Heroin addiction can be a difficult topic to bring up, even with someone you love. People with an addiction may not always be honest—even to themselves—about their substance use disorder and can even be unaware of how out of control they are. However, a conversation about heroin addiction can be lifesaving. Consider bringing up heroin detox programs. In Ohio, you can contact Midwest Detox Center by calling 833.647.0392.
If you suspect that someone you love is addicted to heroin, pay attention to their physical characteristics, lifestyle habits, and their home. There will be signs and symptoms of heroin detox—you just have to look for them. Identifying these signs could be the first step in supporting your loved one’s recovery from addiction.
Signs of Heroin Addiction
Heroin addiction could be hard to identify when it first starts. However, over time it becomes easier because the addiction begins to take over a person’s life.
First, learn to recognize the paraphernalia that heroin addicts use to take their doses. Heroin can be smoked, snorted, or injected. Look for spoons, pipes, needles, rubber tubing, elastic bands, and lighters at your loved one’s home. If you come across a powder and crumbly substance – white, off-white, brown, or black – that could be heroin. However, black tar heroin is a black and sticky substance.
Behavior and lifestyle changes usually accompany heroin addiction. Heroin injections will leave needle marks, so many addicts will wear long-sleeved clothing to hide them. Social isolation is also common because addicts could be worried that their addiction will be discovered by family, friends, and co-workers. People with a heroin addiction could also have trouble maintaining their personal hygiene and health.
Physical symptoms of heroin addiction include:
- Constipation, nausea, and vomiting
- Constricted pupils
- Dry mouth and slow breathing
- Falling asleep suddenly
- Feelings of heaviness
- Flushed skin and itching
- Memory loss, confused thinking, and disorientation
- Problems with self-control and difficulty making decisions
What to Expect From a Heroin Detox Center
As someone becomes dependent on heroin, their body gets used to the chemical interference in how their brain functions. When addiction goes on for a long time, an addict will need more heroin to get that euphoric high. Once they stop using heroin, the body will react to the lack of the substance in it and withdrawal symptoms will occur within 12 hours after last use.
Common heroin withdrawal symptoms include:
- Agitation and nervousness
- Anxiety and depression
- Diarrhea and abdominal pain
- Heroin cravings
- Nausea and vomiting
- Muscle spasms and shaking
- Sweating
At heroin detox programs, medical experts can recommend using certain medications to address some withdrawal symptoms – in particular, to reduce drug cravings. The medication-assisted treatment (MAT) patients receive in heroin detox centers can help them get through life-threatening withdrawal symptoms and avoid relapse. It can also allow patients to be more comfortable and more focused on maintaining their sobriety.
What Comes After Heroin Detox
Every patient’s recovery journey is unique. However, there are some common elements – like having detox as the first step. Upon admission, a patient will be assessed and evaluated by the medical team. The information gathers will be used to create personalized detox and treatment plan. After a patient’s body is stabilized and drugs are flushed from it, many medical teams will encourage transitioning to a heroin addiction treatment program.
In heroin addiction treatment programs, patients will have therapy sessions individually and with a group of peers. The latter often takes some getting used to but can be comforting and helpful for people with no social support network to get them through their addiction recovery.
Once a patient is ready to go back to their life outside a treatment facility, they will receive a rehab aftercare program that will include a relapse prevention plan and some support group suggestions.
Learn More About Midwest Detox Center’s Heroin Addiction Treatment Program
Heroin is a powerful and highly addictive drug. Heroin addiction recovery shouldn’t be a path someone walks alone. If you or someone you care about is looking for heroin detox programs in Ohio, contact Midwest Detox Center online or call 833.647.0392 to find out more about our medical team and the programs we offer.
