When using opioids, anyone can become addicted. It’s impossible to know who will become dependent or abuse opioids, but personal history and the extend of opioid and heroin misuse play a large role.
A hallmark of addiction is the gradual transformation of a once-rewarding activity into a necessity. Medical professionals agree on a few key characteristics of drug addiction: a persistent desire to use drugs despite negative effects, a lack of control over one’s drug use, and a reluctance to cut down or stop altogether. Because they stimulate the brain’s reward circuitry, opioids can quickly become habit forming.
Opioids cause your brain to produce endorphins, which are the body’s natural “feel good” chemicals. While only short-lived, the effects of endorphins on pain perception and pleasure are profound. As the effects of an opioid wear off, you may find yourself yearning for them once more. You’ve now passed the first major threshold on the road to possible addiction. South Africa is home to a burgeoning population of recovering addicts, counsellors, and specialists, making it an excellent setting for drug rehabilitation centres. Get in touch with us for more information on our South Africa treatment centre.
In this article, we discuss heroin and opioid addiction treatment, we also discover how Recovery Centre at White River can help you find freedom from your addiction.
We offer world-class heroin and opioids addiction treatment in South Africa at affordable prices.
Heroin, like morphine, is derived from the opium poppy plant. However, heroin is far more potent than morphine. Once in the brain, heroin binds to opioid receptors, affecting pain perception, pleasure, heart rate, sleep, and breathing.
Prescription opioids such as OxyContin® and Vicodin® produce similar effects to heroin. Research shows that misuse of these medications often leads to heroin use.
Heroin has powerful and highly addictive properties. People who use heroin frequently develop a tolerance, requiring larger and/or more frequent doses to achieve the same effect.
A substance use disorder (SUD) occurs when drug use becomes chronic and causes problems in health, work, family, or education. Addiction is the most severe form of SUD, requiring specialised opioid addiction treatment.
One of the most addictive substances on the market is heroin. No one uses heroin with the intention of getting addicted, but many users soon discover that they need it to feel normal. Heroin usage can be difficult to spot, and many users are skilled at concealing their use. Although heroin usage is often indicated by needle or “track” marks, new users rarely inject the drug.
Some indications of heroin abuse include:
- Eyes that are red
- Pupils that are narrow and “pinpoint”
- Unexpected weight loss
- Secretive behaviour
- Drastic changes in appearance
- A lack of drive and motivation
- Extreme tiredness or sleepiness
- Money issues
People are frequently successful at hiding their drug addiction while an opioid use disorder is in its early stages. However, with time, some indications of abuse start to appear in their life. Despite the fact that the precise indications of abuse vary depending on the opioid being used, the following are some typical signs:
- Lying about one’s pain to obtain an opioid prescription
- Making appointments with several different physicians to obtain several opioid prescriptions
- Unjustified absences and poor work performance
- Excluding oneself from friends and family
- Stealing prescription drugs from others
It takes a long time to recover from a substance use disorder. It entails giving up drugs and making a commitment to altering the behaviours that led to your drug usage during heroin addiction treatment.
The most effective method of treating drug addiction is by combining various therapies that have been customised to meet your unique needs. As part of our heroin addiction treatment at White River Recovery Centre, we provide individual counselling, support groups, and family programmes in addition to experiential therapy.
Buprenorphine and methadone are two drugs that can be used to help people stop using heroin as part of heroin addiction treatment. They function by weakly attaching to the same opioid receptors as heroin in the brain, which lessens cravings and withdrawal symptoms.
Cognitive-behavioural therapy and contingency management are two behavioural therapies for heroin addiction. The patient’s expectations and actions around drug usage can be changed through cognitive-behavioural therapy, which also helps the patient handle stress and triggers. Our skilled multidisciplinary team and compassionate personnel are here to help you achieve mental, physical, and spiritual balance. The individualised programme and treatment plan at a rehab center will be created based on your unique requirements to help you recognise the detrimental thought patterns and emotions that could lead to hazardous behaviour. You can be certain of success by substituting problematic coping mechanisms with trusted therapeutic tools.
You might also be interested in these other articles, love addiction treatment south africa and weed addiction treatment South Africa.
What is the connection between prescription drugs and heroin?
Hydrocodone, oxycodone, morphine, and methadone are examples of the group of prescription painkillers known as opioids. Four out of five people who use heroin began by abusing prescription opioid painkillers, which are in the same class of substances as heroin.
How does heroin affect the brain and nervous system?
When heroin is used, the central nervous system, heart rate, and breathing rate all slow down, impairing brain function. This decline in functionality can result in death in overdose cases. Opioid receptors are present in the brain naturally and play a role in respiration, pain perception, emotion, and reward.
