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If heroin has started to take more than it gives, you’re not alone — and you’re not out of options. Heroin addiction treatment works best when it’s more than “just detox.” The goal isn’t only to stop using. It’s to stabilize your body, reduce cravings, rebuild daily structure, and create a plan you can actually keep following when life gets stressful again.
At Foundations Group Recovery Centers Ohio, our heroin addiction treatment programs serve Columbus and nearby communities like Dublin, Hilliard, Powell, Westerville, Gahanna, Worthington, Grove City, and Delaware. We build individualized treatment plans that can include medical detox (when needed), medication-assisted treatment (MAT), therapy, and step-down outpatient care.
Need help figuring out what level of care fits? Insurance verification and admissions support are available.
Heroin addiction treatment typically combines multiple layers of care because heroin affects more than one system — the body (withdrawal and cravings), the brain (reward and stress circuits), and life outside treatment (relationships, work, legal issues, mental health).
A strong treatment plan often includes:
Step-down levels of care so you’re not dropped back into real life overnight
One of the biggest misunderstandings about heroin recovery is believing detox is the finish line. Detox can be an important first step — but for many people, detox alone is not enough.
Detox focuses on getting through withdrawal safely and stabilizing early symptoms.
Detox may be recommended when someone has:
After detox, tolerance drops quickly. If someone returns to use at the old dose, the risk of overdose increases. That’s why most evidence-based approaches emphasize continuing care after detox, especially MAT + therapy.
Ongoing treatment is where long-term change is built:
Medication-assisted treatment (MAT) is one of the most evidence-supported approaches for opioid use disorder, including heroin addiction. MAT can help by:
MAT isn’t “replacing one addiction with another.” It’s a medically guided approach used to help the nervous system stabilize so treatment can actually stick.
Methadone is a long-acting medication that can reduce withdrawal symptoms and cravings. It’s often used for individuals who need a highly structured, consistent approach and benefit from intensive stabilization.
Buprenorphine is a partial opioid agonist that helps reduce cravings and withdrawal without producing the same “high” effects as heroin. For many people, it supports stability while they work through therapy and rebuild routine.
Naltrexone blocks opioid effects and is used to reduce relapse risk after someone is fully detoxed from opioids. It is not used to manage withdrawal, but can be part of a longer-term recovery plan.
Important: The “best” MAT option depends on your history, tolerance, risk factors, co-occurring conditions, and what level of structure you can sustain. Treatment should be individualized — not one-size-fits-all.
Medication can stabilize the body. Therapy helps change the patterns that pull someone back into use.
Depending on your needs, heroin addiction treatment may include:
CBT helps people identify the thoughts, triggers, and behaviors that drive use — and replace them with practical coping skills.
Group therapy helps reduce isolation, build accountability, and practice real-life recovery skills (communication, boundaries, emotional regulation).
Individual therapy gives you space to address what’s underneath the addiction — stress, trauma, grief, shame, identity, or relationship patterns.
When family involvement is appropriate, education and guided support can reduce confusion and help loved ones respond in healthier ways.
Recovery tends to work best when care matches the intensity of what you’re dealing with — and then steps down as stability builds.
At Foundations Group Recovery Centers Ohio, treatment planning may include:
Medical support for safe withdrawal stabilization and symptom management.
A structured, high-support program during the day while living at home or in a recovery residence.
A step-down option that provides consistent therapy and structure while allowing more flexibility for work and life responsibilities.
Ongoing therapeutic support and relapse-prevention planning as you continue building long-term recovery.
Continued support to help you maintain momentum after structured programming ends.
Starting treatment can feel intimidating — especially if you’ve tried before. A good program doesn’t punish relapse history. It plans for reality.
Here’s what the first phase typically includes:
Step-down planning (so you’re not left without support)
Most people don’t relapse because they “don’t care.” They relapse because life shows up — stress, conflict, loneliness, insomnia, triggers, old environments — and there isn’t enough structure or support.
Strong aftercare planning often includes:
A relapse-prevention plan built around your triggers and patterns
If you’re searching for outpatient treatment for heroin addiction near me, you’re likely looking for care that fits into real life — work, family, and daily responsibilities — without sacrificing clinical support.
Outpatient heroin addiction treatment allows individuals to receive structured, evidence-based care while living at home or in a recovery residence. This level of care is often appropriate for people who are medically stable, motivated for recovery, and able to manage daily responsibilities with ongoing therapeutic support.
At Foundations Group Recovery Centers Ohio, outpatient treatment for heroin addiction may include:
Outpatient care is not “less serious” treatment. For many people, it’s a critical phase of recovery that helps translate progress from structured programs into sustainable, everyday habits.
Outpatient treatment may be a good fit if you:
If you’re unsure which level of care is right, a clinical assessment can help determine whether outpatient treatment alone is appropriate — or whether starting with a more structured program would be safer and more effective.
In recent years, Ohio has seen thousands of residents lose their lives to unintentional drug overdoses, with 5,017 overdose deaths in 2020 — a 25% increase from 2019.
While synthetic opioids such as fentanyl now account for the largest share of overdose deaths, heroin continues to be a dangerous component of the wider opioid epidemic in the state.
Encouragingly, preliminary data shows overdose deaths dropped in 2024 to the lowest level since 2019, but treatment access and evidence-based care remain essential for saving lives.
People don’t just need “a program.” They need a plan they can follow when motivation drops.
Our approach emphasizes:
Our heroin addiction treatment programs serve individuals in:
Columbus, Westerville, Gahanna, Dublin, Powell, Lewis Center, Worthington, Hilliard, Grove City, Marysville, New Albany, and Delaware, Ohio.
If heroin use has become hard to control, is affecting your health or relationships, or you’ve tried stopping and couldn’t stay stopped, treatment can help. You don’t have to “hit rock bottom” to qualify for support.
Not always — but some people do. Detox is typically recommended when withdrawal risk is high, use is heavy and daily, or there are medical complications. An assessment can help determine what’s safest.
There isn’t one “right” timeline. Many people start with a more structured level of care (PHP or IOP) and step down over time. Longer engagement generally improves outcomes because recovery skills take time to build.
MAT is a medically-supported approach used to reduce cravings and relapse risk. For many people, it’s the difference between repeated relapse cycles and stable recovery. Treatment decisions should be individualized and stigma-free.
Often, yes — especially with IOP or outpatient options. The right level of care depends on your safety needs, stability, and how severe symptoms are right now.
If you or someone you love is struggling with heroin addiction, help is available — and treatment can be tailored to what you actually need right now.
Admissions and insurance verification are available to help you understand your options.
