Heroin Addiction in Haverhill, MA
Heroin addiction in Haverhill has grown to become a serious public health concern. The sheer number of deaths caused by an overdose on opiate drugs has increased across the state to an estimated 2,069 in 2016, up from 1,793 in the prior year. Statistics also show that the number of opioid-related overdose deaths in Haverhill has almost tripled in the years from 2012 to 2016.
If you or someone you know is caught in the grip of heroin addiction in Haverhill, the first step to regaining control of your life is to seek help in a heroin addiction rehab center.
Heroin Effects: Why is Heroin so Addictive?
Heroin is a Schedule I opiate drug synthesized from morphine molecules found in the opium poppy. When a person takes heroin, the substance binds directly to the brain's opioid receptors to switch off pain signals. The drug acts as an artificial trigger to the brain to release a surge of dopamine into the system. The user experiences the surge as a rush of euphoria, followed by a calm, relaxed, dream-like state.
The brain interprets the experience as a short-cut to achieving the body's natural reward response and stores the association of taking heroin with achieving the reward. Continued abuse over a period of time causes the brain to adapt to the presence of the drug in the system until it eventually becomes dependent on the regular use.
Over time, the brain adapts to the point where it becomes unable to naturally produce dopamine and other hormones unless it continues to receive more heroin. At this point, the user is considered physically dependent on heroin.
If the person tries to stop usage suddenly, the brain is unable to adapt to the lack of heroin in the system. As the use of heroin switches off the body's pain receptors, stopping use switches them all back on again in full force, resulting in horribly unpleasant withdrawal symptoms. At this point, the person is considered addicted.
How Is Heroin Used?
Heroin can be used in a number of ways. The powder can be inhaled through the nostrils or snorted much like cocaine, or it can be ingested and swallowed. However, the most frequently used option for administering heroin is by dissolving the powder in a small amount of liquid and injecting the substance directly into a vein.
Heroin Addiction Signs and Symptoms
There are a number of signs and symptoms of drug addiction in Haverhill to watching for, but some of the more problematic signs include:
Loss of control: A person sinking into a spiral of addiction may begin to lose control over the frequency of use and doses being taken.
Cravings: As the brain begins to adapt and grow dependent on the substance, the user may experience overwhelming compulsions, or cravings to take more of the drug.
Tolerance: Continued abuse of heroin over a period of time can cause the user to develop tolerance. The user may feel the need to take higher doses to achieve the same effects that were once reached with smaller amounts.
Withdrawal symptoms: If the user tries to stop using suddenly, it's likely that a variety of unpleasant withdrawal symptoms may emerge. In an effort to avoid the onset of symptoms, many users will continue to abuse heroin.
Who Needs to Enter a Heroin Addiction Rehab?
Anyone struggling to break free from the grip of heroin addiction in Haverhill should seek professional treatment for heroin addiction. Yet, despite the broad availability of rehab treatment facilities right across the country, many people avoid entering into treatment.
Some believe they can't afford the financial cost of getting treatment at a heroin addiction rehab center. Some think that rehab treatments only want them to change everything about who they are as individual people. Others seem to think they can just spend a couple of uncomfortable days detoxing on the sofa and then they'll somehow be cured.
The reality of treatment programs in a heroin addiction rehab center is that they can be tailored to suit each person's individual needs and financial budgets.
What many people also completely underestimate is that detox only helps break the body's physical dependency on the drug. It does nothing to address the underlying psychological triggers behind self-destructive behaviors associated with addictive drug use.
Treatment for heroin addiction begins with the detox process. A person seeking help at a heroin addiction drug rehabs in Haverhill may have the advantage of a medically-assisted detox program that may involve being prescribed treatment medications such as Suboxone or methadone.
Once the detox process is complete, structured programs to treat heroin addiction in Haverhill can begin to address the psychological side of addictive behaviors. Specific programs in treatment for heroin addiction use a combination of counseling and behavioral therapy sessions, along with group support meetings to identify the triggers behind addictive heroin use and then develop strong relapse prevention strategies designed to help the recovering person remain clean and sober over the long term. Call Haverhill Drug Rehab Centers now for help (877) 804-1531.