heroin addiction help

Heroin Addiction Help

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What Heroin Addiction Help Looks Like

Heroin addiction help=hope.  As anyone who has attempted to stop using heroin on their own can attest, a helping hand is the only real route to hope.  Hope for a future.  Hope for a fulfilling life.  Heroin addiction help from a treatment program dedicated to helping individuals overcome this incapacitating disease is the ticket to renewed hope.

About Heroin Addiction

About ten years ago, heroin experienced a resurgence in popularity among recreational drug users.  In addition, heroin is sometimes a “next step” for those who had developed a chemical dependency on synthetic opioids, such as OxyContin, Dilaudid, or Percocet.  Once those drugs were no longer available to them, they moved on to heroin, which is cheap and readily available.

Heroin is classified as a Schedule I narcotic, meaning it is not only illicit but also highly addictive.  The Institute of Medicine of the National Academy of Science has reported that about a fourth of the individuals who try heroin will become addicted.  This happens because the “rush” or euphoric effect combined with a deep sense of relaxation signals the brain to release dopamine, the feel-good chemical associated with the reward center of the brain.  The individual is then motivated to re-experience the sensation, so continues to seek out the drug again and again.  Eventually, tolerance increases as addiction takes hold, and the brain chemistry can no longer keep up with the demands of the drug.  Now, the only way to avoid feeling very sick is to continue to use heroin indefinitely.

Signs and Symptoms of Heroin Addiction

As the individual becomes increasingly dependent on heroin, they will begin to notice signs and symptoms of addiction to the drug.  These might include:

  • Insomnia
  • Weight loss
  • Malaise and fatigue
  • Collapsed veins in those who inject heroin
  • Damaged nasal tissue in those who snort heroin
  • Constipation
  • Stomach cramping
  • Impotence in men
  • Irregular menstrual cycles in women
  • Infection in the lining of the heart and the heart valves
  • Pneumonia
  • Abcesses
  • Liver and kidney disease
  • Mental illness

Heroin Addiction Help and Recovery

With commitment, treatment, and patience, heroin addiction can be overcome.  When entering treatment, the first step of recovery is the detox and withdrawal phase.  It is advisable that a medical detox be accomplished in a medically supervised setting, as the withdrawal symptoms can be unpredictable and difficult to endure.  Many who attempt to detox on their own simply give up and return to using the drug, just to avoid the pain of withdrawal.  A medical detox will provide the ongoing support needed to help alleviate the pain and discomfort of detox, and help the client complete the process and get into treatment.

After detox is complete, the work of recovery begins.  Inpatient treatment provides 24 hour support, and allows the individual to be in a safe, secure environment away from triggers to use. Ongoing daily therapy sessions, both individual and group, can help the client process underlying emotional issues or past trauma, while also learning new ways to manage and cope with stress and everyday frustrations.  Participation in a recovery support group, such as N.A. or SMART Recovery, is also part of most inpatient treatment programs.

Some heroin treatment programs make use of medications that can help curb cravings and slowly reduce the clients desire to use heroin over time.  These drugs, such as Suboxone, buprenorphine, and methadone, are used in early recovery to help reduce the risk of relapse.

Pax House Recovery Offers Heroin Addiction Help For You

Pax House Recovery is an inpatient drug and alcohol addiction treatment program.  Pax House is unique, in that it takes a compassionate approach toward treating individuals struggling with a debilitating heroin dependence.  Offering a home environment that is clean, comfortable, and welcoming, the empathetic and warm treatment professionals strive to provide understanding as well as new life skills and coping techniques. Clients arrive at Pax House broken in body, mind, and spirit, and leave there restored and full of renewed hope.  For more information about the heroin addiction help offered at Pax House, please contact us today at (888) 572-1724.

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