The process of recovering from heroin addiction is different for every person. Your general health, support system, involvement in evidence-based treatments, and counseling can all be factors in your recovery timeline. Many experts in the field of substance use refer to recovery as a lifelong process. While true, there is also a process involved with heroin addiction treatment that does happen on a somewhat predictable schedule. To learn more about what you can expect during heroin recovery, call Serenity House Detox & Recovery Florida at 866.294.5306.
The Heroin Recovery Timeline in Four Stages
The four-stage recovery model that experts use to help people understand what they can expect once they decide to seek treatment. The exact timelines differ for each person, depending on the substance or substances they were using and the treatment programs they choose.
Stage One: Beginning Treatment
Starting is the hardest part of any significant life change. Stage one can be emotional, with friends and family pleading for you to seek treatment, while anger and self-doubt bubble over. Whether you decide to enter recovery with a joyful heart or a resentful one, these emotions are normal reactions to change. The same is true with heroin recovery. During stage one, you will select and enter a treatment program and start detox. This stage can last for 1 to 3 days.
Stage Two: Early Abstinence
The beginning of stage two usually includes going to a drug and alcohol detox program and meeting the other challenges of early recovery. During this phase, you may experience challenges such as:
- Severe cravings for heroin
- Doubts about recovery
- Depression or anxiety
- Heroin withdrawal symptoms
At this point, you immerse yourself in either outpatient or inpatient treatment. Evidence-based therapies help you learn new coping strategies, and you begin setting goals for the future. Many people build their first-ever network of sober friends and supporters during stage two.
While the complete heroin recovery timeline may take several years, during stage two, you will begin to feel better physically and emotionally than you probably have in a long time. This stage lasts roughly 90 days.
Stage Three: Maintaining Recovery
The maintenance stage begins after you complete a rehab program of 30 to 90 days or more. Residing in a supervised sober living facility for a few weeks or months is frequently a part of stage three. Other characteristics of this stage include:
- Attending support groups in the community, like 12-Step programs
- Mending relationships
- Continuing with treatments as advised by your recovery specialists
- Rebuilding your mental and physical health
This period is when you get to fully take back your life by finding employment, engaging in hobbies and interests you gave up while using heroin. You’ll also begin learning to build meaningful structure into daily life. This stage may be both the hardest and most exciting phase, as you enjoy life without using heroin, and can last anywhere from 1 to 5 years.
Stage Four: Long-Term Recovery
This is the last and the longest phase of recovery. Stage four is the culmination of everything you’ve learned and experienced since entering heroin addiction treatment. By this time, you are achieving the goals set in earlier stages and managing life’s everyday challenges without heroin. Many people in stage four continue to attend 12-Step meetings and participate in group or private counseling. Remember, recovery is an ongoing process that is never “complete.”
Seek Hope at Serenity House Detox & Recovery Florida
Each stage of the recovery process has one common element: hope. Serenity House Detox & Recovery Florida can help you or your loved one find hope again through their heroin medical detox and treatment programs. Call today at 866.294.5306 for more information, or use our convenient online form to start the clock on the heroin recovery timeline.
