Heroin Withdrawal Case Study

Once someone enters treatment, there are a number of addiction recovery options that they may be given. Since every addiction is different, patients are given the unique blend of treatment options that work best for their circumstance. Most patients will need to start by going into a detox program. Afterward, rehab may include options like counseling, peer support and relapse prevention.

There are a variety of treatment modalities, both conservative and emerging, that clinicians, therapists, and doctors use to treat heroin and opioid dependence. Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), motivational interviewing (MI), 12 step programs, and acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) are just a few that have been used in the past, and even today, in the treatment of substance dependence. Medication-assisted treatment (MAT) is yet another form of therapy; particularly for opioid and heroin dependence, that has been around for decades. However, it has recently begun to spark interest and controversy in light of the growing epidemic.

As we learned in class last week, victimless crime can be one of many things. Victimless crime is defined as a crime taking place where there are no harmful injuries done from one person to another. Instead, the damage being done is committed by the individual who is committing the crime. Some examples of a victimless crime are, Drug use, prostitution, gambling, suicide, traffic citations and trespassing.

After prolonged use, the body becomes physically reliant; the long-term effects of this addiction are synonymous with withdrawal symptoms. Opioid withdrawal is especially difficult since they moderate dopamine; once use is reduced or put to an end, the induced euphoria is as well, and the pleasure centers are often left impaired (Tigerin Peare and drugfreeworld.com). Additionally, one can suffer from restlessness, muscle and bone pain, insomnia, diarrhea, vomiting, and cold flashes, often coinciding with

Heroin addiction is one of the leading killers of adolescents and adults in the United States. In recent years, addiction has skyrocketed, and “the rate of heroin-related overdose deaths increased by 286 percent between 2002 and 2013.” In 2002, “100 people per 100,000 were addicted to heroin, and that number has doubled by 2013” (The National Institute on Drug Abuse 2013). The most affected populations include low income males, adolescents, and those who have a family history of addiction, due to their increased susceptibility and crime-ridden environment. While it may seem as though heroin addiction is “just another drug problem” in the U.S., it is actually a problem of major public health importance because there are numerous physical, economic, and social risks associated with heroin dependence. Heroin dependence in the United States accounts for brain damage, increased homelessness, crime, and incarceration rates, as well as economic decline.

THESIS STATEMENT: To investigate Methadone maintenance is found to be more effective in treating heroin addiction than 180 day detoxification. The objective is how methadone maintenance, a widely used but controversial method of weaning heroin addicts off the drug—with counseling has psychosocially enriched 180 day methadone assisted detoxification.

Heroin provides a rush feeling in the brain which is can be accompanied by the following symptoms; a warm flushing of the skin, a dry mouth, and a heavy feeling in the extremities. The following side effects often present themselves nausea, vomiting and severe itching. After the initial effects of heroin have faded, abusers will be drowsy for several hours. With heroin the individual's mental function is often clouded because of the drugs effect on the central nervous system. Long term abuse of the drug can result in respiratory and cardiac functions slowing this are often the cause of death in heroin

Post acute withdrawal syndrome happens after detox and the duration can last for days, weeks, and/or months. Detox usually last about 5-7 days and that involves the extreme dope sickness. The syndrome’s symptoms include the inability to think clearly, memory problems, emotional overreactions, sleep disturbances, and depression. I have always heard that the major reason that people relapse is because of the dope sickness. Scott Farnum stated

Recognizing that help is need is the first step toward sobriety. Once addicts realize that they need help, the next challenge is finding a New Haven heroin rehab center that suits their personal needs. While there are many treatment centers available, addicts and alcoholics need to find the right one if they want to recover. From looking for family programs to dual diagnosis treatment, the right treatment center will offer individualized treatment options that can be modified for each patient.

Behavioral Healthcare professionals are likely to encounter individuals with substance use disorders (SUDs). These are highly prevalent and often co-occur with Mental Health Disorders. SUDs affect vital areas of life, such as physical, emotional, and behavioral functioning. Recovery from addiction is a long a road with highs and lows, however having a strong support system makes facing these challenges manageable. Addiction support groups gives the person a safe place to discuss these challenges while maintaining sobriety. They offer invaluable education, guidance, and the encouragement the patient needs to succeed in living a healthier lifestyle.

Symptoms of opioid withdrawal can be very uncomfortable, which can encourage people to continue taking opioid drugs as a way to avoid the side effects. Other people may believe that they can successfully go through the withdrawal process on their own at home, but this is very

For example, the National Institute on Drug Abuse leads the nation in scientific research on the health aspects of drug abuse and addiction. The Addiction Services Council is another clearinghouse for resources. Treatment programs include the Urban Minority Alcoholism and Drug Abuse Outreach Program, Talbert House, and the Central Community Health Board. Most important, the addict needs to take the first step of recovery by admitting powerlessness over addiction and having unmanageable lives. Also, Narcotics Anonymous (N.A.), a self-help and 12-step program for addicts, provides ongoing support ( ). N.A. can help addicts maintain good quality abstinence, deal with drug cravings and other triggers, and discontinue associating with drug-related people, places, and things. NarAnon Family Groups is a self-help and 12-step program for addicts’ families and friends. NarAnon helps significant others to discontinue enabling behaviors. Enabling is shield addicts from the consequences of their negative behaviors. The support group teaches loved ones not to make excuses for the addict, not to allow the addict to abuse them, and their families ( ). Ultimately, interventions to heroin addiction can lead to recovery, which happened to Mr. Holland and Sue, but they relapsed and had different outcomes.

Heroin addicts have the psychological dependence on heroin that leads them into the state of self-destruction and the possibility of leading to death by the extreme use of heroin. Never estimate the poppy flower for its power that withholds the fiends to their mentality enduring the euphoria enslavement of the mind that contained for many centuries. The heroin addiction nation is a self numbing injection and dry approach to have the mind under the state of the greatest feeling of great happiness leaving the pain behind under the spell of heroin. Heroin comes in many forms for addicts to enjoy in their own way. They come in powder and rock like form that is combined with other narcotics. The snorting form for heroin is not

Many heroin users have an extremely hard time quitting for long periods of time. This is due to both

Withdrawal can set in as soon as 8 hours after previous heroin use, and can include any of the following symptoms: drug craving, restlessness, muscle and bone pain, insomnia, diarrhea and vomiting, kicking movements, goose bumps, and depression (3).