What is heroin detoxification?

Heroin detoxification is generally understood as the process of removing drug toxins from the body as withdrawal symptoms are controlled.

However, for TAVAD, programs for heroin detoxification essentially imply overcoming brain damage caused by heroin use because detoxification cannot be limited to the elimination of withdrawal symptoms.

Traditional programs of heroin detoxification do not help restore those brain areas where heroin use has caused neurochemical changes. Other methods only treat the symptoms, and do not deal with the root of the addiction directly, at the risk of disguising the symptoms of brain damage.

TAVAD, unlike other treatments, pharmacologically enables the recovery of disrupted brain functions. Therefore, it eliminates withdrawal symptoms and diminishes or eliminates uncontrollable craving for heroin, what means that advanced cognitive and emotional processes are restored too, such as attention, reading abilities, consciousness or serenity.

Neuronal recovery, achieved by medical and psychological professionals through advanced pharmacological intervention acts upon neurotransmitters and brain structures harmed by heroin use: the locus coeruleus, ventral tegmental area or adrenergic system, which are also associated with withdrawal symptoms.

Only under these conditions can TAVAD heroin detoxification program achieve immediate results: providing the best form of addiction recovery; overcoming the patient’s changed cognitive and emotional processes; allowing abstinence without symptoms, therefore, without suffering; and, as a result of not suffering through abstinence, the patient can take control of their life again, free of heroin.

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Heroin detoxification treatment

Following the aforementioned principles, heroin detoxification programs at TAVAD involves:

░ Diagnosis, which implies an evaluation of the psychological, social, and biological factors that are independently related to each patient’s illness. This diagnosis includes a complete medical examination and diagnostic analysis (laboratory tests, blood analysis of hemograms, leucograms, blood biochemistry, lipids, transaminaes and other hepatic and renal profiles, as well as, urine analysis, electrocardiogram and X-rays).

░ Detoxification and neuronal restoration through pharmacological intervention, without withdrawal symptoms and without suffering.

░ Brain nutrition, enriching patient’s diet with salts, oligoelements and amino acids that are essential for neural recovery, and correction of nutritional deficiencies which frequently accompany this illness.

░ Psychotherapy attention program, personalized for each patient, and designed to re-establish social, family, and personal harmony in patient’s life, clarify misconceptions regarding the illness, promote favourable attitudes towards lifestyle changes, and incorporate the patient as an active participant in their rehabilitation process.

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Heroin detoxification programs at TAVAD

░ Hospitalization: the patient arrives at the clinic in the morning (9:00 a.m.). First, blood and urine samples are collected, followed by a physical evaluation and psycho-diagnostic examinations. Then, the patient is settled into their room (a single room with a private bath), which will be their home for the 3 day stay, and where they will be able to enjoy television, outdoor garden areas and full board.

░ During hospitalization, patients may receive visits from 11:00 to 14:00 hours and from 16:30 to 19:30 hours.

░ After being admitted, the patient receives oral and intravenous medication which suppresses possible abstinence symptoms and is the basis of the detoxification/neuroadaptation treatment.

░ At the end of morning, the patient enters the ICU, where a team of qualified personnel, including an anesthesiologist, carries out the detoxification/neuroadaptation process. Once the patient is completely sedated and under continuous medical control (with intubation, and cardiac function, blood pressure and oxygen saturation monitoring), detoxification is carried out for 6 hours, after which the patient returns to their room to be cared for that night and the following day.

░ Before medical discharge, the patient receives a medical report describing the treatment and the medication to be administered from that moment on.

░ After being discharged, the outpatient follow-up phase begins, conducted by a skilled psychotherapist at the TAVAD center closest to the patient’s residence. Psychotherapy has a cognitive-behavioral focus (and includes pharmacological supervision); sessions are structured individually or in family groups if required. The frequency of these sessions is weekly for the first 3 months, biweekly for the following 6 months and monthly for the last 3 months.

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Special conditions for foreign patients

For patients arriving at TAVAD from abroad to undergo our heroin detoxification program, admissions take place on Monday morning, followed by the discharge on Thursday. We also recommend that patients stay in town for two or three days after hospitalization, in order to receive intensive psychotherapy sessions (aside from the weekend). Before beginning treatment, we recommend that patients arrange a psychotherapeutic follow-up program in their country of origin, what can allow them to meet the objectives of the TAVAD program.

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