Heroin is a devastator. Pure and simple.

It’s an illicit version of the already troublesome opioids that have brought so much devastation to the country. The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) classes heroin as a Schedule I substance which means “it has a high potential for abuse, no currently accepted medical use in treatment in the United States and a lack of accepted safety for use under medical supervision.”

In other words, it’s all downside.

Opioids have already killed over 800,000 people since 1999 according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

What can be done and, more importantly, when to take that action?

Signs Of a Heroin Addiction

Among the many troubling things about heroin is that it can be a slippery slope from a prescribed opioid. The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) points out that “about 80 percent of people who used heroin first misused prescription opioids.”

No matter how you or a loved one ends using heroin, it’s important to know the signs of when it has become an issue of addiction and dependence. The signs to look for are:

• Taking larger and larger amounts for longer periods
• Unable to stop when trying to
• Spending a lot of time getting, using, and recovering from heroin
• Flu-like symptoms
• Itching, bruising, and scabbing skin
• Strong cravings
• Failure to meet obligations at work, school, or home
• Skipping or avoiding activities in order to use
• Constipation
• Nausea and vomiting
• Using despite clear negative consequences
• Developing a tolerance that requires more and more heroin and in larger doses
• Sleep issues and insomnia
• Weight loss
• Cloudy thinking, confusion, and disorientation
• Drowsiness, exhaustion, and lethargy
• Experiencing withdrawal symptoms when not using 

If you’re starting to see these symptoms, take note. Don’t excuse them or brush them under the rug because they’ll only get worse as the addiction sinks its teeth in more.

How To Know When You Should Look into Heroin Rehab Programs

Knowing when and how to look for heroin rehab programs is the next big task after recognizing a substance use disorder has taken hold.

The when is something of a grey area, there’s no clear line so to speak and it is dependent on how bad those signs become. If your friend or family member is addicted, there’s a very slim chance they’re going to approach you one day and say they want treatment. Often denial is at play when it comes to drug abuse.

That being said, heroin is illegal, so any use should warrant action.

How Principles Recovery Can Help You with A Heroin Addiction Today

As for what to look for in a rehab program, there are a number of things to consider and not all rehabs are created equal. For starters, which is going to have a higher chance of success? Inpatient or outpatient treatment.

Inpatient care is the type of rehab where live at a facility and focus 100% of your time and energy on recovery and combatting the addiction. Outpatient care has many of the same elements but doesn’t require living in. For more severe addictions, inpatient is generally the recommended route but at Principles Recovery Center we offer both.

Next would be to look into the specifics of treatment, is it more evidence-based like our program at Principles or more alternative therapy-centric? What’s the level of experience? Our recovery center in Davie, Florida has over 30 years of experience in guiding people to sustained sobriety.

To learn more about our program, reach out to us today.

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.