Every year sees an increase in the number of people dependent on heroin. A CDC report indicates that in 2013, 8200 American citizens died as a result of overdose of heroin. When compared to the figures for 2002, this was a 400 percent in increase. The most affected group of people are those between 18 and 25. Addicts are also commonly addicts of prescription opioid drugs.
Given the high rate of addiction, many centers for treating addiction have been established to offer help to those who need it. When one visits a heroin treatment center, the first thing to be done is detoxification. Detox is done under the careful supervision of a physician to ensure that proper results are achieved. The full treatment involves the use of a wide range of strategies, which include therapy, support groups, medication, and lifestyle changes.
It can be a very long and painful process to withdraw from an addiction. Certain factors which include severity of addiction and chemical change done to the brain determine how long one needs to withdraw from an addiction completely. The process is usually uncomfortable although certain medications can be prescribed to ease the discomfort. With the medications prescribed, the body adjusts gradually to functioning without the substance.
Heroin is one of the opiate drugs. Thus, it works through suppression of some functions of the central nervous system, which include heart rate, blood pressure, temperature regulation, and respiration. When consumed, this chemical increases the amount of chemicals in the brain that cause pleasure in the body by clinging to opioid receptors. A rush of pleasure thus occurs.
How painful the withdrawal process is determined by how dependent the brain is to the substance. It also depends on how much chemical change has occurred to the brain as a result of the addiction. For those who had a mild addiction, the symptoms they experience include sweats, chills, nausea, excessive yawning, abdominal cramps, bone and muscle aches, and tearing. Those with moderate addiction experience diarrhea, tremors, fatigue, goose bumps, restlessness, agitation, vomiting, and lack of focus.
Severe withdrawal symptoms are caused by severe addiction. Some of the symptoms include hypertension, impaired respiration, anxiety, drug cravings, depression, muscle spasms, and insomnia. Usually, the process of withdrawing in itself is not life-threatening, but associated psychological and medical symptoms are. Suicide is a common risk among depressed addicts. As such, withdrawal must be supervised by a doctor.
In order to assist people with different needs with their withdrawal, various medications are in production. Naltrexone, Buprenorphine, and Methadone are some of the medications in common use today. Methadone acts slowly and is an opioid agonist. This substance is taken by swallowing so that it can dampen the ecstasy that one feels after using heroin. The medication simultaneously prevents any associated withdrawal symptoms. This drug has been in use since the 60s and if highly effective. When other medications fail, Methadone works.
Buprenorphine is one of the partial opioid agonists available in the market. Its mode of action involves relieving drug cravings and in addition, it does not have any life-threatening side effects similar to other opioids. The mode of taking is oral or sublingual.
Given the high rate of addiction, many centers for treating addiction have been established to offer help to those who need it. When one visits a heroin treatment center, the first thing to be done is detoxification. Detox is done under the careful supervision of a physician to ensure that proper results are achieved. The full treatment involves the use of a wide range of strategies, which include therapy, support groups, medication, and lifestyle changes.
It can be a very long and painful process to withdraw from an addiction. Certain factors which include severity of addiction and chemical change done to the brain determine how long one needs to withdraw from an addiction completely. The process is usually uncomfortable although certain medications can be prescribed to ease the discomfort. With the medications prescribed, the body adjusts gradually to functioning without the substance.
Heroin is one of the opiate drugs. Thus, it works through suppression of some functions of the central nervous system, which include heart rate, blood pressure, temperature regulation, and respiration. When consumed, this chemical increases the amount of chemicals in the brain that cause pleasure in the body by clinging to opioid receptors. A rush of pleasure thus occurs.
How painful the withdrawal process is determined by how dependent the brain is to the substance. It also depends on how much chemical change has occurred to the brain as a result of the addiction. For those who had a mild addiction, the symptoms they experience include sweats, chills, nausea, excessive yawning, abdominal cramps, bone and muscle aches, and tearing. Those with moderate addiction experience diarrhea, tremors, fatigue, goose bumps, restlessness, agitation, vomiting, and lack of focus.
Severe withdrawal symptoms are caused by severe addiction. Some of the symptoms include hypertension, impaired respiration, anxiety, drug cravings, depression, muscle spasms, and insomnia. Usually, the process of withdrawing in itself is not life-threatening, but associated psychological and medical symptoms are. Suicide is a common risk among depressed addicts. As such, withdrawal must be supervised by a doctor.
In order to assist people with different needs with their withdrawal, various medications are in production. Naltrexone, Buprenorphine, and Methadone are some of the medications in common use today. Methadone acts slowly and is an opioid agonist. This substance is taken by swallowing so that it can dampen the ecstasy that one feels after using heroin. The medication simultaneously prevents any associated withdrawal symptoms. This drug has been in use since the 60s and if highly effective. When other medications fail, Methadone works.
Buprenorphine is one of the partial opioid agonists available in the market. Its mode of action involves relieving drug cravings and in addition, it does not have any life-threatening side effects similar to other opioids. The mode of taking is oral or sublingual.
About the Author:
Get a summary of the things to keep in mind when picking a heroin treatment center and more information about a reputable center at http://foundationmedicalgroup.org now.
Nenhum comentário:
Postar um comentário