either the pill or the strip can be prescribed by a doctor.
The medication is placed under the tongue to dissolve. Patients often do very well with Suboxone therapy, feeling as if they had never been addicted to heroin in the first place.
Suboxone prescriptions can be written for up to one month, so patients have more flexibility. Being able to go for up to a month between doctor visits is an advantage of Suboxone over methadone.
Naltrexone is a third option to help you quit heroin.
Naltrexone is the third drug approved to treat opioid addiction. It is available in a daily pill, or a monthly shot.
The advantage of naltrexone over methadone and Suboxone is that it does not contain any opioid or controlled drug. For some people, being free of drugs classified as narcotics is important during the recovery process.
Methadone and Suboxone are both opioids, so naltrexone may be preferable by some people trying to quit heroin. Fortunately, they have this option, and they can choose the monthly naltrexone shot, named Vivitrol.
Are meetings still a good idea for people quitting heroin?
You can get medical treatment for heroin dependence and still go to support meetings. Going to individual psychotherapy is also recommended as part of a complete medication-assisted treatment program.
The older group meetings, such as Alcoholics Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous, may not accept medical treatment for addiction. NA is officially against the use of medications to treat addiction.
Fortunately, there are other groups that do not shun people who get medical treatment for addiction. It is possible to attend group meetings online or in person.
Smart Recovery is one popular group that is science-based, using cognitive behavioral therapy. Celebrate Recovery, on the other hand, is faith-based, being a Christian recovery group.
Both of these organizations are welcoming to people who receive medical heroin addiction treatment. They are open to anyone interested in attending.
What is the best way to quit heroin with the highest success rate?
While there are many options for quitting heroin, some treatment methods have a proven higher success rate. Interestingly, methadone has the highest success rate for helping people to quit heroin.
Buprenorphine and naltrexone are also very high in their success rates, helping many people to quit heroin. Medication-assisted treatment (MAT) in general, has a higher success rate than rehab, group meetings, or therapy alone.
If you are thinking about quitting heroin, you may want to discuss your options with your doctor. Additionally, it is good to be open-minded, with a willingness to consider scientifically proven treatments that can work even better than the most prestigious rehab programs.
