Heroin Addiction
Continues to be a major problem in America. Contact us today to find an
effective rehab program that successfully treats heroin addiction
Get Rehab Help
Heroin Addiction Treatment
Have you tried to
help someone (or yourself) overcome heroin addiction and FAILED? To understand
the situation and what can be done here is some basic information and
resolutions for finding successful drug treatment programs. We can help
you.
Fill out the form on this site and we will respond as quickly as possible to assist you.
Heroin can be injected, smoked, or sniffed/snorted. Injection is the most efficient way to administer low-purity heroin. The availability of high-purity heroin, however, and the fear of infection by sharing needles has made snorting and smoking the drug more common. National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) researchers have confirmed that all forms of heroin administration are addictive.
Heroin Addiction Information
Most novice users of heroin experience nausea and vomiting and a feeling of unrealness and dysphoria instead of the promises of nirvana. After repeated use certain receptors in the brain and nervous system are not functioning at their normal levels except when they are being overly stimulated by opiates. Opiates stimulate these receptors in the brain which creates a feeling of euphoria, but after they have been excited beyond their normal range, they tend to be “exhausted” and when they are not producing the normal levels of endorphins, the user is depressed and his problem solving skills are compromised. Once heroin is again introduced into the system, these receptors are again stimulated to producing their feel good chemicals and the physical and psychological addiction is now well established. It is very hard to sit and confront depression when you know that a little more heroin will the person feels a feeling of satisfaction, many times associated with warmth in one’s stomach and a reduction in anxiety. At this point, the physical addiction has already begun. By the time the person has a complete physical addiction, they would rather have heroin than love or sexual orgasms which could be confused with the idea that heroin is better than those natural experiences.
What is Heroin?
Heroin addiction falls under the heading of opiate addiction, which is the second leading addiction in our society; following alcohol addiction. Heroin is noted for having the highest euphoria potential of all opiates and is, therefore, prone to cause psychological addiction even if the user does not become physically addicted. Addiction is defined as a state of physiological or psychological dependence on a drug liable to have a damaging effect. The withdrawal symptoms associated with heroin addiction are usually experienced shortly before the time of the next scheduled dose, meaning at the time that the last dose has been metabolized and is no longer binding to the pleasure receptor sites in the brain. Early symptoms include watery eyes, runny nose, yawning, and sweating. Restlessness, irritability, loss of appetite, nausea, tremors, and the craving for heroin appear as the syndrome progresses and soon occupies the entire attention of the withdrawing person. Severe depression and vomiting are common. The heart rate and blood pressure are elevated. Chills alternating with flushing and excessive sweating are also characteristic symptoms. Pains in the bones and muscles of the back and extremities occur, as do muscle spasms. At any point during this process, a suitable narcotic can be administered that will dramatically reverse the withdrawal symptoms. Without some type of intervention, the syndrome will run its course, and most of the overt physical symptoms will disappear within 7 to 10 days. If you picture being very sick at your stomach and experience the symptoms of the most severe flu you could imagine, and knowing that if you have one dose of heroin, all of these symptoms will disappear and you will feel absolutely normal again, then you can understand how people that suffer from heroin addiction can do many things that would violate their values in order to secure that next fix.
Heroin Dependence and Addiction
The psychological dependence associated with narcotic addiction is complex and may last for years after addictive use. Long after the physical need for the drug has passed, the addict may continue to think and talk about the use of drugs and feel strange or overwhelmed coping with daily activities without being under the influence of drugs. This does not necessarily have to be the case if someone that has been suffering from heroin addiction were to find a reliable treatment setting where the entire addiction is confronted and handled. If not, there is a high probability that relapse will occur after narcotic withdrawal when neither the physical environment nor the behavioral motivators that contributed to the abuse have been dramatically altered.
How to Stop Cravings for Heroin
Only a biophysical treatment has proven successful at producing a stable long-term drug-free life. Because of the intense pleasure and the strong physical addiction, heroin and other opiates need to be totally cleansed from the body. Biophysical programs get the residues of the opiates out of the fat tissue of the body so that the person is no longer restimulated by minute amounts of these opiates re-entering the blood stream and causing uncontrollable cravings. When the opiates are cleansed from the body, the physical cravings for the drug are eliminated and the person is free to confront their behavioral problems and not be continually on a “rollercoaster” of use-abuse-withdrawals.
For More Information
To find out more details about the biophysical drug rehab process, fill out the form to discuss this treatment option with a licensed alcohol and drug counselor that understands that this heroin addiction is not a disease, but is a situation that needs a physical handling before someone can be free of relapse.