Services
A woman had been using heroin for years. She first got it at a college party and has been hooked ever since. At first, she enjoyed the rush it gave her, but the other side effects started getting to her, such as nausea and clouded mental function. But she couldn’t seem to stop even when she tried. Seeking heroin addiction treatment wasn’t something that she felt she could do. It always seemed to either not work for her needs, or the facilities wanted payment upfront before she understood what she was getting into.
In 2020, opioid use in Texas was at 7.2%. This percentage included heroin and was higher than the national average of 5.6%. At SUN Behavioral Houston, we provide care assessments at no cost. You will be able to know your treatment plan before you get started. We also provide this service via telehealth options, so you don’t have to come to the facility to learn the details surrounding your treatment. But why should you get treatment for heroin in the first place? What will it entail?
Receiving treatment for heroin use can be both terrifying and liberating. For most people, heroin has controlled their lives for several years. Their body has become dependent on it. There is probably a chance that they don’t know what their life could look like outside of their heroin use. Treatment and recovery can help them through the process of discovering what that life will look like.
At SUN Behavioral Houston, we know that getting started on this step can change at any moment. Someone might decide to get started at 11 at night when many places are closed, but by the time morning comes, their minds have changed. This is why we offer crisis care with 24-hour admittance.
The first step in heroin treatment is safely removing heroin from your system under the supervision of medical professionals. While heroin withdrawal is not necessarily fatal, it can have some complications that can become dangerous.
As your body removes heroin from your system, it wants more. This doesn’t last forever. Symptoms will peak around 72 hours after your last use and decrease in intensity for several weeks afterward.
Some symptoms you might experience include:
At SUN Behavioral Houston, we will provide you with medications to help make symptoms more manageable. The therapy provided by our master’s level clinicians will also provide you with skills and techniques to help you recognize, manage, and prevent symptoms and cravings that could lead you to return to use.
Partial Hospitalization (PHP) is for people who do not require 24/7 observation but still need a higher level of care. Here you will attend 5 sessions a day, 5 days a week. These sessions will include learning coping skills, cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), and a wellness recovery action plan (WRAP). CBT will help you recognize and manage your unhelpful thoughts, while WRAP teaches you wellness techniques designed to prevent returning to use. During your time in PHP, you will meet with a team of psychiatrists who will manage your medications.
Intensive Outpatient (IOP) is for those who need more care but are ready for independence. Here you will still attend our facility 5 days a week, but you will attend 3 sessions daily. You will continue developing your CBT skills and WRAP while attending a daily process group. During this group, you can work through any concerns you have throughout the day. This type of treatment can help prevent you from entering a crisis.
Intensive Outpatient (IOP) is for those who need more care but are ready for independence. Here you will still attend our facility 5 days a week, but you will attend 3 sessions daily. You will continue developing your CBT skills and WRAP while attending a daily process group. During this group, you can work through any concerns you have throughout the day. This type of treatment can help prevent you from entering a crisis.
When entering our facility, you will be assessed and assigned a personalized action plan for your heroin addiction treatment. This plan allows us to help you set realistic goals that meet your needs. Some other things that you can expect with your recovery include:
Heroin is an illicit substance typically in a white or brown powder form. Sometimes it can be found as a black sticky substance known as black tar. People who use heroin will sniff, snort, smoke, or inject it.
Typically, heroin can be expensive for dealers to get ahold of, so they often mix it with different substances such as fentanyl to stretch out their product, make it cheaper, and increase its strength. The problem is that fentanyl is 50-100 times stronger than heroin, which can unknowingly lead to an overdose. Some side effects of heroin use include:
Heroin use disorder can start in several ways. Sometimes it is because of genetics, but this is not always true. Sometimes it is because you have friends or family who use heroin. Others develop a heroin use disorder because of underlying mental health concerns such as depression or post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) such as abuse or a parent's mental illness could result in the development of a heroin use disorder.
One of the most difficult things in managing a substance use disorder is knowing when to ask for help. Often you might be the last person to know that you are addicted and need help. The good news is that there are some signs that you can look for in yourself if you wonder if you need treatment for heroin addiction. One of these is the feeling of intense cravings. If you find yourself unable to stop using heroin, then it is time to seek treatment.
You might also have an intense concentration on heroin. Nothing else matters to you besides knowing when you can get your next dose. If you have a legal record, such as a theft or heroin possession charge, then consider treatment. Lying or stealing from those you love can also signal needing help. While you might not intend to hurt those you love, you do it anyway because your heroin dependence controls your thoughts and actions.
SUN Behavioral Houston is located in Houston, TX. We support unmet needs in our community by providing a full continuum of care that includes treating heroin use disorders alongside mental health concerns. These two can exist together and should be treated together to prevent a return to use. For more information about heroin use disorder and our treatments, call us at 713-796-2273.
The most common medication used to help with heroin use disorder treatment is Suboxone. This medication is not meant to cure a heroin use disorder but can help ease the cravings associated with the withdrawal process.
Heroin use has a high return-to-use rate. It can be as high as 90%. However, this rate does not mean it is impossible to recover from heroin. All a return to use means is that your treatment or aftercare plan needs to be reevaluated. Recovery can still happen no matter what.
One of the most common reasons people return to using heroin is because of daily stresses. Heroin was something that someone used to relax at the end of the day. They might also return to heroin after spending time with old friends who continue to use heroin. These friends might encourage them to try heroin just one more time. Finally, stopping going to treatment or support groups before it is finished can result in a return to use. A premature belief that you are better can make you less conscious of keeping up with skills you learn in treatment. This results in you falling back on old habits such as heroin use.
If you or someone you love is managing a heroin use disorder, it is never too late to ask for help. SUN Houston is available 24/7, and through our crisis care unit, we are always ready when you need us. Call today at 713-796-2273 to learn more about our program offerings.
7601 Fannin Street
Houston, TX, 77054
Open 24 hours
