Many people who are addicted to heroin actually started their opioid use with a legitimate prescription for pain medication. These people come to depend on the medication’s effects, and once their prescription expires, they still have the need to use opioids. Then, they turn to heroin, which is cheap, widely available, and produces the same type of pain-relieving effects. Once someone is addicted to heroin, it is nearly impossible to overcome the addiction without professional supervision.
At Liberty Health Services, a medically supervised detox facility in Southern New Hampshire, we run a discreet individualized care facility that is family-focused. Founded by two individuals with years of experience running sober living homes, we provide detox programs for people who have made the courageous choice to seek recovery. If you are struggling with heroin addiction, Liberty Health Services provides a warm, friendly, and compassionate atmosphere that is the perfect environment for people to begin a genuine, long-lasting recovery from heroin addiction.
Short-Term and Long-Term Effects of Heroin Use
Heroin is converted to morphine once it enters the brain and rapidly attaches to opioid receptors. The pleasurable sensation users feel, known as the “rush,” is followed by a warm flushing sensation on the skin, a heaviness in the hands and feet, and a dry mouth. This may be followed by:
- Itchy skin
- Nausea and vomiting
- Drowsiness or “nodding off”
- Slowed cognitive function
- Slowed heart rate
- Diminished breathing capacity
As a person becomes addicted to heroin, they experience some of the long-term effects of heroin use. Typical long-term effects of heroin use include:
- Insomnia
- Restlessness
- Bone pain
- Muscle pain
- Leg tremors
- Cold flashes
These effects are part of the endless cycle of heroin addiction. Often, the best way for people to feel relief from this type of addiction is through an addiction treatment center.
Heroin Withdrawal Symptoms
The physiology and physical structure of the brain transforms hormonal and neuronal symptoms that can cause long-term disparities. These can have an adverse effect on one’s behavior regulation, ability to make decisions, and how one reacts to stressful situations. Add to these manifestations the physical dependence on the drug, which is followed by withdrawal symptoms as one cuts back on their use.
Withdrawal may begin within only several hours of the last time the drug was administered and peak for twenty-four to forty-eight hours, subsiding after a week or so. But there are exceptions where withdrawal signs may continue for months. Common heroin withdrawal symptoms include:
- Digestive issues
- Lack of appetite
- Dehydration
- Vomiting
- Seizures
The Heroin Detox Center at Liberty Health Services
At Liberty Health Services, our medication-assisted treatment uses Suboxone and Subutex to help you overcome painful withdrawal symptoms. Although we are a “detox only” facility, you will work with our trusted partners in aftercare programs. Each client will have access to a therapist that will work with them every day. There are both individual and family therapy programs to provide clients with all the assistance they require to stay on the path to sobriety.
It is estimated that 5% of those that abuse prescription opioid pain medication turn to heroin and that approximately 80% of heroin users have abused prescription opioids in the past. One-third of those entering treatment facilities have admitted that the first opioid they had used was heroin. No matter how you started using heroin, the heroin detox center at Liberty Health Services is ready to help you stop using heroin for good.
Start on the Road to Recovery Today at Liberty Health Services
Located in the beautiful town of Derry, New Hampshire, Liberty Health Services is a brand new drug and alcohol treatment facility run by two highly qualified and experienced individuals who take the long view to recovery. As Derry’s most well-known citizen, the poet Robert Frost, once wrote, “Two roads diverged in a wood and I — I took the one less traveled by, and that has made all the difference.”
At Liberty Health Services, our team is here to guide you through the heroin detox process. Our expert staff has the expertise and experience to help you overcome heroin withdrawal symptoms as safely and comfortably as possible. Don’t let heroin addiction have control of your life for one more day. We can be reached online or at 855.959.4521 for you to take the first step on your journey to wellness and recovery.