Now, when You have passed detoxication and started administration of Naltrexone (or You have implanted Naltrexone preparation of prolonged effect), here is a difficult task standing before You – to learn think and behave Yourself to avoid intrusion of narcotics into Your life.
There are four stages in breaking of the habit of opiates.
The first stage – detoxication. In case of traditional detoxication methods many patients cannot pass even this stage whereas in case of fast methods of opiate detoxication – success is practically guaranteed.
At the second stage, patient faces with residual abstinence manifestations, which vary a lot in duration and heaviness. Other patients may have remained unpleasant symptoms, such as hyperhydrosis, fever, diarrhoea, pains in waist and feet, for one – two months. The most often problem is – sleep disturbance. Fortunately, corresponding treatment allows easing these symptoms substantially and making them quite easily tolerable.
At the third stage all residual symptoms disappear, and the most complicated thing for a patient is adaptation to life free from drugs. This often requires change of acquaintances, understanding of the previous life from the beginning. This may produce considerable difficulties for people.
The fourth stage begins not earlier than in 1 year after termination of drugs. The experience to leave without drugs You acquired allows You the opportunity to stay independent from those for the entire future life.
In many respects rehabilitation process depends on patient’s personality. Conditionally, we may divide two big groups of patients.
First group includes people, who lived usual lives, studies and works before drugs intake. They differ from people around very little if the have sufficient legal source of incomes allowing them buying drugs for themselves without commitment of crime at the same time. As a rule, patients of this group have and had no problems with alcohol, psychotropic agents and drugs of no-opiate group. Usually, these people feel themselves well after detoxication and need minimum medical assistance. Rehabilitation process in these people is rapid and successful.
Patients of the second group are exact their antithesis. Most of them did not show strive for education in youth, in mature age many of them have no prospects of legal income. Often, these people have conflicts with the low. All their interests concentrate on alcohol, drugs or illegal use of psychotropic agents.
Rehabilitation in those is more long and heavy. These people often feel difficulty to adapt themselves to life without narcotics and drugs. Some of them manage to take heroin but they continue or start to take other narcotics, drugs or alcohol. Often, consequences id uncontrolled application of drugs or alcohol may appear more destructive than intake of heroin. Some of these patients become more or less independent from drugs for several months after detoxication. cases of recurrent drug use are much higher among patients of this group.
About 60% of all recurrences happen during the first 6 weeks after detoxication. Regular administration of Naltrexone reduces possibility of recurrence but only if its administration is controlled by family of the patient. If a patient has implanted Naltrexone of prolonged effect, recurrence is practically impossible.
Certainly, every day you lived without narcotics reduces possibility of recurrence in future but You can congratulate Yourself not earlier than in 6 months after complete termination of drugs. If You did not take heroin but took drugs, alcohol or no-opiate narcotics You are too yearly to accept congratulations. After six-month therapy with Naltrexone You should discuss the further treatment schedule. Sometimes, we advise therapy with Naltrexone or series of implants for the term to two years.
In our opinion, rehabilitation process means the fastest return of a human to happy, full life in society.
Unfortunately, many rehabilitation programs are quite pragmatic, use ideas of the movement “Anonymous narcotists” or religious ideas. The other important aspect is high costs of rehabilitation programs. Rehabilitation centres are like hotels: if there are no guests in, they suffer financial catastrophe. That is why they offer rehabilitation with accommodation and no alternative (for example: outpatient consultations) even if such exists.
Patients having the job must think well before agree to participation in such program because usually it means loose of job. In most cases, the one who lost everything because of drugs: families, friends, and job may derive tangible benefit from the rehabilitation program. These very people need roof above their heads, food and medical assistance. But, they do not have money to pay for rehabilitation centre services.
Remember, there is no miracle ways, how to get rid of drug addiction. One cannot become a drug addict not taking drugs; similar, it is impossible to rid oneself of addiction continuing intake of drugs. In most cases, the social and psychological problems patient faces during rehabilitation are evoked by drug intake. As soon as one adapts himself/herself to life without narcotics most of these problems disappear of themselves.
The best rehabilitation is sober, meaningful life. Many people “grow” out of the drug addiction. The question merely is – how long will this maturing period last, and how to survive until it completes.
We can be very helpful ay some rehabilitation stages, but the best healer is time.
