Heroin addiction is one of the most dangerous types of opioid addiction. At first, it may seem like a harmless means of escaping from problems. But in reality, it is a dangerous gamble with your life. Uncontrollable cravings develop from the first dose. Few people manage to live another seven years afterward. According to The National Center for Health Statistics, the number of heroin overdose deaths has doubled in the last 20 years.
Treatment for heroin addiction is long and hard. But it allows you to return to a normal life, improve your health, and regain social connections. At New Breath Recovery (California), you or your loved one can get all the help you need. Here, in a comfortable environment, our specialists will help you find the strength to live a drug-free life and enjoy it.
What Is Heroin?
Heroin is a heavy opioid drug that is derived from opium. Addicts use it by snorting, smoking, injecting and orally. It induces euphoria, a feeling of relaxation, and numbs pain.
Heroin is distinguished from other psychoactive substances by the rapid development of strong dependence. That is why in most countries it is an illegal drug, prohibited for circulation. However, its relatively low price and availability lead to the fact that more and more people with heroin addiction problems turn to treatment centers for help.
Causes of Heroin Addiction
Why do people start using heroin? For many, it is an accidental experience that turned into addiction. Other people are prone to thrill-seeking or are simply dissatisfied with their lives and are in a state of crisis. One of the most common reasons is the desire to expand consciousness, improve mood and get an instant high from life.
Heroin affects the opioid receptors of the brain and from the first dose is able to form psychological and physiological dependence. It is impossible to stop taking it on your own because of painful withdrawal symptoms. Moreover, to achieve the same level of comfort, the dose has to be increased, which increases the risk of overdose.
Signs and Symptoms of Heroin Addiction
A heroin addict can be recognized by the following signs:
- a sudden change in mood after taking a dose: euphoria, peacefulness, happiness for no reason;
- constricted pupils;
- dry mucous membranes and eyes;
- shortness of breath;
- slow pulse;
- injection or powder marks;
- disturbed appetite and sleep.
After 5-6 hours, during which the drug acts, the state of the addicted person changes. He becomes lethargic, drowsy, irritable. After 1 year of substance abuse, personality degradation and cognitive decline are observed.
Types of Heroin Addiction Treatment Options
Because of the severity of the disease, treatment must be carried out in an inpatient setting. The patient must stay 24/7 in a clinic where doctors can monitor his or her condition and there is no possibility of heroin use.
Standard treatment programs include the following steps:
- medical detoxification;
- maintenance or substitution drug therapy;
- psychotherapy;
- group therapy;
- family therapy;
- social adaptation;
- relapse prevention.
The effectiveness of rehab largely depends on the quality of the chosen clinic, the willpower of the patient and his family.
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The Process of Treating Heroin Addiction
The first step in getting off drugs is voluntary consent to treatment. How to get it? There are bound to come moments of enlightenment, when the addict wants to, but cannot change his life. This is the right time to turn to a rehabilitation center.
At the next stage, an initial diagnosis is carried out. It is enough for an experienced specialist to interview the patient or his family to understand how strong the addiction is, and to make a preliminary treatment plan. Additional studies collect information about the psychophysical state of the addict.
When the picture becomes clear, the most difficult stage – detox – begins. The main task of medical detoxification is to help the patient survive the symptoms of withdrawal syndrome. When withdrawing from the drug, they can manifest themselves from 3 days to 3 weeks. During this time, the addicted person is very vulnerable and needs constant support. It is for this reason that treatment should take place in an inpatient setting. New Breath Recovery clinic has all conditions for this: a cozy place, comfortable apartments, delicious food and constant care of medical staff.
Doctors monitor the patient’s condition and prescribe medications that normalize the work of internal organs, control pain, tremors, depression and other manifestations of withdrawal symptoms.
Even at the stage of withdrawal from heroin use, psychologists and psychotherapists begin to work with the patient. This is necessary so that the person is not left alone with his problem and can work through his mental experiences with experienced specialists. Psychotherapy helps the addicted person to understand himself, determine the causes of heroin addiction, and learn self-control. Step by step, the patient develops positive thinking patterns and skills to ignore triggers that could lead to a return to drugs.
Patients in drug treatment clinics often participate in group therapy. Here, they can share their experiences and struggles with addiction. It is important to remain part of the community even when recovery is over. This is why many former addicts have been attending Narcotics Anonymous groups for years. This is how they help others and themselves.
Frequently Asked Questions About Heroin Addiction Treatment
Are you or a loved one suffering from heroin addiction and still have questions about rehab? Our doctors have answered the most popular questions on this topic.
What are the withdrawal symptoms of heroin addiction?
As early as 6 hours after the last use, withdrawal symptoms appear, the intensity of which gradually increases and reaches its peak on the 1st to 3rd day. The total duration of withdrawal can be up to 2-3 weeks.
In addition to a strong desire to take the drug, fatigue and weakness, withdrawal is accompanied by physical and mental manifestations. On the physical level, these are usually muscle and bone pain, cramps, sweating, nausea, diarrhea, high blood pressure and rapid heartbeat. Along with this come sleep problems, depression, anxiety and irritability.
The degree of withdrawal syndrome depends on the strength of the addiction. In most heroin-related cases, withdrawal symptoms need to be managed in an inpatient setting at a medical center.
How does methadone maintenance therapy help in heroin addiction treatment?
Prescribing methadone instead of heroin is a temporary solution that is aimed at socializing the addict and preventing the use of illegal drugs. Methadone itself is not a cure. It is also a drug, and it is also addictive. But if used in the recommended dosages, it can gradually solve all the accumulated problems due to heroin addiction so that a full-fledged rehabilitation course can be completed in the future.
Substitution or maintenance therapy with methadone allows you to achieve a constant concentration of the substance in the body, which is impossible with heroin. Methadone is drunk, not injected into the veins. Its effect lasts 24-36 hours, as opposed to 6-8 hours for heroin. This drug does not cause a euphoric state, but it does manage the withdrawal symptoms typical of heroin addiction.
What is the success rate of heroin addiction treatment programs?
According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, methadone substitution therapy can achieve positive results in 60-80% of cases. The use of buprenorphine for drug treatment, on average, allows 40-60% of patients to recover from heroin addiction (American Journal of Psychiatry). Psychosocial programs used in conjunction with medication have been shown to work well. According to the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, the success of rehabilitation in this case can reach 70%. But the best proven approach is a comprehensive approach, which may include the use of several programs at once. In this case, we can talk about a positive result of treatment in more than 80% of cases.
What are the psychological effects of heroin addiction?
At the initial stage of addiction, mood swings are observed: euphoria after intake and a depressed state 6-8 hours later. Subsequently, this develops into depression and anxiety, and psychosis may develop. A person who uses heroin experiences memory problems, distances himself from others. All this together often leads to real despair, which increases the risk of suicide.
What is the timeline for heroin addiction recovery?
Heroin addiction is one of the most difficult addictions to treat. But it is treatable. How long it takes depends on your history of drug use and a number of other related factors. It could be a few months or years. It is important to take into account the fact that heroin addicts rarely live more than 7 years from the moment they take their first dose. Therefore, the rule is universal: the earlier you seek help from a rehab center, the less time it will take to recover and the higher the chance of returning to a normal life.
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