Some reports reveal that heroin users in the United States number more than 900,000. While heroin addiction can happen anywhere in the world, there is undoubtedly a heroin epidemic taking place in Philadelphia. Drug users in the City of Brotherly Love are growing in number, and heroin is often the drug of choice. A heroin treatment program, starting with detox at Serenity House Detox & Recovery, can help break the chains of addiction.
Philly’s Heroin Epidemic
While heroin use is nothing new to inner-city neighborhoods, Philly is seeing a resurgence of the drug. Communities like Fairhill, one of the poorest areas of the city, are known for being rife with drug sales and violence. Heroin, in particular, can be found easily day or night.
The reasons for Philadelphia’s heroin epidemic aren’t clear, and they are likely a result of various factors. However, many law enforcement professionals and drug researchers believe it’s due to high rates of poverty, as well as low rates of full-time employment in the neighborhood.
The city has taken action to try to combat the heroin epidemic, but results are far from perfect. Some measures, such as offering heroin overdose antidotes at local pharmacies, are receiving positive feedback from the community in an attempt to reduce unnecessary heroin-related deaths. A more lasting solution, however, may be increasing awareness about heroin treatment programs in and out of the city.
How a Heroin Treatment Program Can Help
For anyone addicted to heroin, a heroin treatment program is the only way to achieve sobriety and enjoy rehabilitation. A comprehensive heroin treatment program might include several elements, which can include the following:
- Therapy
- Group, family or individual counseling
- Spiritual development
- Recreational therapy (surfing, sailing, horseback riding)
- Detoxification
Whatever heroin treatment program that patients ultimately end up choosing, the first step will always need to be a medical detox. Typically lasting a week, a detoxification from heroin is vital in order to let the opiates leave the body while in a safe, secure location.
As little as six hours after the last dose of heroin, the human body can start to exhibit withdrawal symptoms. Although tackling these symptoms is necessary in order to eventually reach recovery, they can be challenging. A detoxification program aids this process, enabling patients to make decisions about their recovery without the influence of drugs.
Benefits of Leaving PA for a Heroin Treatment Program
Although Philly may be considered the epicenter of the heroin epidemic, it’s not necessarily ideal for patients to participate in a local heroin treatment program. Leaving the state offers a number of advantages during detoxification:
- Get away from friends or neighbors who use drugs
- Enjoy a new perspective on life away from home
- Opportunity to detoxify in an appealing destination like Florida
Whether patients come from Philly or any other destination around the globe, Serenity House Detox & Recovery may be the best place to begin a heroin treatment program. Learn more about detoxification and getting on the road to recovery by calling 1-866-396-4129.
