Heroin exploded in use over the past 20 odd years with the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) noting that in 2016 “about 948,000 Americans reported using heroin in the past year, a number that has been on the rise since 2007”.

They go on to say that “the number of people meeting Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 4th edition (DSM-IV) criteria for dependence or heroin use disorder increased dramatically from 214,000 in 2002 to 626,000 in 2016”.

Alarming figures which are rendered even more tragic when you consider the death toll heroin has brought. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) found that “the number of heroin-involved overdose deaths was more than seven times higher in 2019 than in 1999. Nearly a third of all opioid deaths involved heroin.”

In total, roughly 130,000 people died from an overdose related to heroin between 1999 and 2019.

Signs of a Heroin Addiction

As per NIDA, heroin is an opioid made from morphine which means the signs of addiction will look very much like what an opioid addiction looks like.

• Taken in larger amounts or longer than was intended
• Lack ability to control use or cut back, even when trying
• Immense cravings
• Constipation
• Nausea and vomiting
• Spending a lot of time getting, using and recovering from heroin
• Depression, mood swings and anxiety
• Failing to fulfill obligations and responsibilities at work, school and home
• Heroin causing significant interpersonal problems and fraying relationships
• Slurred speech and disorientation
• Intense itchiness
• Track marks from needles
• Personal hygiene getting worse
• Change in sleep patterns and weight
• Skipping activities or engagements in order to use
• Using despite clear physical and mental issues heroin is causing
• Developing a tolerance and thus needing larger doses for the same high
• Experiencing withdrawal symptoms if not using

Clearly there are quite a few things to look out for.

If you see any of these, make a note and don’t make an excuse for it. Keep track of these symptoms because as the addiction worsens, you’ll see more and more signs pop up. 

What Is Outpatient Heroin Treatment Near Me?

It’s a classic thing to Google – outpatient heroin treatment near me – when you find yourself in the unfortunate position of having a loved one dealing with a heroin addiction or being in that spot yourself. 

The silver lining here is that when you punch that in the search bar, a lot of answers come up which means there’s hope and addiction specialists out there who care about you.

But before you can look for anything, it’s important to understand what outpatient treatment is. It’s essentially rehab that you can schedule around your life. With inpatient care, you stop everything and live at a dedicated facility. With outpatient treatment you’ll participate in the same types of individual and group therapy but you’ll have scheduled times to come in that work for you.

For more severe addictions, you may consider partial hospitalization which is sort of in-between inpatient and outpatient.

Knowing When It’s Time To Go to Outpatient Heroin Treatment Near Me

This is another classic question however the answers are less concrete on this one.

A substance use disorder hits each person differently and generally speaking, knowing when it goes from recreational to problematic usage is inherently a grey area. With heroin, because it’s an illegal drug, you don’t want to wait particularly long before taking action though.

We all know the damage opioids have caused over the years and while admitting you need help is hard, becoming another statistic is far worse.

Call us and we’ll help you figure out if now is the time to commit to treatment.

Dr. Carlos Satulovsky( Medical Director )

Dr. Carlos Satulovsky is a board-certified psychiatrist and has over 30 years of experience in the medical field. He graduated from Facultad De Ciencias Medicas/Universidad Nacional. He is affiliated with medical facilities North Shore Medical Center.