Heroin Addiction Treatment Center & Hospital in Chattanooga, TN

Get the facts about treatment for heroin addiction at Erlanger Behavioral Health Hospital

Heroin is a powerful and dangerous opioid. Among the many risks associated with heroin abuse is the increased likelihood of becoming addicted.

When you become addicted to heroin, you experience overwhelming urges to use this drug over and over again. Heroin addiction involves tolerance, which means you need to use larger amounts in order to experience the desired effect. When you try to stop after you’ve become addicted, you will experience distressing physical and psychological withdrawal symptoms from heroin.

Without proper professional treatment, it can be extremely difficult to overcome heroin addiction. However, when you enter an effective heroin addiction treatment program, you can achieve recovery. With the right help, you can end your heroin use and pursue a much healthier future.

Helping a loved one or family member get treatment for heroin addiction

When someone you care about becomes addicted to heroin, you might feel afraid or helpless. You may even begin to lose hope.

Those are natural feelings. However, it’s important to know that you are not helpless, and your loved one’s situation is not hopeless. There are steps you can take to help your loved one find the assistance they need. By doing so, you can play a vital role in helping your loved one achieve recovery from heroin addiction. Here are some steps to consider:

• The first step you may want to take is to educate yourself. Research the signs, symptoms, and effects of heroin addiction. Learn about how the drug impacts the minds and bodies of people who become addicted to heroin. By doing proper research, you’ll be able to gain a greater understanding of the struggle your loved one is going through.
• While educating yourself about heroin addiction, also research local treatment centers and treatment options. While doing this, keep your loved one’s needs, personality, and preferences in mind. What kind of center do you think they would be most likely to succeed at? Keep a list of centers you feel would be good options for your loved one.
• Build a strong support network for yourself. Trying to help someone who is struggling with heroin addiction can be emotionally draining. Talk to close friends and family members, and ask for their help if you need it. Consider talking to a counselor as well. Remember, you cannot be the best source of help for your loved one if you are neglecting your own needs.
• Keep the lines of communication open with your loved one. Try to avoid conflicts and arguments. Be a listener. Ask questions and build trust with your loved one. Let them know how much you care about their well-being.
• When the timing feels right, present your loved one with your list of local treatment centers and options. Be ready for pushback, or even anger, but remain focused on your goal of getting your loved one the help that they need. If your loved one refuses to consider treatment, contact the treatment centers that you have looked into. They can provide you with guidance about how best to help a person who is not yet willing to receive professional care.

Entering a treatment center is just the beginning of recovery from heroin addiction. Remaining in recovery is a lifelong process. For most, recovery consists of both successes and setbacks. Be prepared for good times as well as times of struggle. Set reasonable expectations, and plan to be a source of continued love and support for months and years to come.

Why you should consider receiving care at our heroin addiction treatment hospital

Heroin addiction is a progressive disease. This means that when a person doesn’t get effective help for heroin addiction, the problem will continue to get worse. Heroin use can result in significant physical and psychological distress. The physical impact of untreated heroin addiction can include collapsed veins, infections, exposure to bloodborne diseases, and damage to the heart, liver, lungs, and kidneys. Heroin addiction can bring about the onset or worsening of depression, anxiety, paranoia, and other mental health challenges.

People who are addicted to heroin may struggle to find and keep a job. They have increased risk of financial difficulties and legal problems. Untreated heroin addiction can put overwhelming strain on relationships with family members and friends, which can result in social withdrawal and isolation.

The good news is that this devastation can be avoided. When you get effective treatment for heroin addiction, you can reduce your risk of future damage and begin to heal from past harm. When you get the help you need, you can achieve long-term recovery from heroin addiction.

Learn about therapies used in heroin addiction treatment at Erlanger Behavioral Health Hospital

Located in Chattanooga, Tennessee, Erlanger Behavioral Health Hospital is a state-of-the-art, inpatient mental health and addiction treatment facility. Our high-end treatment center serves multiple cities and states, including Tennessee, North Georgia, and Alabama, offering acute care for patients who need crisis stabilization in a safe and secure setting.

Surrounded by trees, fields, and seasonal flora and fauna, our hospital provides a welcoming respite for patients to begin healing from heroin addiction. Comfortable care rooms, courtyard areas for relaxation, and a large gymnasium for exercise and recreation offer a well-rounded treatment experience.

At Erlanger, patients receive the most innovative approach to heroin addiction treatment, with programming that is customized to meet their individual needs.

At Erlanger, our mission is to deliver excellence in the treatment of heroin addiction, and to improve the quality of life for those who are affected by its symptoms. We strive to deliver compassionate, effective care that empowers our patients on their unique paths to healing from heroin addiction.

Our heroin addiction treatment center takes great pride in our ability to provide care in a manner that best meets the needs of our patients. One way that we do this is by offering four distinct programs that allow our patients to receive treatment for heroin addiction in a setting and amidst a population that is most reflective of their needs and stages of life.

These programs include an adult psychiatry program for patients age 18 and older, a geriatric psychiatry program for patients age 65 and older, and a dual diagnosis program for adults age 18 and older.  All programs offer a fully comprehensive approach to care, incorporating a variety of evidence-based therapeutic interventions into each patient’s treatment plan. When a patient receives care for heroin addiction at our treatment center, they have access to the following:

Medical care: If a patient has a chronic, but stable, medical condition in addition to heroin addiction, we are able to offer the additional attention they need. Doctors, nurse practitioners, and registered nurses provide medical care for those patients who require these services. Patients have the ability to meet with our medical staff daily.

Medication management: Medication is often a beneficial component in treating heroin addiction. The use of medication, however, is always determined on a case-by-case basis. For those patients who will benefit from medication, our heroin addiction treatment center has psychiatrists, nurse practitioners, and registered nurses who provide medication management services. Patients can expect to meet with a psychiatrist daily.

Detoxification: For patients who are struggling with addiction concerns, we offer nonmedical detoxification services on-site. Detox at our treatment center typically lasts between three and seven days. During this time, patients are also able to participate in therapeutic programming so that all of their needs are being met simultaneously. Medication-assisted treatment is also available as part of our detox services, including the use of Suboxone and Subutex. Each patient will work with their treatment team to determine whether to use these medications during detox.

Individual therapy: Licensed social workers and counselors provide confidential one-on-one individual therapy sessions for patients who are struggling with heroin addiction. These sessions offer patients the opportunity to discuss their concerns, process their experiences in treatment, and celebrate successes as they begin recovering from heroin addiction. The frequency of individual therapy sessions at our heroin addiction treatment center is determined throughout the patient’s treatment planning process.

Group therapy: Group therapy is an important part of the healing process at our heroin addiction treatment center. Our highly qualified staff members, including nurses, social workers, counselors, and activity therapists, lead several groups each day and encourage patients to actively support one another in treatment. There are a variety of groups offered, including the following:

• Recovery groups
• Community groups
• General processing groups
• Psychoeducational groups

Family therapy: When patients are struggling with heroin addiction, it can be extremely beneficial to include their family members in the treatment process. At our heroin addiction treatment center, licensed social workers and counselors lead family therapy sessions with patients and their loved ones. Not only does this give family members an opportunity to learn more about heroin addiction, what their loved one is going through, and ways that they can help, but it also provides them with a safe space to discuss how their loved one’s concerns have impacted them as well.

Continuing care options for heroin addiction treatment

Treatment does not simply end once your stay at Erlanger Behavioral Health Hospital is complete. From the time that you are admitted into our heroin addiction treatment center, your treatment team will begin creating your discharge plan, which will be updated as you progress through treatment. This plan may include referrals to step-down levels of care, information on community resources that are available to you, referrals to support groups, and anything else that your treatment team believes will help you remain successful in healing from heroin addiction.

If you believe that you or your loved one could benefit from the care provided at our heroin addiction treatment center, please do not hesitate to contact us today. Our knowledgeable, compassionate staff members are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week to answer any questions you may have, explain more about our programming, and get you started in the admissions process.