Nearly a million Americans use heroin every year. As the use of this potent but illicit drug increases, so do the negative impacts on family and community. Once confined to cities and urban areas, heroin is finding its way into suburban and rural communities. States like New York, New Jersey, and Illinois all experience heroin overdose deaths in the thousands every year. Yet unlikely states such as Wisconsin, North Carolina, Ohio, and Michigan have all seen a rising death toll from heroin and other opioid abuse. This is why now more than ever, individuals need assistance to overcome heroin addiction. Our heroin rehab center near Hillsboro knows the dangers of heroin. Yet it also knows the most effective treatments to help set people free of addiction.
How Heroin Addiction Develops
What is it that makes heroin so addictive, you may wonder. As an opioid, heroin binds to the brain’s chemical receptors responsible for the release of dopamine. The temporary rush of the chemical throughout the body causes the initial high users experience. But as a painkiller, the drug dampens the brain’s ability to register pain. Thus, heroin users appear groggy or drowsy and are typically unable to communicate while experiencing the drug’s effect.
Unfortunately, taking the drug repeatedly over time leads to the brain reducing natural dopamine production. An individual’s brain chemistry becomes dependent upon the drug. Thus, addiction forms. With heroin, this process is almost instantaneous and routinely results from a single use. This change in brain chemistry is the disease of addiction. Heroin users end up having to take stronger doses and/or use more frequently to maintain the level of dopamine needed to avoid withdrawal symptoms.
In the throes of addiction, individuals will take risky actions and make dangerous decisions. For many Americans, opioid use disorder springing from the misuse of prescription painkillers can lead to heroin use. Because heroin is cheap and readily available, the dependence developed for painkillers is met with heroin. Unfortunately, this merely substitutes one addiction for another, more severe one. Without proper support, it is unlikely an individual will be able to break away from heroin addiction on their own. Crestview Recovery’s team of experts at our heroin rehab center, located conveniently near Hillsboro, has the necessary resources and experience to help break addiction’s hold.
Finding Treatment at a Heroin Rehab Center Near Hillsboro
For many struggling with heroin addiction, the first step is medically supervised detox. This is the process of getting the drug out of an individual’s system. Heroin withdrawal symptoms can be severe and, if unmonitored, life-threatening. For instance, some common withdrawal symptoms include:
- Nausea
- Sweats and chills
- Vomiting
- Diarrhea
- Tremors
- Fatigue and insomnia
- High blood pressure (hypertension)
- Increased heart rate (arrhythmia)
- Seizures
- Hallucinations
- Slowed breathing
The severity of these withdrawal symptoms will vary from individual to individual. However, without supervision, individuals put themselves at increased risk of relapse and overdose.
Once an individual completes detox, they can focus on their treatment. At Crestview Recovery, we work with clients to build the right program of treatment right for them. Because no one experiences recovery in the same way, each person needs to develop treatments to fit their unique needs. Therefore, our heroin rehab center offers a variety of therapies to give clients the best chance at recovery. A couple of our programs are:
- 12 Step Recovery: Based on the familiar and successful program created by Alcoholics Anonymous, 12 Step recovery has been adapted for use in treating a variety of substances such as heroin addiction.
- Dual Diagnosis: Often, individuals begin using heroin due to an underlying mental health issue. Using the drug is a kind of self-medicating. Thus, to overcome addiction, both the mental health issue and drug use must be treated at the same time.
We also offer traditional Individual, Group, and Family Therapy.
Crestview Recovery
Overcoming heroin addiction is a struggle. Yet, with the right support, it can be done. Crestview Recovery’s heroin rehab center near Hillsboro provides the compassionate staff, and experienced experts needed to help clients beat addiction. Our treatment programs meet clients where they are in the recovery process to help them advance. We offer:
- Residential Treatment
- Intensive Outpatient Programs (IOP)
- Partial Hospitalization Programs (PHP)
- Extended Care
- Aftercare
Heroin doesn’t have to dominate your life. If you or a loved one is struggling with heroin addiction, help is available. So, contact our heroin rehab center at 866.262.0531 to take the first step towards recovery.
Since 2016, Dr. Merle Williamson, a graduate of Oregon Health Sciences University, has been the Medical Director at Crestview Recovery, bringing a rich background in addiction medicine from his time at Hazelden Treatment Center. He oversees outpatient drug and alcohol treatments, providing medical care, setting policies, detox protocols, and quality assurance measures. Before specializing in addiction medicine, he spent 25 years in anesthesiology, serving as Chair of Hospital Pharmacy and Therapeutics Committee and Chief of Anesthesia at Kaiser Permanente. This experience gives him a unique perspective on treating prescription drug addiction.