ByNick Jones

Overcoming Heroin Addiction with the Help of a Chemical Dependency Center

Treating a heroin addiction at a chemical dependency center is the first step toward long-term sobriety. At a reputable treatment center, patients can get help with withdrawal symptoms and remove the psychological grip of heroin. Many treatment centers offer therapy options to help address the underlying behaviors that contribute to the addiction.

Detoxing at a Chemical Dependency Center

Once patients arrive at the treatment center, they will complete the intake process and begin detox. Withdrawal symptoms from heroin addiction can be intense, so it’s important to detox with the help of experienced medical professionals. While at the center, patients are continuously supervised so that detox is as comfortable as possible.

Inpatient Rehabilitation

For long-term, severe addictions, inpatient heroin addiction rehabilitation is the best option. Studies show that inpatient rehabilitation has higher success rates than outpatient treatment programs. This is due to the intensity of the treatment program and the fact that addicted individuals can’t access drugs while they’re at the center.

Depending on each individual’s unique circumstances, patients may want to sign up for addiction treatment treatment. Once rehab starts, patients will receive daily therapy sessions, as well as education about their addiction. Some treatment centers also offer options like art, music or yoga therapy to help with recovery.

Preventing Relapse Through a Chemical Dependency Center

Once treatment is complete, there are support groups available to prevent a relapse. Sometimes, patients choose to use outpatient treatment programs after they finish inpatient treatment to further encourage their recovery. Relapses can and do happen, however, so it’s important to create a relapse prevention plan in advance.

Counseling and therapy can help prevent a potential heroin addiction relapse. Patients should avoid hanging out with friends who use drugs. Likewise, place that are prone to drug use like bars or clubs should be avoided. At a chemical dependency center like Recovery in Motion, patients get extra help at preventing a relapse.

Treatment for Co-Occurring Disorders

Many people who have a heroin addiction and dependency also have a co-occurring disorder. Pain from a chronic medical condition or a mental disorder can fuel the addiction. To maintain sobriety, patients must receive help with the traumatic experiences, medical conditions and psychiatric problems that enable the addiction. At the chemical dependency center, patients can receive therapy and dual diagnosis treatment for these conditions.

The first step toward sobriety is to recognize that there’s a problem and get help. If you or a loved one has a heroin addiction, help is available. Call Recovery in Motion today at (866) 418-1070 to begin your journey toward a better life.

ByNick Jones

Accidental Addiction: How Opiate Addiction Can Begin [Infographic]

One of the reasons that accidental addiction are so widespread and problematic in the United States is that the addictions are often accidental. Individuals who may start out simply following their doctor’s orders can wind up abusing opiates, and it may not be through any fault or intent of their own. You need to better understand how accidental opiate addictions can begin in the United States and how you can combat them.

Rising Deaths and Exposure to Fentanyl

Fentanyl, a synthetic opioid that is almost 50-100 times more potent than morphine, and 30-50 times more potent than heroin. Fentanyl is prescribed to patients who suffer from chronic-pain or pain related to end-of-life circumstances where their condition is terminal. When misused, this drug is incredibly deadly, even in very tiny doses. Its purest form is a grainy white powder, with crystals similar to that of table salt. Because many street drugs are “laced” with other components, illicit drug makers are starting to use fentanyl in their heroin manufacturing. This is causing people to accidentally overdose, not knowing that their street heroin contains fatal amounts of fentanyl.

Opiates are Prescribed by the Millions in the United States

In a given year in the United States, as many as 207 million prescriptions may be written for opiate painkillers. This is up substantially from 1991, when there were only 76 million annual prescriptions. Many of these prescriptions are legitimate, and are designed to help patients deal with pain after an accident or a surgery. Unfortunately, some of these prescriptions are illicit, and designed to help individuals sell opiate painkillers on the black market.

Opiate Creates the Need for Higher Doses

Even if patients begin taking opiate prescription medications legitimately and for medical reasons, they may begin to notice that their tolerance for the medicine increases over time. The typical amount for an adult to take when first beginning narcotic treatment for pain is 10 mg every 12 hours, or a total of 20 mg per day. While that may be sufficient to manage pain initially, some patients begin to need a higher dose due to an increased tolerance, which only strengthens a forming addiction and causes the body to rely on the opiates for pain relief and daily function.

Prolonged Opiate Medication Consumption Creates Accidental Addiction

Addiction is a medical illness, not something that people choose to pursue or a side effect of poor willpower. It’s recommended by many pharmacological experts that patients only take narcotic painkillers like opiate medications for less than 14 days, and some even argue that it should be limited to 3–7 days. Addiction can form in as little as 14 days, and taking prescription opiates even longer only makes the addiction stronger.

Alternative Opiate Sources are Sought Out

Whether cost or prescription access is a prohibitive factor, individuals who have learned to rely on opiate painkillers may begin to look for alternative sources to fuel their accidental addiction and prevent any pain from returning. Heroin can be one-tenth the price of medical opiates on the street, making them an appealing alternative for high-dose users.

Many Heroin Users Began With Prescription Drugs

Some studies show that more than half of current heroin users in the United States began by using prescription drugs. In fact, many people go back and forth, depending on availability. More options means more availability and fewer forced withdrawals.
Even if the formation of an addiction was accidental, it’s important to seek help. Recovery in Motion holds the key to helping you achieve lasting sobriety. Call (866) 418-1070 to break free from an opiate addiction and take back the life you deserve.

ByNick Jones

Signs and Symptoms Your Loved One is Experiencing Heroin Withdrawal

Attempts to hide substance abuse is not easy, especially when the use of drugs or alcohol turns into an addiction. Additionally, having to cover up any signs of withdrawal is equally as challenging. If a loved one is showing signs of heroin withdrawal, taking action is urgently needed. dealing with withdrawal symptoms alone is potentially dangerous and sometimes fatal. It is critical that substance withdrawal is done in a safe place that has a medically-supervised detox program immediately followed by top-notch treatment.

Common Signs of a Heroin Withdrawal

In some cases, heroin users may be able to hide the signs of their drug use, or at least avoid friends and family at times when use is more common. During withdrawal, there is little individuals can do to hide their symptoms. One of the most common physical signs of a heroin withdrawal is restlessness, which can manifest itself in lots of twitching, kicking or fiddling.

Individuals withdrawing from heroin may also be incredibly depressed or anxious. If a normally happy or content person seems to be spiraling into a deep depression that is accompanied by sickness or a sharp downturn in mood, then withdrawal could be the cause.

Side Effects of a Heroin Withdrawal

Not all the side effects of a withdrawal from heroin are immediately apparent to a loved one. In fact, it’s common for heroin users who want to quit cold turkey to hide away and claim to be sick, or simply to cut off all contact with friends and family for a few days. This is very dangerous and puts their lives at risk. Just a few of the dangerous side effects of withdrawal from heroin include the following:

Diarrhea
Nausea
Vomiting
Extreme sweating
Cramping in the muscles
Sharp pain in the bones

Helping Loved Ones With an Addiction to Heroin

When loved ones are dealing with a heroin withdrawal, it’s important that they get the help they need. Detox programs, for example, have the tools and experience to help patients get through withdrawal safely and with minimal side effects. There are medications and supplements that can ease the pain and work toward permanent sobriety. Family and friends will also want to seek professional help on how to cope with an opiate addict.

The Steps After Withdrawal

Those addicted to heroin won’t be cured or freed from cravings just because the worst of the withdrawal is over. Whether or not they formally participated in a detox program, true recovery will only come through rehabilitation. Addiction treatment centers can offer trauma therapy, family therapy, dual-diagnosis therapy and more, all of which can work toward permanent results and freedom from heroin.

Dealing with the symptoms of heroin withdrawal isn’t easy, but it’s the first step toward beating addiction. At Recovery in Motion in Tucson, Arizona, patients can get the support and treatment necessary to say goodbye to heroin for good. Call (866) 418-1070 to learn more about getting help for yourself or for someone you love.