We’ve all heard it said: addiction knows no boundaries. This means addiction can affect anyone of us, in many forms. One of the most common types of addiction is heroin addiction. A significant factor in the growing opioid crisis, heroin is highly popular and highly addictive. The good news is, however, that heroin addiction is treatable and can be overcome with proper treatment and proper rehabilitation. A key to overcoming addiction of any kind is learning more about it and how it came to become an addiction. Read on to learn more about heroin addiction, why it’s so common, and how Ocean Hills Recovery, heroin rehab in Dana Point, can help
How Does Heroin Work?
Heroin is highly addictive for many reasons. It has many factors that are highly addictive to the brain, the first being that it has an almost immediate and rapid process of entering the brain. It works with the pain and pleasure points in the brain, working to essentially numb pain and produce feelings of bliss and euphoria – again, almost immediately.[1]
However, heroin can become addictive after even just one use. This is because heroin enters the brain rapidly; it also exits quickly, causing a fast decline from the high that heroin provides. This makes it so that the user almost instantly wants to use it again to both prevent and avoid the adverse effects of coming down and also to get back to the same level of euphoria of the high. This creates a vicious cycle that is heroin addiction.
What Are the Negative Effects of Heroin?
Heroin’s adverse and dangerous effects far outweigh the fleeting effects the high gives a user. The first adverse effects are felt when coming down from a high, which contributes to a person wanting to use it again. These effects include nausea, vomiting, headache, slow mental function, fatigue, dry mouth, and more.[1] In addition, an intense craving for heroin can occur after just one use.
These are only the short-term effects of heroin. In the long-term, heroin can be detrimental and incredibly harmful. Heroin addiction can lead to liver or kidney disease, collapsed veins, infection of the heart, and much more.[2] Also, due to the shared use of needles to inject heroin, HIV is extremely high on the list of heroin risk factors, along with many dangerous infections that come from using dirty or shared needles to inject the drug. The most significant long-term effect of heroin, unfortunately, is a death from a heroin overdose – in 2018, nearly 15,000 people died from a heroin overdose in the U.S. alone.[2]
Heroin addiction can sneak up on a person. Heroin addiction can start with gateway drugs, especially other opioids, often misused after having been prescribed – in fact, 80 perfect of heroin users first misused prescription opioids.[3] As previously mentioned, heroin can be addictive after just one use, meaning it’s incredibly hard to just “try.” It’s essential to know how addictive heroin can be before getting into the drug.
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How Do I Overcome Heroin Addiction?
The good news is, if you do struggle with a heroin addiction, you can get help. Heroin detox and recovery can be incredibly difficult and even dangerous for a person’s health, which is a big part of why many heroin users are afraid to quit: detox can feel very daunting. Symptoms from heroin withdrawals can include nausea, vomiting, shaking, sweating, restlessness, anger, depression, and more. These symptoms almost always provoke a severe craving for heroin, which makes the process even harder.
However, detoxing in a safe and helpful environment can make the process much more manageable and comfortable. The professionals at a detox and treatment center can help a person who is struggling with heroin addiction to detox with a process that is safe and tailored directly to the individual. Our programs include a combination of therapy and medication, as well as the benefit of being around other individuals who are walking through the same process.
How Can Heroin Rehab in Dana Point Help Me Overcome My Heroin Addiction?
At our heroin rehab in Dana Point, our highly-trained professionals are passionate about helping those who suffer from addiction to recover and get back to a healthy, happy life. Ocean Hills Recovery has many different therapy and treatment options. Multiple treatment options allow for each person’s rehabilitation process to be customized to be the best fit for them. Some of these options include inpatient treatment, outpatient treatment, and even sober living facilities where you can learn to transition from rehabilitation into daily life again.
At Ocean Hills Recovery, we focus on community and fellowship. When going through recovery for drug addiction, it is vitally important to surround yourself with a support system, and one of the best ways to find this support system is by meeting other people who are going through the same process. We focus on a fun and exciting environment in which you can feel both comfortable, at home, and entertained during your recovery.
Contact Ocean Hills Recovery, Heroin Rehab in Dana Point Today
If you’re looking to start your rehabilitation journey and to start a new, happier, healthier life, contact one of the professionals at Dana Point today. We would love to join you and support you in your recovery process!
SOURCES:
[1] “Heroin Overdose Data.” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 19 Mar. 2020, www.cdc.gov/drugoverdose/data/heroin.html.
[2] National Institute on Drug Abuse. “Heroin DrugFacts.” National Institute on Drug Abuse, 16 June 2020, www.drugabuse.gov/publications/drugfacts/heroin.
[3] National Institute on Drug Abuse. “Opioids.” National Institute on Drug Abuse, 11 June 2020, www.drugabuse.gov/drug-topics/opioids.
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