Heroin Addiction Detox Aftercare Programs

Heroin Addiction Detox Aftercare programs play a very important role in keeping a patient who has gone through detox or rehab from relapsing. There are many different types of after care programs, usually referred to as outpatient programs. Some involve just substance abuse counseling or drug counseling, others involve group therapies and they can vary from once a week to five days a week. While in aftercare programs patients can be on the methadone program, suboxone, or many other types of medication to help them stay clean until they can get a start in the right direction.

Heroin Addiction and detox are usually not enough for the patient to make it and not relapse because detox is usually a few short days. Over the years health insurances are not willing to pay for very long when it comes to inpatient drug or substance abuse rehabilitation. This leaves the patient to make it on their own after detox.

Depending upon how much and how long a patient has been abusing heroin or other opiates will determine what type of aftercare treatment program will best benefit the individual. Part of the role in detox is to set the patient up with the correct aftercare and contact the facility so that upon their release from detox they can attend right away.

There is regular substance abuse counseling where the patient will attend one or two sessions a week with a substance abuse counselor. Once the patient has some time away from the heroin they will begin to lead a normal life and have safeguards in place to help them from relapsing, such as AA or Alcoholics Anonymous or Narcotics Anonymous.

There is also group therapy where there are sessions held with multiple patients who help each other out in a group session. This can occur anywhere from one to five days a week. Most time this is coupled with counseling sessions and called intensive outpatient substance abuse treatment. Patients are usually encouraged to attend AA or NA meetings as well.

With the help of these aftercare programs once a patient has detoxed from heroin is very important and adds to the success of patients not relapsing.