10 May Heroin Vs. Opioid Addiction
It really isn’t that long ago that the words “heroin addiction” conjured up images of desperate junkies in squalid back alleys scoring “H” from nefarious dealers, a cigarette dangling from their lips as they pulled small packages of powder out of the breast pocket of their shark skin suits. Heroin addiction treatment, likewise, had a similar mental visual in the minds of most people, “snake pit” type places where junkies went to “kick” their habits, arms and legs tied to bedposts as they were left to ride out withdrawal.
But times have changed, heroin addiction has changed, and treatment for heroin addiction has changed, as well.
The biggest change is in who is getting addicted and why. Now, it’s everybody, on every income level. And while there are still many people who come into it the traditional route, trading up through a series of recreational street drugs, there are far too many people coming into it through doctor’s offices, with prescriptions to opioid based pain killers – OxyCotin, Percocet, Vicodin, for example. Today, everybody knows somebody, or of somebody, who has become addicted to these drugs. If you don’t think you do, think about Prince. As it’s turning out, he was very clearly addicted to Percocet.
In Prince’s case, he never had to make the leap from his prescribed Opioid to more affordable heroin. With his fame and money, he could get prescriptions renewed and refilled with ease. With too much ease, as it turns out.
But for others, whose doctors cut them off from prescribed opioids, or for whom the kick just isn’t there anymore without taking more, the jump to heroin is predictable.
Fortunately, heroin addiction treatment has made tremendous advancements. We now know much more about the science involved, about the changes in the brain from addiction, and about how to counter these changes. Treatment varies based on several factors, including how and why someone got started on drugs in the first place, how long they’ve been abusing the drug and how much they’ve been using.
Here at Lanna, as a holistic treatment center, we treat the mind, the body and the spirit. Your treatment will be routed in best practices that cover science, psychology, nutrition, perhaps medication if needed, such as methadone, or a mild sedative for anxiety, as well as something for your soul that comes directly out of who you are and will help you regain your appreciation for life.
All of this begins with first getting you out of your environment and into a paradise where you can breathe easy, relax and focus on getting better.
So, what is the difference between heroin and opioid addiction? There is none. There are just more people falling prey to it, many more innocent people. If you’re one, call us. Let’s get started on getting your life back.
