Drug abuse is a growing problem here in the United States, there is simply no denying it. By the time that we had reached the year of 2015, only a few years ago, more than twenty and a half million people throughout the country were dealing with a substance abuse problem, millions of those people addicted to opioids like painkillers and, of course, heroin. And many of these people were young, with more than twenty thousand adolescents using heroin at least once in that same year, with up to five thousand of them considered to be regular heroin users, while others often struggled with other various types of drug addiction.

Opioids in particular are posing a problem, as they are easily accessible and highly addictive. In fact, the data backs this up, showing that very nearly twenty five percent of all people who use heroin will develop an opioid addiction that is very difficult to shake. And it often starts with the abuse of prescription pills, something that holds true for up to eighty percent of current heroin users. When the pills, often legally obtained and prescribed by a legitimate medical doctor, run out, many patients find that they have become dependent on these pills and, if they can’t find them elsewhere, are all too likely to turn to heroin instead.

And repercussions of drug use can be immense. For IV drug users, the transmission of diseases is always a risk when clean needle sites are not readily available, as is the case in the majority of communities throughout the country. And addiction can cause strained relationships with the ones you are closest to. It can make it difficult to hold down a job and to lead the life that you were living before addiction wove itself into the fabric of your life.

And in many cases of accidental or even intentional overdose, drug addiction can even lead to death. In fact, the accidental overdose is currently the top leading cause of accidental death all throughout the United States as of the year of 2015, with as many as and more than fifty two thousand drug related deaths occurring in that year alone. And heroin and other opioids played a big role in many of these deaths, causing up to thirty thousand of them in total.

But recovery from addiction is possible, though the detox process is not a pleasant one. If you are interested in getting clean, finding the right detox doctor is essential before you begin the detox process. Depending on the type of drug, you are likely to detox quickly, and a fast detox can rock your body and your emotional state to its core. The detox process can be so debilitating that more than ninety percent of all people who attempt the detox process will actually relapse before said detox process has been completed.

Therefore, it is well within your best interests to find a reputable detox center or rehab facility. Such an establishment can help to guide you through the detox process, managing your symptoms of withdrawal and ensuring that you are safe throughout it. Of course, you won’t have access to drugs in such a place, meaning that you are far less likely to relapse before the detox process has been completed and you can really begin taking steps towards recovery and, in many cases, the rebuilding of your life and your relationships.

If you are unsure how to begin the detox process, you should consult your family practice doctor. While your family practice doctor is unlikely to be equipped to walk you through said detox process, they will likely be more than able to refer you to someone who can. A family practice doctor will also likely refer you to therapist, who can help you to deal with the emotional side of getting clean from addictive substances and changing your life so drastically. In the process of behavioral therapy, you are also likely to discuss why you became addicted to drugs or another abusive substance (like alcohol) in the first place, and how you can prevent a relapse.

Recovering from addiction is certainly not easy, but it can be done.