How Do I Know if Someone is on Heroin?
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When it comes to going to rehab, a person usually has many questions. Many of these questions tend to relate to the benefits of treatment as well as what type of treatment facility is the best. Fortunately, there are clear answers to these questions. By taking a close look at specific concerns, a person can be well on his or her way to choosing the right alcohol treatment center. He or she can also be prepared to enter treatment right away, which will translate into a higher rate of effectiveness for the services rendered.
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What Are the Physical Benefits of Alcohol Rehab?
When a person is addicted to alcohol, there tends to be much physical damage endured by his or her body. One of the first effects experienced is vitamin deficiency. Because of this, many people addicted to alcohol suffer from intense fatigue as well as an extreme inability to concentrate on specific tasks. At some point, stomach problems begin. Also, because much damage is sustained by a person’s kidneys and liver, an alcoholic may notice that his or her skin has a yellow appearance. Another form of physical damage that is often accompanied with being addicted to alcohol is the development of heart disease. Unfortunately, this condition usually goes unnoticed until it becomes severe.
By attending alcohol rehab, most of the conditions mentioned above can be reversed. A treatment center provides patients with nutritious foods, helping them to heal quickly from the physical damage that was sustained to their bodies.
When first entering into an alcohol treatment facility, a patient goes through detoxification. During the detox process, constant supervision will be provided, ensuring that a safe detox is accomplished. When going through detox, it is crucial to be prepared for the withdrawal symptoms, which may or may not include:
- Extreme drowsiness
- Insomnia
- Heart palpitations
- Inability to concentrate
- Shakiness
- Tremors
- Seizures
Keep in mind that detox is not a cure for addiction. Once detox is completed, the next step is to enter a rehab program where the emotional aspects of the addiction are addressed.
What Are the Emotional Benefits of Alcohol Rehab?
Much the same as an addiction to alcohol takes a negative toll on one’s body, it also negatively affects a person’s emotions. An alcohol treatment center provides services that help a person effectively deal with his or her emotions while detoxing, and even during the first few months of recovery. Once a patient graduates from rehab, he or she can continue to receive ongoing services if he or she feels the need for them. All of this translates into a healthier, happier person, which of course increases the person’s chances of living a life free of alcohol use.
It is during rehab that a person will identify the emotional factors that caused him or her to abuse alcohol. Following this, he or she is provided with tools to handle emotional stress; thus, allowing him or her to effectively overcome alcoholism. Most alcohol rehab centers offer the following services to help patients with their emotions:
- One-on-one counseling
- Group therapy
- Recreational activities
- Nutritional programs
- Health and fitness activities
- Aftercare services
What Are the Financial Benefits of Alcohol Rehab?
Even though going to treatment usually costs quite a bit of money, in the long run, it will help a person’s finances. How is this? For starters, because a person will no longer be spending money on alcohol, money can be saved. Secondly, since the physical damage of alcoholism will be reversed, a person won’t be spending money on medical expenses related to being addicted to alcohol.
Benefits of an Exclusive Alcohol Treatment Program
Although exclusive alcohol treatment programs can be somewhat hard to come by, it is important to keep in mind that they do exist. By attending such a rehab, a person can rest assured that he or she will be receiving services that directly relate to his or her alcohol addiction. Most exclusive treatment centers do not advertise on TV, meaning they must be searched for. A great way to find an exclusive rehab is to search for one via the Internet.
An exclusive treatment center usually provides much more in-depth services than those offered through a public program. From psychodrama sessions to acupuncture to yoga, there are many benefits gained from receiving treatment through an exclusive facility.
Although addiction to alcohol is not something that someone should be ashamed of, he or she probably wants much privacy when going through treatment. An exclusive treatment center can provide this much sought-after privacy. Never will an alcohol treatment center disclose any information relating to a patient’s stay in rehab.
How to Choose an Alcohol Treatment Center
When a person goes about choosing an alcohol treatment center, a lot of research needs to be conducted. A great place to start this research is on the Internet. The treatment program that a person chooses to enter into should be operated by professionals who are licensed, certified, and well-trained in alcohol abuse treatment. The center’s website should have many references and positive testimonies from previous clients.
How to Pay for Alcohol Rehab
There are many ways to pay for alcohol rehab. Many centers accept a wide range of insurance coverage. However, if no insurance is available to pay for associated treatment expenses, there are other ways to pay for them. For example, a personal loan can be taken out to cover the costs. It is also not a bad idea to ask friends and family for their financial assistance. Much of the time, they will have no problem offering up funds for a person to receive the treatment they need to overcome their addiction to alcohol.
What Happens After Treatment is Completed?
Once a person graduates from a treatment program, he or she has two basic options to choose from. He or she can choose to live in a sober community or half-way house. Or, they can choose to return home. The problem with returning home is that many of the issues that played a role in drug abuse may still be present. If this is the case, it’s likely that the person returning home will suffer a relapse when confronted by these old triggers.
The severity of a person’s addiction to alcohol, as well as his or her response to treatment, usually determines where they should go after completing the treatment program. For those with extremely severe alcohol addiction, it is generally recommended that he or she lives in a half-way house for at least six months before returning home.
If you would like more information about alcohol treatment programs, please contact us at our toll-free number today.
Do you believe someone you know is on heroin? That question is frequently asked today, particularly when heroin addiction is a huge issue in the United States. Each day, there are harrowing stories about fatal drug overdose incidents. Here are some of the statistics.
Per the National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH), almost 20,000,000 U.S. citizens, from the age of twelve and older, struggled with substance abuse issues in 2017. Almost 40 percent of grownups struggled with illegal drug addiction in 2017. The expense for such substance abuse disorders for the whole United States’ society was over 740 billion dollars yearly in:
- Lost Workplace productivity.
- Medical care costs.
- Crime-related expenses.
And, approximately 652,000 individuals, aged twelve and older, suffered from heroin use disorders in 2017.
Legislators, law enforcement agencies, and families are looking for methods to handle the heroin catastrophe that is happening in numerous locations across the U.S. Research reveals that this drug disorder substantially increased in just one decade.
Additionally, the number of individuals who used this drug for the first time (in 2012), which is when statistics revealed the problems began, nearly doubled since 2006. What was thought of previously as a drug mainly used in city locations is now increasing alarmingly in rural areas too.
What is Heroin? And How Do Users Abuse the Drug?
Heroin is an illicit substance. It is processed from morphine, which is a naturally-occurring drug obtained from the seed pods of specific kinds of poppy plants. It normally comes in the form of a white or a brownish-colored powder. The powder is then cut (mixed) with sugars, powdered milk, starch, or quinine.
Heroin in its purest form looks like a whitish-colored powder, and tastes bitter. Users generally snort the powder. Some individuals smoke it via a pipe, while others might liquefy it and inject it by way of a needle/syringe. Another form of heroin is known as “black tar heroin”, and it is sticky and hard (with the look and feel of roofing tar & black, hard coal). Impure heroin is generally liquefied/diluted, injected into muscles, beneath one’s skin, or into the veins.
Heroin is considered one of the most addictive substances worldwide. It is characterized as an opioid and is commonly referred to using slang terms such as smack, junk, or dope. In some instances, heroin users might mix the drug with other substances such as cocaine/crack, creating a mixture that is referred to as “speedball.”
Individuals mix such drugs together because of the enhanced effect it has. Mixing heroin with another drug (like cocaine/crack) increases the peril of overdose or lasting damage to the mind and body.
What Are Some Signs You Might See that Someone is Using Heroin?
The first time someone uses heroin, they may feel euphoria. They may just feel “high”, as they would on a softer drug like marijuana, for instance.
Other early signs of this type of substance abuse are:
- They may feel like their mouth is dry.
- Their skin may appear flushed.
- They may look like they seem confused/disoriented or very sleepy, and they may even doze off.
- They may show signs of memory issues.
- They may have trouble communicating or staying involved in a conversation.
The longer someone uses heroin, the more likely that other symptoms and indications will arise. An individual who uses this substance for a longer time-frame may have issues with abscesses/boils/sores at the areas where needles have gone into or beneath the skin.
They may experience other problems such as:
- Collapsed veins
- Infections
- Constipation
- Digestion problems.
When someone uses heroin for an even longer period, more critical problems might arise, such as:
- Liver disorders or failure
- Kidney disorders or failure
- Lung problems/infections/collapsing
- Heart problems – infections (about the heart’s wall, for example).
Heroin Withdrawal Indications
An additional way you may be able to confirm whether someone you know is on heroin is to watch for indications of withdrawal. If someone uses lower amounts of the drug or stops using suddenly, his or her body may experience withdrawal symptoms. That happens because their body has become addicted to the drug and the body will react to not having the substance.
Indications of withdrawal can consist of:
- Body aches and pains
- Feeling chilly – shivering
- Bowel issues – normally loose bowels
- Nausea and vomiting
- Difficulty sleeping
- Feeling restless
- Mental/emotional problems – such as anxiety, paranoia, and depression.
Additional Ways You Can Tell If Someone You Know is On Heroin
Because this drug is one of the most addictive substances known to man, using the drug can be extremely tough to hide from others. If an individual is using heroin, you may well see paraphernalia in their room, vehicles, etc. This is especially true if he or she uses needles. You may see signs of a syringe or other pieces used for injecting medicine or other drugs. Other kinds of paraphernalia you may notice are small bowls or cotton. The little bowls are often used for dissolving heroin.
If an individual uses needles to get high, he or she could have track marks, which are typically located on the inner side of the arm or behind the knee. Sometimes, heroin users inject the drug between their toes.
Changes in behavior is another indication of heroin use. Some people start to lose interest in things they previously enjoyed doing. They appear to focus solely on the substance and nothing else. Their work or educational activities start to be less vital to them.
Individuals who use heroin may become unsociable/standoffish and may frequently engage in unlawful activities. Generally, when someone who uses heroin becomes unlawfully active, it may be so they can gather funds to support the habit. It may also be because their mental state is altered, and their judgment is not as it should be (decision-making).
Heroin Overdoses
With this kind of addictive substance, in combination with the typical indications that someone might be addicted to heroin, understanding the symptoms of an overdose is vital. When someone overdoses on this substance, they would be unconscious, and you might not be able to wake them. Their skin might appear bluish and they might be breathing in a shallow manner. Sometimes, with heroin overdoses, the user might not be breathing at all.
If you think that someone you know is on heroin and you have noticed some or all the indications of drug abuse mentioned above, contact us. Remember, someone who is addicted to heroin can recover with the right treatment program.
