Heroin addiction, while also classified as an Opioid Use Disorder, can impact anyone. It doesn’t matter if you are poor, have the career you always dreamed of, feel down on your luck or feel on top of the world, it is highly addictive. In addition, many who are addicted to prescribed opioids for pain such as Percocet, Oxycontin and Vicodin may later turn to heroin to continue to get high as a cheaper and more accessible alternative. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, deaths from heroin overdoses increased more than six-fold between 2002 and 2015. Death is not the only concern associated with heroin. Repeated use of heroin makes it hard to be fully present with the people you love and continue to maintain your normal routine.

Heroin addiction is often accompanied by the following symptoms:

• The need to use heroin to make it through the day
• Inability to stop using heroin even though it impacts your health, relationships, finances, and ability to maintain self-care
• Stealing money from friends, family and businesses to buy more
• Experiencing symptoms of withdrawal when you rapidly stop or decrease use

Heroin can have significant risks on your long-term health. It can impact the physical structure and physiology of the brain, which can be difficult to reverse and can make it hard to regulate your mood, decision-making processes, and control your reaction to stress. Heroin can also lead to collapsed veins, increase your risk of blood clots, kidney disease, liver disease and skin issues. Additionally, many who use heroin intravenously, are at increased risk of contracted hepatitis C and HIV from shared needle use, contracting an STD, and developing skin infections at injection sites such as an abscess which untreated can lead to infection and worse possible limb amputation.

If you are addicted to heroin, we know it is not easy to give it up. However, it is possible. We can help support you as you learn to live drug-free. Our heroin addiction treatment program is specialized to meet your unique needs. Our program will provide you with 24/7 support as you detox and participate in individual and group therapy. We place a strong emphasis on nutrition to help your body replenish its nutrients, as well as medication management (if needed). We also provide activities to teach you healthy life skills and will continue to offer ongoing support once you leave treatment.

Wondering if you have a problem with heroin use? Take our short self-assessment.