What Is Heroin?

Heroin is a white or brown powder or a tacky black goo. Originally used from the 1800s to the 1920s, it worked like morphine to relieve pain before its highly addictive qualities were noted. Heroin became illegal in the 1920s and is now considered an illegal drug.

Heroin causes the body to release increased amounts of dopamine and numbing pain sensors, giving a “rush” to the user. Heroin can be injected, sniffed, snorted, or smoked causing variations in the immediacy and length of the high. The short-term effects of heroin include dry mouth, itching, nausea and vomiting, and going “on the nod” where a person nods on and off between consciousness and subconsciousness.

When used in combination with stimulants, heroin can decrease the impact of the jitteriness and balance the effects of it. However, this combination of stimulant and sedative, can also cause the body to stop functioning correctly causing a heart attack and even death.

When used in combination with other sedatives, heroin becomes lethal through the process of slowing down too many body functions causing death.

What Are the Signs of Heroin Addiction?

Heroin addiction can be obvious for those who know what to look for. Aside from finding paraphernalia, like syringes, pipes, spoons, lighters, or medical tubing, you can also learn to look for signs of impairment.

Visually, you might be able to see track marks on an addict. These are most commonly on the arms, legs, between the fingers and toes. You may also notice pinpoint pupils, excessive itching, or an addict “on the nod.”

Additionally, an addict is likely impaired. They may have slow or slurred speech or delayed processing. This is obvious when you ask a question, and it takes them a long time to think through the answer or they answer a simple question incorrectly.

There also may be medical concerns to look and listen for. Long-term heroin addiction can cause miscarriage or irregular cycles, weakening and infection of the heart, constipation, collapsed veins, insomnia, etc.

If you are concerned for a loved one, Starbridge Recovery can be their heroin addiction treatment program.

What Is Starbridge Recovery and How Can They Help?

Starbridge Recovery is a leading heroin addiction treatment center in Los Angeles. Our expert staff are specifically trained and prepared to deal with heroin addiction and recovery. With medically supervised detox, residential inpatient, and aftercare available, our facility offers support through every step of the process.

Our state-of-the-art facility offers a multitude of traditional evidence-based therapies in combination with our alternative creative arts therapies that support holistic healing of the body, mind, and spirit. Through individual, group, and family therapies, clients are able to better understand themselves by learning where their addictions stem from, coping-strategies, and developing a support system that will keep them strong through life-long sobriety.

By choosing Starbridge Recovery, you are choosing staff that will create an individualized treatment plan to meet your unique needs. Within our luxury heroin addiction treatment center, we are able to offer spacious housing, spa-like amenities, and modern living.

Starbridge Recovery can support your loved one through the difficulty of heroin addiction treatment and the rehabilitation process.

What happens when you go to an alcohol detox center

Alcohol use disorder, also known as alcohol addiction, is consuming alcohol to the point where it causes issues in your day-to-day life, including home and/or the workplace, or not consuming alcohol causes extreme withdrawal symptoms.

What Is an Alcohol Detox Center?

Detox is the process your body goes through to remove toxins. In this sense, it means the process of your body withdrawing from chronic alcohol consumption which your body has become accustomed to.

During detox at an alcohol detox center, your body will experience mild to severe withdrawal symptoms as your body returns to normal functions without the stimulant or suppressant present in your system. The detox process can take your body anywhere from 5-15 days depending on the severity of your addiction and whether other substances are involved.

Why Shouldn’t You Detox From Alcohol Alone?

Detoxing from alcohol alone can be extremely dangerous. Depending on the severity of the addiction, withdrawal from chronic alcohol abuse can last between one and two weeks and almost always includes cravings, which can lead to relapse.

Mild alcohol withdrawal, or a hangover, for an occasional drinker often presents with a headache, diarrhea, sensitivity to light and sound, and/or thirst. While uncomfortable, these symptoms are often mild and relatively easy to manage.

Withdrawing from chronic alcohol abuse is a completely different story. Withdrawing from chronic use can be severe enough to cause death. According to the Federal Bureau of Prisons release on detoxing inmates, there are multiple signs or symptoms that require immediate medical attention; “change in mental status, increasing anxiety, hallucinations, temperature greater than 100.4 degrees, significant increases and/or decreases in blood pressure and heart rate, insomnia, abdominal pain, upper and lower gastrointestinal bleeding, changes in responsiveness of pupils, and heightened deep tendon reflexes and ankle clonus.”

Additionally, alcohol withdrawal syndrome includes seizures, which can indicate the onset of Delirium Tremens (DTs). DTs commonly occur 3-5 days after last drink for chronic alcohol consumers and are universally considered the worst of it. In this stage, tremors, sweats, disorientation, heart attack, coma, and death have been noted.

These extreme reactions to alcohol withdrawal are one of the many reasons you should go to an alcohol detox center like Starbridge Recovery.

An alcohol detox center is an inpatient program within an addiction treatment center. It will be the first thing you experience at the rehab facility.

Upon entering detox, you will answer some questions for the staff to help determine what the best process for you is. The process changes depending on the length of chronic use, typical withdrawal symptoms, and other drugs that may be in the system.

A good facility will be able to offer medically supervised detox, administering FDA approved medications to lessen the withdrawal symptoms. However, you can always choose to withdraw naturally from substances. Through this process you will be monitored even more closely for any of the severe withdrawal symptoms listed above.

Through the detox process you may be encouraged to attend a 12-step program meeting or if you are electing to complete an inpatient program through the treatment center, you will start your therapy sessions immediately. By attending meetings and/or group and individual therapy, you can begin to process the impact alcohol addiction has had on your mind, body, and spirit.

Why Should You Choose Starbridge Recovery to Be Your Alcohol Detox Center?

Starbridge Recovery the premier luxury alcohol detox and addiction treatment center in Los Angeles, California. At our facility our expert staff develop a custom treatment plan based on your unique needs.

People choose our facility because of our experience treating clients with alcohol and drug addiction, dual diagnosis mental health conditions, and our aftercare program that supports them through long-term recovery. Our beautiful setting creates a relaxing treatment center and offers traditional evidence-based therapies combined with alternative treatments like acupuncture, massage, and yoga to facilitate body, mind, and spiritual healing while on your journey to recovery.

At Starbridge Recovery we are proud to offer medically supervised detoxification to our clients. Through this process we are able to monitor your body’s reaction to withdraw from the abused substances and offer FDA approved medications to ease the discomfort.

Whether you choose our facility just for detox or for our fully inclusive inpatient treatment center, we are available to support you 24 hour a day.

Make the first step on your journey to recovery. Contact Starbridge Recovery today.

Day: May 25, 2021

Signs Your Loved One Needs Heroin Addiction Treatment