How to Choose a Heroin Rehab Center in Memphis, TN

Heroin is a powerful and illicit opioid drug that is derived from the poppy plant. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, “Among people aged 12 or older in 2020, 0.3% (or about 902,000 people) reported using heroin in the past 12 months.”[1]

When you abuse heroin, the substance enters the brain rapidly and binds to opioid receptors that are responsible for feelings of pain and pleasure as well as controlling your heart rate, sleeping, and breathing. Using heroin can cause your heart rate and respiration to drop dangerously, putting you at risk of experiencing life-threatening side effects. However, because heroin causes pain relief and high levels of pleasure, it is extremely easy to become addicted to this substance despite the health consequences it poses.

Heroin addiction poses a serious threat of experiencing an accidental overdose and long-term side effects. If you or a loved one are struggling with heroin addiction, seeking treatment from a rehab center in Memphis can be life-changing.

Factors to Consider When Choosing a Heroin Addiction Treatment Center in Memphis, TN

Choosing to go to a heroin rehab center is one of the most important decisions you can make. But, finding a facility that you know you can trust can be difficult. Look for the following qualities:

Medication-Assisted Treatment (MAT) and Detox

The first step in recovery from heroin addiction is detox. Before you can begin to focus on healing from the psychological and emotional aspects of your addiction, you have to treat the physical effects. The most effective and safe way to detox from heroin is to attend a program that offers medication-assisted treatment.

According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration Services, “Medication-assisted treatment (MAT) is the use of medications, in combination with counseling and behavioral therapies, to provide a “whole-patient” approach to the treatment of substance use disorders.”[2]

MAT programs use medications to soothe the symptoms of heroin withdrawal and prevent cravings from occurring during detox, preventing you from feeling tempted to quit your recovery program early, and ultimately keeping you from relapsing. Once you complete detox, your doctor may suggest that you take a medication that continues to prevent cravings and promote sobriety.

Individualized Treatment Planning

When you are choosing a heroin rehab center, an important thing to consider is whether they offer individualized treatment planning. Individualized treatment planning ensures that your treatment plan will consist of treatment methods and tools that are specific to your needs. This takes the guesswork out of addiction treatment and ensures that you won’t waste time on therapies and treatment methods that won’t work for you.

Heroin rehab centers that offer individualized treatment planning start your care with an in-depth assessment process that takes a look at your personal history. These assessments will take a look at your medical, psychological, family, and substance abuse history to determine which route of treatment will work best for you.

Continuum of Care

Next, you should choose a heroin rehab program that offers a continuum of care. When a facility says they offer a continuum of care, this means that they have multiple levels of treatment programs that you can attend in sequence with one another. For example, many continuums of care include a medical detox program, inpatient treatment, and outpatient treatment all within one facility.

Partaking in a continuum of care will provide you with the long-term treatment necessary to overcome the disease of addiction. Each program offers different levels of treatment, support, and new tools for you to use throughout your lifelong journey of recovery.

Aftercare Services

Reputable heroin addiction treatment centers in Memphis will offer their graduating patients an opportunity to take advantage of aftercare services. Aftercare services are tools that you can use to maintain your sobriety after you complete your heroin rehab program. This is a form of relapse prevention, which is extremely important during the beginning stages of sobriety outside of a facility.

Examples of aftercare services include:

• A list of triggers specific to you
• Coping mechanisms to use when you feel triggered
• Sober support people to contact in times of need
• Continued attendance of individual or group therapy
• Access to alumni support groups and activities
• Continued medication management for psychiatric disorders or medication-assisted treatment (MAT)
• Referrals to sober living programs or self-help support groups

Licensing and Accreditation

When you are choosing a heroin rehab center to attend, the most important thing to consider is whether the facility is reputable. It can be difficult to determine this on your own, especially if you’ve never been to an addiction treatment program before. Thankfully, licensing and accreditation can be a major sign that a program is safe and effective.

Accreditation is a process that ensures an addiction treatment program is operating up to national standards, providing high-quality care, and implementing effective safety measures for employees and clients. If you have found a heroin rehab center, make sure that it has licenses and is accredited before making your final decision.

Get Connected With a Top-Rated Heroin Rehab Center in Memphis, TN

Struggling with addiction is difficult no matter what substance you are abusing. However, dealing with heroin addiction can be extremely devastating, as fatal overdoses are a common risk. Because of this, you must seek professional help sooner rather than later.

At PAX Memphis, we connect clients with trusted heroin rehab centers in Memphis that offer comprehensive, evidence-based care. Don’t hesitate to ask for the help that you need. Call now to speak with a team member about starting treatment.

References:

1. https://nida.nih.gov/publications/research-reports/heroin/scope-heroin-use-in-united-states
2. https://www.samhsa.gov/medication-assisted-treatment