Heroin Addiction Treatment in Memphis

Professional Treatment for Heroin Addiction

For decades, heroin abuse, addiction, and overdose has been a steadily increasing problem in the United States. According to the National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH), nearly 950,000 reported using heroin in the U.S. in 2015. Additionally, the number of people who have reported using heroin for the first time has been on the rise since 2007, nearly doubling from 90,000 in 2006 to 170,000 in 2016.

With the rise of heroin use in the U.S., more people than ever are experiencing the negative effects of this powerful narcotic. If you or someone you love is suffering from heroin addiction, there is hope. There are many different treatment options available that can help individuals overcome heroin addiction and go on to live happy, meaningful, and sober lives. Grace Land Recovery can help you discover a unique addiction treatment plan that is tailored to you and your individual needs.

To learn more about our heroin addiction treatment in Memphis and the nearby areas, call (901) 519-2655 or contact us online today.

We Believe in Treating the Individual, Not Just the Addiction

How Does Heroin Addiction Happen?

Heroin is a highly addictive substance known as an opioid. Specifically, it is a type of naturally derived opioid known as an opiate. These drugs work by binding to opioid receptors in the brain, blocking sensations of pain and releasing high quantities of dopamine and other “feel-good” chemicals. This results in a euphoric “rush” or high and disrupts normal communication pathways in the brain.

Over time, the brain loses its ability to complete the natural processes required for the person to feel pleasure, meaning they become dependent on the drug. Heroin dependency can quickly lead to addiction, as the individual must not only use heroin to experience feelings of calm and happiness but also to fend off withdrawal symptoms, which can be extremely unpleasant.

Many people who start using heroin do so only after having previously used other, less-addictive drugs. This is because many people who chronically use less-addictive substances start to develop a tolerance to them. Eventually, they will need more powerful substances, like heroin, to get high.

Whether it is used as a last resort for individuals who cannot get high with other substances, or it is the person’s first experience with drugs, once heroin gets a grip on someone, they are at a very high risk of becoming addicted. The only way to overcome heroin addiction is to attend professional heroin addiction treatment.

What Effects Does Heroin Have on the Brain & Body?

As an opiate, heroin has many of the same properties as prescription painkillers. Like prescription opioids, heroin works by attaching itself to the opioid receptors in the brain. These receptors are responsible for regulating pain, emotions, and “reward” behaviors, which can drive addiction. By attaching itself to the pain receptors in the brain, heroin has a euphoric, pain-relieving effect on the brain and body. In many ways, heroin functions like a prescription painkiller on steroids.

The short-term effects of heroin include:

  • A euphoric “rush” or high
  • Flushing of the skin
  • Dry mouth
  • A feeling of “heaviness” in the extremities
  • Drowsiness
  • Poor cognitive functioning
  • Nausea
  • Vomiting
  • Severe itching
  • Slowed breathing

People who chronically use heroin also increase their tolerance to the substance relatively quickly. As a result, it starts to take more and more heroin to cause chronic heroin users to get high.

Some of the long-term effects of chronic heroin use include:

  • Changes in brain structure and physiology
  • Neuronal and hormonal imbalance
  • Lowered decision-making skills
  • Reduced ability to regulate emotions, behaviors, and reactions
  • Withdrawal symptoms when not using heroin

As chronic heroin users continue to increase their tolerance to the substance and continue to use more and more heroin, their dependency and level of addiction only increase. Continuously increasing the amount of heroin that one consumes also increases the chance of experiencing a heroin overdose or death. The only way to stop this dangerous cycle of heroin abuse is to attend professional heroin addiction treatment.

Signs & Symptoms of Heroin Abuse

Many of the signs and symptoms of heroin abuse develop quickly and continue to progress. Typically, the more severe the signs and symptoms of heroin abuse are, the more severe the heroin addiction.

It’s important to note that the signs and symptoms of heroin abuse are primarily physical or behavioral. With that in mind, here are some of the most common signs of heroin abuse and addiction:

  • Illicit behavior centered around heroin (e.g., receiving a DUI due to heroin use, stealing, etc.)
  • Problems with personal relationships at home
  • Diminished bodily and/or cognitive function
  • Poor personal appearance due to lack of proper hygiene
  • Problems at work or school
  • Loss of interest in favorite hobbies
  • Needing to increase heroin doses to feel its effects
  • Engaging in risky behaviors
  • Spending significant time obtaining, using, or recovering from heroin

Someone who is using heroin may become increasingly secretive or may start spending time with new groups of people. They may lose interest in activities they once enjoyed and will likely experience numerous problems in their relationships with others. A definite sign of heroin addiction is a compulsive desire to continue using heroin despite the negative effects it has had in the person’s life.

Signs of Heroin Overdose

Many people have lost their lives to heroin overdose. While heroin overdoses are often deadly, they can be managed. The first step to effectively preventing heroin overdose death is to know the signs that someone has overdosed.

Some of the signs of heroin overdose include:

  • Shallow breathing
  • Very pale skin
  • Low blood pressure
  • Blue tint on lips and fingertips
  • Unresponsiveness to stimuli

If you notice someone showing these signs, call 911 immediately. You should also try to keep the person awake. Turning the person that is suffering from a heroin overdose on his or her side can help the individual continue breathing.

Heroin Withdrawal Symptoms

Heroin withdrawal symptoms can be quite severe. As a result, many people who are dependent on heroin are unable to stop using the drug without professional treatment.

Some common heroin withdrawal symptoms include:

  • High blood pressure
  • Rapid heart rate
  • Breathing issues
  • Auditory and visual hallucinations
  • Severe cramping
  • Body tremors and convulsions
  • Nausea and/or vomiting
  • Psychosis

In many cases, it is not safe for a person who is addicted to heroin to suddenly discontinue use, as this can lead to potentially life-threatening complications. Instead, supervised heroin detox is recommended so that individuals may have the 24-hour support they need, as well as appropriate medications to ease withdrawal symptoms and improve the chance of a successful recovery.

Heroin Detox

Those who suffer from heroin addiction almost always need to attend medical detox prior to attending heroin addiction treatment. To ensure that heroin detox is effective, it’s important to choose a detox program that is supervised by a medical staff. If the heroin withdrawal symptoms become too overwhelming, the medical staff will be there to provide medication-assisted treatment.

If your heroin addiction is severe, it might be best to slowly decrease or taper off your heroin use while you are in detox until you reach sobriety. This prevents the body from going into shock when it no longer has the substances it used to depend on.

How Is Heroin Addiction Treated?

Once a person completes heroin detox, the next step in the recovery process is heroin addiction treatment. Heroin addiction treatment provides recovering heroin addicts with the opportunity to work with a therapist on one primary goal: addressing the underlying causes of addiction.

Determining the underlying causes of heroin addiction is critical to a person’s overall success in recovery. At Grace Land Recovery, we believe in treating the root of the issue by looking at what compels people to begin using heroin and developing effective strategies to manage and cope with these underlying causes. With the use of healthy coping skills, recovering heroin addicts can manage addiction and cravings even in the face of triggers. In other words, these coping skills can help recovering individuals avoid relapse.

Residential Heroin Addiction Treatment

Residential heroin addiction programs require the individual to live fulltime at the treatment facility. During residential heroin addiction treatment, individuals will undergo both individual therapy and group counseling. When not in counseling, residential heroin addiction treatment patients can enjoy the amenities provided by the residential treatment center.

Outpatient Heroin Addiction Treatment

For some people, residential treatment is not possible. In some cases, outpatient treatment may be an appropriate alternative. People who attend outpatient therapy for heroin addiction must report for pre-scheduled therapy appointments at a rehab center. When not attending these pre-scheduled appointments, heroin outpatient addiction treatment patients get to live in their own homes. The amount of time that a recovering heroin addict must invest in individual outpatient therapy for heroin addiction depends on the type of outpatient treatment program that he or she is in.

Outpatient treatment options include:

Patients attending each type of outpatient treatment program for heroin addiction should continue to seek addiction treatment once their programs are over if they still feel as if their sobriety isn’t secure.

At Grace Land Recovery, we offer a range of personalized outpatient addiction treatment services, including general outpatient treatment, intensive outpatient treatment, and partial hospitalization. We also offer aftercare to help our clients continue in their journey to sobriety. Our goal is to be there for you every step of the way, providing the support and care you need to heal.

Caring for the Whole Person

At Grace Land Recovery, we offer a whole-person approach to heroin addiction treatment in Memphis and the surrounding areas. This means we focus not just on the addiction itself but also on underlying trauma, co-occurring mental and/or behavioral health disorders, and other related issues in the individual’s life. As a dual-diagnosis facility, we understand the relationship between addiction and one’s overall physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual health.

Heroin addiction is a serious and complex disease, but there is hope for those who are struggling. To learn more about our heroin addiction treatment program and how we can help you or your loved one heal, reach out to Grace Land Recovery today.

Call (901) 519-2655 or contact us online to get started.

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Our mission is to help individuals achieve sobriety by getting to the root of their addiction issues. We also aim to treat the minds, bodies, and souls of our patients.

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