Beach House Center for Recovery is among Florida’s leading addiction recovery facilities. We offer comprehensive, compassionate treatment for a variety of substance use disorders, including heroin. We offer personalized care for a diverse population of patients at our state-of-the-art addiction treatment campus.
What is Heroin Addiction?
Heroin is a Schedule I substance with a well-deserved reputation for being amongst the most dangerous, addictive, and potentially fatal narcotics. It is an opioid derived from morphine, a non-synthetic substance made from the seeds of the Asian poppy.
Heroin, like all opioids, attaches to the opioid receptors involved in the pain and pleasure responses. It also interferes with the receptors that control breathing and the heart rate.
Heroin addiction can lead to devastating personal consequences for the following reasons:
- Heroin affects respiratory and cardiac function, effectively slowing or stopping the heart or inhibiting breathing.
- Non-fatal heroin overdose can impede oxygen delivery to the brain’s frontal lobe, which can affect emotional control, delay reaction time, impair functional memory, and impede problem-solving abilities, all of which can cause difficulty performing basic tasks and maintaining employment.
- Additives in illicit heroin might contain substances that can inhibit blood delivery to the major organs, causing cell death.
- Intravenous heroin consumption presents a high risk of infection and serious chronic illnesses like HIV and hepatitis.
- Snorting heroin (nasal insufflation) can cause irreparable damage to the nasal mucosal tissues, perforating the nasal septum, destabilizing the nose, and leading to the collapse of the nasal valve.
Signs and Symptoms of Heroin Addiction
Like most opioids, heroin has an extremely high potential for addiction and dependency. Signs a loved one might be struggling with heroin addiction include the following:
- Possession of drug paraphernalia (narcotics, syringes, burned spoons, foil squares, glass pipes)
- Behavioral changes
- Money or valuables missing
- Needle marks on the body
- Arrests or conflicts with the law
- A tendency to lie or keep secrets
- Neglecting personal hygiene
- Social isolation or withdrawal from family/friends
- Sudden weight loss or weight gain
- Dramatic changes in mood
Heroin addiction progresses to heroin dependency quickly. When a person is dependent upon heroin, they cannot cease consuming the drug for fear of experiencing crippling physical withdrawal symptoms. These symptoms include the following:
- Intense pain in the muscles and bones
- Nausea and vomiting
- Sleep disruptions
- Tremors
- Chills
- Muscle spasms
- Hallucinations
- Paranoia
The intensity and duration of heroin withdrawal symptoms can increase in proportion to the length of the addiction and volume of the heroin use. Withdrawal from heroin addiction isn’t considered as potentially life-threatening as abruptly quitting substances like alcohol or benzodiazepines. However, untreated complications such as severe vomiting, diarrhea or dehydration can lead to a medical crisis if cessation is attempted alone. A medically assisted detoxification process dramatically minimizes medical risks and discomfort.
Beach House Center for Recovery: Our Heroin Rehab Approach
Beach House Center for Recovery is among the nation’s leading substance use disorder treatment facilities, offering personalized, patient-focused programs. We offer continual medical monitoring assuring a safe detoxification process that we make as comfortable as possible. Additionally, we provide specialized holistic treatments and services, including bio-bed biosound therapy, massage therapy, yoga, and meditation. With our low patient-to-therapist ratio and our alumni program, we provide the dedicated support necessary to achieve the best possible long-term outcomes after the inpatient recovery process ends.
We are proud to be at the forefront of the latest innovations in addiction treatment. Under the appropriate supervision and with dedicated, ongoing support, Medication-Assisted Treatment (MAT) offers many patients a highly effective addiction solution that can significantly lower the likelihood of reusing heroin. At Beach House, we believe the opposite of addiction is love and connection. Learn to love yourself again, discover the powerful connections within the recovery community, and find freedom from addiction. For additional information, contact our compassionate and helpful admissions counselors today.
