A 2019 statistic revealed that 605,000 Americans ages 12 and older had abused heroin at least once in the year before being surveyed. The statistics indicate the prevalence of heroin addiction and how much of a problem it is. 

Heroin addiction treatment is a journey to say the least. First, you need to admit that you have a heroin addiction problem before seeking help. Unfortunately, not many people make it to this point. After you come to terms with being an addict, you can seek professional treatment. 

To overcome a heroin addiction, you need to know what heroin addiction is and how to battle it. This article will highlight everything you need to know about heroin and ways to get heroin addiction help.

What Is Heroin?

Heroin is an opioid drug that is produced from morphine, a potent addictive compound. The powder comes in different colors, but the most popularly known colors are white, black or brown.

Atypical of most addictive substances, their modes of ingestion are usually multifaceted. For some, they ingest heroin by injection, while others take heroin through smoking or swallowing. 

Heroin works in a tricky way. It tries to penetrate through areas of the brain that’s responsible for feeling pleasure and pain. 

After successfully accessing that center, it then changes the mechanism with which pain and pleasure are being felt by making the opioid substance a determiner. In the long run, the brain sees the drug as being instrumental for eliciting pleasure and numbing pain. And this, in turn, fosters dependence. 

How Is Heroin Addiction Treated?

There’s no universal cure for any drug addiction. Rather, there are powerful heroin addiction treatment options to help addicts through recovery. The particular treatment type often depends on the substance used, the individual, and the coexisting medical conditions.

The two main types of heroin use disorder treatment are pharmacological (medication) and behavioral.

Pharmacological treatment is all-encompassing of those medications needed to detox and treat the patient. Some common medications often used include buprenorphine, methadone, Naltrexone, and so on.

On the other hand, behavioral treatment involves using tested and trusted therapies like cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) to help treat addiction.

Asides from CBT, contingency management is another approach that proves effective in heroin addiction treatment. For contingency management, patients are awarded points whenever they respond positively to treatment. These points can be traded for items to promote healthy living.

Ideally, for maximum efficiency, the course of treatment should include both behavioral therapy and pharmacological treatments. Research has shown that when paired, they record a greater chance of success.

How to Get Heroin Addiction Help

Finding heroin addiction help in recent times is easier. All you need to do is contact your local drug treatment service and you will be paired with the right professionals.

On your first visit to a rehab facility, you will be asked a series of questions to determine the  best treatment plan.. some of these questions might include: how much heroin do you use daily? What is your mental health like? Are you indulging in other forms of substance abuse? Have you sought drug treatment in the past? 

At Hillside Mission, we are a luxury drug and alcohol rehab located in Orange County, South California.  We understand the struggles of heroin addiction and, as such, run a facility that offers the right treatment programs, ranging from our detox program to make your journey to heroin addiction treatment smoother.

It is imperative to note the existence of our ever proactive aftercare and alumni program that helps maintain sobriety post-recovery. 

Contact us today to help you get started on your journey to achieving freedom from heroin addiction.

Over 130 people die every day in the United States from an opioid overdose. If that doesn’t scare you enough, then maybe this will. 10.3 million people misused opioid prescriptions in one year. 

The US opioid epidemic isn’t a myth, it exists, and it is deadlier than ever! The wheels that set the US opioid crisis in motion were first rolled in the late 1990s by big pharmaceutical companies. 

In a bid to sell opioid pain relievers, pharmaceutical companies convinced the medical staff that these pain relievers weren’t addictive and would have no side effects. They were wrong because soon after doctors began to prescribe more opioids for patients, the US recorded a high prescription opioids misuse rate. 

Opioid addiction in the US would only worsen after those first few years, with more and more people falling to the power of opioid painkillers. In 2017, the US recorded its highest level of opioid addiction. Shocking, right?

Opioids Explained

Opioids are a group of drugs that are primarily used for pain-relieving purposes and anesthesia. Opioids also make people feel relaxed and happy. The drug group, generally referred to as opioids, contains the following: 

• Fentanyl 
• Heroine 
• Prescription opioids
• Oxycodone 
• Hydrocodone 
• Codeine 
• Morphine 

The side effects of using opioids include: 

• Nausea 
• Confusion 
• Constipation 
• Slow breathing 
• Drowsiness 

Opioids are very addictive. Even when used as prescription drugs, opioids are risky because the body develops a tolerance to early doses, resulting in the need for higher doses to feel the same effects.

In addition to that, opioid addiction is really difficult to kick, and this is why we have a US opioid crisis. The withdrawal symptoms alone can make someone feel like they have a very intense flu, and are best managed under professional care.

Why There Is a US Opioid Epidemic

Knowing what we know today and seeing how opioid addictions have destroyed people, why is there still an epidemic? 

Money. The sad truth is that prescription opioids bring in a lot of money for big pharma companies and the government. 

In all 50 states, prescribing opioid painkillers is legal, so there’s no way to stem the misuse of opioids, which often leads to full-blown addiction. 

Even with the National Institute of Health doing the most they can do to end this epidemic, there is still a long way to go. There’s only so much NIH and NIDA can do when prescription opiates are legal. 

How to Get Help With an Opioid Addiction

Choosing to get help is the first step toward healing, and one of the easiest decisions you’ll make in your treatment journey. 

Now, what can you do next? You need to choose a treatment center. The prevalence of addiction treatment centers in the United States has made this step an easy peasy one. You can narrow down your choices using location filters. 

Before picking a treatment center, here is a list of things to consider. 

• Location is important, especially if you need to be in a new environment
• What treatment programs they offer 
• Cost

Once you narrow down a few choices, it’s important to pick the right treatment center for you. If you know you struggle with mental illness, you’ll want to go to a treatment center with dual-diagnosis treatment. If you need detox (most opioid addicts do), you’ll want to choose a center that has detox options. 

Overcoming an opioid addiction isn’t the easiest thing to do amid a US opioid crisis, but it can be done with the help of treatment centers that care. Hillside Mission Recovery Center has got everything you need to get your life back on track. And this includes caring staff, luxurious facilities, and individualized treatment. Reach out to us today for help with your addiction.