WHAT IS HEROIN?
Heroin is one of the most powerful and dangerous controlled substances available to illicit drug users.
Heroin is also molecularly similar to Percocet and OxyContin, two of the most powerful and addictive over-the-counter painkillers available for consumer use.
The drug is a derivative of morphine, which is a direct descendant of the natural substance found in poppy plant seeds.
What attracts users to heroin is the near immediate feeling of euphoria the drug gives. This is caused by heroin’s full-on attack on the brain’s reward system.
Within seconds of injection, which is the most common way of introducing heroin into the body, the brain’s reward system is rejiggered to intensify production of feel-good chemicals such as dopamine and endorphins.
The high is very intense and extremely addicting.
In fact, of all who first try heroin, one out of every four becomes addicted to the drug.
HOW CAN HEROIN REHAB HELP?
Heroin is a hard habit to quit. However, with hard work, dedication, and a strong will to stop abusing heroin, you could enjoy a substance-free lifestyle.
To help avoid relapse, you’ll be encouraged to take part in group work to shore up your newly discovered sobriety, and keep you on the road to a clean lifestyle.
Our experienced staff won’t just support you as you address your heroin dependency, it will also make you aware of trigger situations that can cause you to relapse.
Choosing a rehabilitation center with a robust support staff can be a big advantage when recovering from heroin abuse and now is the time to take that first step.
Most alcohol and drug treatments fall under two categories: inpatient and outpatient care.
HEROIN INPATIENT REHAB
If a substance abuse disorder is so severe the patient requires constant monitoring from qualified treatment professionals, then inpatient care is the perfect choice. It will allow for help when a patient cannot detox on his or her own.
INPATIENT VISITATIONS
Visiting a loved one while they attend inpatient treatment can have mixed results, so you should always check with a patient’s counsellor before showing up at the facility.
If you decide to visit a patient during rehabilitation, be sure to do so when the patient feels positive and upbeat. If a patient is struggling through their rehab, you might want to postpone your visit until their rehab turns around for them.
Each rehabilitation center will have its own rules as to when visitations are allowed. Most do not allow visits during the patient’s detox process or their first stages of rehabilitation.
When the timing is right, a visit from a friend or family member can be very helpful in the recovery process. It will reassure the person in recovery that he or she isn’t facing their problems alone.
HEROIN OUTPATIENT REHAB
Patients who don’t require intense observation during the detox and recovery process may find outpatient care a better option.
While outpatient care isn’t as comprehensive among those in the rehabilitation industry, it can be a great option for patients who aren’t likely to cause harm to themselves during detox. Many patients prefer this option because in most cases it’s more affordable.
THE PROCESS FOR HEROIN REHAB
Heroin addiction can destroy your mental and emotional well-being, but it can also cause physical damage to your body, including fluctuations in weight, illness, and increased likelihood of injury.
Along with fighting addiction, rehabilitation can include getting back into good physical health. Many of our programs offer exercise activities, including stretching and yoga.
Our programs also address the mental toll addiction can take on a patient. Part of our treatment involves learning how to maintain sobriety as life’s stressful situations, such as birthdays and holidays.
As common as heroin addiction has become in our society, we know how to custom tailor a recovery plan for a variety of individuals.
THE LENGTH OF HEROIN TREATMENT
Your rehabilitation is about reducing the likelihood of using heroin again. This means after detoxification, you still need to build up your physical, mental, and emotional strength to withstand the next craving.
Of course, the treatment length for each patient varies greatly. Some people may only require a few days of treatment while others need several months or more.
HEROIN: WHAT DOES IT LOOK LIKE?
The purest form of heroin resembles sugar or table salt. In other words, pure heroin is white and powdery.
However, there are other types of heroin.
A more common variation of the drug is brown or black powder heroin, which is either brown or black in color, but powdery like white heroin.
The brown or black coloring of this type of heroin is derived from additives that are put into the drug, usually by heroin dealers.
The danger of this type of heroin is that it’s in no way regulated, and a user has virtually no idea what might be mixed in with the final product.
Also known as Street Heroin, the immediate dangers of brown and black heroin is overdose or death.
Black tar heroin is a sticky gel-like material. Again, it has many additives which the user may not be aware of. Like the brown and black heroin, overdose or death are very strong realities when using this type of heroin.
HOW IS HEROIN TAKEN AND WHAT ARE ITS STREET NAMES?
Most commonly, heroin is taken intravenously. In other words, it’s administered via a hypodermic needle and band, which are known as “a kit” by those familiar with heroin and heroin addicts.
Heroin’s street names vary depending upon, of all things, age group. While younger users simply call heroin “heroin” older people familiar with the drug call it horse, junk, smack or its one-letter acronym of “H.”
WHAT IS “CUT” HEROIN?
Cut heroin refers to impure heroin or Street Heroin that has been mixed with another substance, which usually consists of a second and/or third opioid.
While powerful opioids such as morphine and fentanyl are substances familiar to cut heroin, other ingredients such as starch, powdered milk and sugar can be found in cut heroin.
The fact that it is never clear what and how much of any substance is added to the final product makes cut heroin extremely dangerous, in which the user may experience a fatal overdose.
SIGNS OF HEROIN USE
While continual nodding off then coming back to alertness – what is actually called “nodding off,” is a hallmark of heroin use, there are other symptoms that can reveal a heroin addict. Those are:
- Sudden changes in behavior or actions
- Disorientation
- Shortness of breath
- Slow pulse
- Dry mouth
- Constricted (small) pupils
- Droopy appearance
- Bluish lips
PHYSICAL EFFECTS AND FEELINGS OF HEROIN
There is an immediate rush that comes to the user once they inject heroin. That rush occurs in as little as two seconds, it being the result of the chemical reaching the brain so quickly.
This rush has been described as pure euphoria, or in some cases, orgasmic.
As the heroin rush continues through the bloodstream, the high can last between four and five hours.
Other effects from heroin can include:
- Contentment
- Reduced anxiety
- Relieved tension
- Drowsiness
- Apathy
Dizziness and drowsiness can come about from heroin, but moreover these effects can feel enjoyable to the user. As to the comedown, unlike alcohol or other illicit drugs such as ecstasy, there isn’t a hangover, which makes the drug attractive to new users.
PATIENT PRIVACY
Your Patient Health Information (PHI) will always remain safe and secure with our sobriety specialists.
Between the stress of withdrawal symptoms and confronting deep seeded issues in counseling, you don’t need the added anxiety of worrying about the security of your confidential information. That’s why we make sure your visits, PHI, and all other relevant health care information remain private.
HOW ARE PAYMENTS HANDLED
If you stay with us for longer than a month, we bill on a bi-weekly basis. Otherwise, we bill on a monthly basis.
We take the same care to retain your financial information private as we do to keep your Patient Health Information private. For this reason, we do not keep your credit card nor insurance records on file.
GOING AWAY FOR TREATMENT
We have treatment facilities all over the country, so you’re certain to find one that’s convenient for your needs in a setting you can enjoy.
Of course, convenience doesn’t always mean close to home. In some situations, going away for treatment is more effective because it can leave you free of distractions. It can help you strip away the layers of familiarity to find a new way to function.
POST-REHABILITATION SUPPORT
Sobriety is a new way of life. It takes ongoing effort. That effort is much easier to muster when you know you’re not alone.
To this end, continued support for those leaving a rehabilitation facility is highly recommended.
This type of support often comes from a network of relationships that develop while in recovery.
Loneliness contributes to why people develop substance disorders in the first place. Loneliness can also contribute to relapse once the detox, rehab and recovery processes finish.
If you or a loved one have an addiction to heroin, contact BLVD Treatment Centers. At BLVD Treatment Centers we custom tailor our recovery programs within the safe and nurturing confines of our rehab treatment centers. Located throughout California, in Los Angeles, Orange County, San Diego and in Portland, OR, our mission is to assess the severity of your addiction to help you achieve true recovery within 30 days.