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You are sitting on the couch and realize that your son is constantly falling asleep when he is around the family; yet when he is in his room, he is animatedly gaming, zoom chatting, and listening to loud music. These symptoms alone would not be alarming if you had not found needles under his mattress, making you feel like he might need heroin addiction treatment. When you start to really analyze his behavior, you consider that he has friends over only at night and for just a few minutes at a time. You start to do some research and find a heroin addiction program that really looks like it would fit his personality. You call them and they give you advice on how to approach him with it. It must be done with sincerity, love, and no judgement. You must also be aware that less than 40% of patients in any given rehab agreed to be admitted. Staying sober is more successful when someone participates wholeheartedly in the program, but it can definitely work either way! Now is the time to help your loved one before it’s too late and they don’t wake up from the next overdose.
Heroin is part of the opioid epidemic that is ravaging the streets of America. The opioid crisis started full force in the 1990s with pharmaceutical companies telling doctors that their pain killers were not addictive. This led to the prescribing of various opioids for mild to severe acute and chronic pain. Even if directions are followed, people can get addicted within a couple of weeks. Consequently, when the doctor decides the temporary relief is no longer necessary, the new addict takes to the streets for something that will treat not only their physical pain, but also their emotional pain. It gets to the point where all they think about is how awful the withdrawal will be if they do not find their next hit soon.
Heroin is man-mad and processed from morphine in a lab. It occurs naturally in the opium poppy plant, which has been used for thousands of years for its painkilling properties. Heroin was first made in 1874 to be used as a cough suppressant and non-addictive replacement for morphine, a highly addictive opioid. Morphine was used as a highly effective pain killer in certain situations, but they were unbelievably mistaken as to the future use of heroin and how negatively it would affect society. It is now labeled as a Schedule I substance, being highly addictive and offering no acceptable medicinal use. It can be bought as a brown or white powder or as black tar heroin, which is black and sticky.
No one wants to become a drug addict and wake up in their car or under a bridge because they are homeless. Growing up, “just say no” to drugs was drilled into the brains of teenagers. Listening to stories of others’ experiences is not always enough to get the point across that heroin can result in negative consequences, and many people end up learning the hard way. People still like to experiment on their own and do not always glean the importance of learning from others’ mistakes. People who experiment with heroin may believe that they can handle its features.
When injected or smoked, heroin immediately delivers a rush of euphoria with feelings of relaxation and the detachment for which individuals with anxiety and depression seek. People who want to relieve physical and emotional aches and pains for several hours at a time can rely on the strong sedation delivered by heroin. The severity of the reaction depends on the method of delivery and how much is consumed in that moment. The abuse of heroin can not only be fatal, but it also increases the rate of HIV/AIDS transmission through needle sharing.
When someone tries to stop using heroin either because they are facing legal consequences, are in detox, or simply are in the process of finding a source, withdrawal symptoms begin almost immediately after the last hit wears off. Symptoms include anxiety, sweating, nausea, diarrhea, and more.
The latest data for 2018, showed that 168 million prescriptions were written for opioids, but the rates varies from state to state. 80% of those who were addicted to heroin admitted to having started by taking prescription opioids. Human nature teaches us to avoid anything that causes pain. Relapses are quite common when someone is trying to stop using a drug, since it has changed the chemistry of the brain. The difference with heroin is that the person taking it typically wanted to escape pain, and when they stop taking it, they are in pain. They know how to stop it … by continuing their use of heroin. Heroin relapses are particularly dangerous and can result in overdose with any extended period of abstinence. Tolerance to heroin decreases quickly, so when addicts return to the dosage they last used, they realize that it is now too much and are spiraling into an overdose.
There has been a strong focus on battling the opioid epidemic in the United States. Medications have been approved to help heroin users achieve and remain sober, but the most success is realized when the drugs are combined with other therapies. We will discuss the basic stages of treatment then describe the therapies individually. The basic stages are:
Eliminating heroin from the system only takes a couple of days, but it took longer than that for the addiction to occur. Detox is not enough. It will take time to rewire the brain and possibly rebuild the dopamine receptors from the damage they sustained during the heroin usage. The brain and body relied on consistent administration of the drug and must relearn how to function without it. Going through rehab leads people to feel vulnerable and open. They are battling something that millions go through each year and millions more judge. They are not only fighting their own body’s desires; they are also fighting the stigma placed on drug use in America. Individual and group therapies used in combination create the best success stores. Some of those therapies include:
Choosing a heroin addiction program that coincides with your interests has been proven to result in better success rates. It should also complement the way that you learn and adapt. The best program can remind you that you knew how to be happy before you began to lean on heroin for pleasure. Answering their questions during the assessment as honestly as possible will result in the best treatment plan. Some questions you can ask to determine if they can fulfill your needs include:
Heroin addiction treatment can help anyone who has lost their way from the happiness that they envisioned for their own future. They can learn to live again without the influence of harsh drugs. You do not have to do it alone.