Planning a heroin addiction treatment is not at all easy. This is one of the most serious kinds of addictions known to humankind. Heroin is an opioid. As soon as it is consumed by the person, it attacks specific areas of the central nervous system of the person. This causes the brain to release a hormone known as dopamine. Dopamine is responsible for creating the rush of pleasure in the person. That is the reason the person develops a craving to consume more and more of the substance. The brain keeps asking for more of heroin so that it can feel the rush of pleasure that it creates.

However, as time passes and the person uses more and more of heroin, the brain slowly gets used to the feeling of pleasure created by the heroin. This is the time when the person steps up the dosage in order to experience the same feelings as before. A common pattern with heroin usage is that the person continually keeps stepping up the dosage because of the insistence of the brain. However, the body will not be able to accept this heightened amount and it may snap when an overdose occurs.

The gist of all this is that heroin is a very strongly addicting substance. The very fact that it has permanent effects on the brain indicates that this addiction is difficult to conquer.

Hence, when you are looking for an option on heroin addiction treatment, one of the most important things for you to consider is that the treatment center should be equipped at handling the process. They must have a special qualification for dispensing heroin addiction treatment in the respective state and must also have an experience in providing it. There are many subtle points involved in heroin addiction treatment and it is important for you to check out that the center is equipped in providing the treatment.

Bear in mind that all treatment centers that handle drug or alcohol addiction treatment will have a general license for conducting their operations. But, heroin addiction being quite intense, centers that handle this treatment must have a special license for heroin treatment.

It is also important that the program implemented by the center must be appropriate to the person’s preferences and requirements. It is better if you can find a qualified treatment program. A qualified program is that which has been tested and tried by the state substance abuse experts and have approved of it. When the patient is with such a program, there is a better guarantee of it working. You can get a list of the qualified treatment programs for heroin addiction on federal substance abuse websites such as those of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, the National Institute of Drug Abuse and the National Clearinghouse. Each state has some modifications based on their own internal policies, but these federal websites can provide a good overview of how the treatment is provided at a national level.

Another thing that you must think about is the type of medication the center will use. Methadone is the more common form of treatment but it is considered outdated now. Methadone is a highly addictive substance itself, and it is necessary that only a trained treatment provider and a federally approved center provide it. Also, some people complain of methadone withdrawal when the treatment is suddenly reduced or stopped.

The other option is buprenorphine. Buprenorphine is much less habit forming in comparison with methadone and so it can be provided as an outpatient treatment too. Today, buprenorphine has become quite popular especially because of the FDA approval of Subutex and Suboxone. Subutex is pure buprenorphine while Suboxone is buprenorphine in combination with naloxone. The naloxone takes care of the fact that the person does not get addicted to the medication.

You have to decide what kind of medication will be suitable for the patient’s condition. You can do your research on the Internet and get in touch with a treatment counselor who can guide you on it. Remember that the kind of medication you select will influence the length of the treatment and the costs involved. You can find a lot of options on buprenorphine treatment, even from the website of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration itself. You can use the Facility Locator link on this website to find out a suitable program in your own state.

The most important thing when you are deciding heroin addiction treatment is to learn how the program works and then decide your options. Use the Internet and offline resources to conduct your research.