It is common knowledge that opiates are highly addictive. It is also fairly well known that the withdrawal symptoms of quitting or reducing opiate intake are severe and unpleasant. However, there is a mistaken assumption that once a person finishes their detoxification, their addiction to opiates is over. Nothing could be farther from the truth. Detoxification ends the physical dependence that the body and the brain have on opiates, but that does not eradicate the root of an addiction problem. The things that initiate an opiate addiction are deeply rooted in a person's psyche: fear, anxiety, mental disorders and the likes. Many people have gone through opiate detoxification only to return to opiates and become addicted all over again. Do not underestimate how hard it is to defeat addiction. Instead, be prepared for it by understanding how to recover fully.
When an opiate detoxification is complete, a person's body is still in need of repair and permanent lifestyle changes. It is important that the recovering addict compensates for the damage done to their body by following a specific nutrition plan. Their body chemistry is going to need time to recover, and taking in the vitamins and nutrients that they need, their body will eventually have no trace of the damage done through opiates.
The most essential part of an opiate recovery is assuring that the person will not use again. There is no magical method of making a person not want to use. But there are ways of equipping the person with the skills they need to reject their desire to use. Addiction and substance abuse treatment are the most effective proven methods of recovering from an opiate addiction. In treatment, people discover the underlying causes of their opiate addiction and learn cognitive behavioral methods of overcoming it. Medication is given where needed as well, but the change in thought patterns that comes through counseling and mental health exercises is what will keep a person from using again.