IMPORTANT: If you have found this post because you are trying to help someone you believe is experiencing a heroin overdose RIGHT NOW, call 911 immediately. Do not wait to read the rest of the article.

If you want to be prepared if someone you care about overdoses or if you are concerned about the possibility of overdosing yourself, then read on. Below you will find the information you need to identify a heroin overdose as it is happening and respond quickly so that you or your friend will have the best chance of surviving the experience.

Recognizing a Heroin Overdose

When someone overdoses on an opiate drug like heroin, it’s not sudden or quick like it is in the movies. Heroin slows the heart rate and breathing rate, and a person who is experiencing an overdose will first feel dizzy and confused, then pass out. If they don’t receive help while unconscious, their heart will continue to beat more and more slowly and their breathing will eventually stop. They’ll slip into a coma and eventually die if medical assistance is not provided in time.

If you don’t know the dosage that your friend took and they are still awake and conscious but unable to focus on a conversation, keep a close eye on them. If they lose consciousness, call 911.

If your friend appears to be unconscious but you can’t tell if he or she is sleeping or overdosing, here are a few signs that will signify that a heroin overdose is in effect and he or she needs medical help:

• No response to shaking their shoulders or shouting their name.
• Bluish tint to lips, nails, and/ or skin.
• Slowed pulse.
• Slowed breathing.

What to Do in the Event of a Heroin Overdose

If you recognize the above signs in your friend and you cannot rouse them, call 911 immediately. The 911 operator may ask you to perform emergency breathing or CPR if you can’t find a heart rate or he or she is not breathing. You will be asked to stay on the line until an ambulance arrives, and the operator may ask you questions about your friend in order to get information that he or she can pass along to the EMTs so that they can more quickly provide the necessary treatment: age, weight and height, what drugs were taken and in what amounts. Answer the questions to the best of your ability and try to remain calm. When the ambulance arrives, you will usually be able to accompany your friend to the hospital if you like.

If you or someone you care about is living with an active heroin addiction, call us at The Canyon today. We can provide a comprehensive

Chris Herren, formerly a basketball player for the Boston Celtics, lost everything to heroin addiction. The one-time small town basketball hero who made national headlines with his basketball skills during his high school days ended up back in his hometown 20 years later, unemployed and looking for a fix. Now married and a father of three, Herren has decided to make the best of his heroin addiction and all the loss he experienced as a result. After attending heroin rehab, he penned an autobiography with the hope of getting his story out there and helping others like him realize that no one is immune to the tragedy of drug addiction.

Herren penned his autobiography, Basketball Junkie: A Memoir, with Bill Reynolds, a journalist. It begins with his high school days and all that he accomplished during his teen years and follows him through his time playing ball at Fresno State in California, his draft to the Denver Nuggets (second round, 33^rd pick overall) and his trade to the Boston Celtics the following year. Unfortunately, the tale turns sour as Herren spares readers no details as he describes the development of his heroin addiction and how it almost made him lose everything.

Here’s the good news: though Herren was unable to rebuild his NBA career, he has been able to remain clean and sober since August of 2008. Herren reports that it took several trips to drug rehab to make his new goals for a drug-free life stick, but he did indeed make it work. In June of 2009, Herren created a basketball player development company called Hoop Dreams with Chris Herren Inc. Here young players can work on their skills through intensive clinics that cover basketball skills, ball handling, strength training, conditioning, and basketball drills. Since opening in 2009, Herren reports training more than 200 up and coming basketball players, among them some of the top pro-ball hopefuls in his area.

Though his heroin addiction took away his own hoop dreams, Herren is using his expertise and his drive to help others avoid the pitfalls that snatched his hopes away and, at the same time, creating a new destiny for himself that is even more commendable than the original. A dedicated father and husband, Herren is no longer allowing heroin addiction to control his life – a goal he reached by starting with heroin rehab.

If heroin addiction is stopping you from achieving your dreams or threatening the things you hold most dear, heroin addiction treatment is the only way to effectively fight the problem. Contact us at The Canyon today to learn more about how we can help you create the life that you want for yourself.

Anger has stopped more than one recovering heroin addict from getting what they need to maintain their sobriety in recovery. Without the sedating drug, many patients find that they are unable to calm themselves down or control their temper as they did when they were actively using the drug. The problem with anger is that it blinds the person experiencing the emotion and causes them to make poor choices without thinking. Whether that choice is to relapse on heroin, hurt someone they care about verbally or physically, or damage their opportunities at work or in the community, anger-based decisions are almost always the wrong ones.

Why Anger Happens During Heroin Addiction Treatment

Believe it or not, anger is something you can control. You cannot control situations or people and the decisions they make, but you can control your response. It is often inaccurate thinking that causes people to get angry. Paranoia, low self-esteem, the belief that people are saying or doing things to hurt you or embarrass you and many other incorrect ideas can cause someone to perceive that a situation occurred when it didn’t or blow small things out of proportion. Changing that thinking can change your emotional response and stop you from angry outbursts that can result in relapse during heroin addiction treatment.

Note: Anger is not an emotion that has to be completely obliterated for a successful recovery. It can be a helpful emotion at times. It’s just a matter of making sure that the anger is well-placed, controlled and does not result in violence, verbal abuse or relapse.

How to Manage Anger During Heroin Addiction Recovery

Managing anger during heroin addiction recovery starts with knowing what makes you angry. If you are angered by specific people, you can make plans to avoid them or not interact with them when you are near each other. If certain events make you angry, you can limit the number of times you have to endure these events until you can extract them from your schedule completely. If little things like someone bumping into your or speaking rudely to you upsets you greatly, there are a number of things you can do to stop yourself from overreacting. Here are just a few:

• Ask yourself if this is really important enough to get angry about. Few things are. Do you want to give someone who irritates you the pleasure of knowing they got under your skin? Or if it was an accident, do you really want to be the person who flies off the handle for no reason?
• Change your thinking. If you believe that someone is doing something to you or said something maliciously with the intent to hurt you, ask yourself if that is really the truth of the matter. Could it be your perception? Could it not be that they are not feeling well or are having a bad day? Most of the time, people are completely absorbed in their own experience.
• Count to 10. Before you respond to anything, give yourself a chance to get under control.
• Look at the situation from their point of view. Why are they saying/ doing the things they are? If you were in their situation, would you do the same thing? Relax. Explain your position and remain calm. The situation won’t be resolved with anger.

What are your suggestions for handling anger during heroin addiction recovery?

Heroin addiction is not a disease in the metaphorical sense. Even though it infiltrates communities, destroys families and costs governments and healthcare systems millions of dollars every year and is certainly a disease in that sense, it is also a medical disease. The chemical changes that occur in the brain when heroin is used continue and become semi-permanent – at least – when heroin abuse becomes chronic and turns into heroin addiction. Physical dependence and psychological cravings are entwined in the brain and even the user undergoes heroin detox, those changes remain. Medical treatment is required in order for recovery, and continued psychological treatment and support groups are needed for the long-term in order to sustain recovery.

Here are a few more notes on heroin addiction as a disease:

• Heroin addiction is not caused by lack of willpower. It is not something that individuals do but something they have. Remember to separate the person from the behavior and recognize relapse for what it is: a manifestation of the disease that the individual needs help fighting.
• Relapse or heroin abuse is an automatic response and a sign of addiction. A heroin addict cannot control themselves when they are actively addicted to heroin. They cannot simply stop using without suffering serious consequences. The urge and drive to use is an automatic response and a characteristic of a chronic disorder like addiction.
• Heroin addiction is a dangerous disease. It is not normal to live with heroin addiction. It is not an acceptable way to live. Life will be shorter than it would be otherwise and the quality of life for the individual will be considerably lower if heroin addiction goes untreated.
• Heroin addiction is a lifelong disease. Even with treatment, heroin addiction will always be a risk for a heroin addict. Treatment can put the disease in remission and extended care options like addiction counseling and 12-step meetings can help the addict to keep it there. But relapse is a concern as long as the addict feels triggered to use and is a higher risk when he or she stops attending support groups and personal therapy sessions.
• There is no cure for heroin addiction. Treatment can help the heroin addict safely and healthfully stop using heroin and then provide him or her with the tools to remain sober after treatment, but it is not a cure. Heroin addiction recovery requires a great deal of effort and work on the part of the addict. It’s not easy, but it is worth it.
• A slip does not have to mean a return to heroin addiction. Even if you make a mistake and get loaded in early recovery after heroin addiction, it doesn’t have to mean a wasted trip to rehab or that you’ve completely lost all that you’ve gained in recovery thus far. If the relapse is serious and reawakens the physical addiction, it may be necessary to re-enter heroin detox. Some may even feel that a long-term heroin relapse requires a trip back to inpatient rehab, while others prefer to take advantage of outpatient options or sober living.

If you would like to learn more about how we can help you fight heroin addiction, contact us today at The Canyon.

Buprenorphine is the latest drug approved by the FDA for the treatment of heroin addiction. Different from methadone, little is known about the drug, but studies are coming out annually to support its efficacy in the treatment of opiate addiction. Many heroin addicts who use buprenorphine for low-dose addiction treatment report how easy it is to use and applaud the anti-depressant effects of the drug.

The drawback? Many are not fond of the taste or the need to allow multiple lozenges to dissolve under the tongue every other day. But it’s not a bad trade-off, in the opinion of most, and the heroin addiction detox benefits are undeniable.

Here are a few quick facts about the drug, for those who are unfamiliar with what it is or how it works:

1. Buprenorphine was first created as an analgesic in England in 1969. During the 1970s, National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) researchers recognized that the drug could be an effective treatment for addiction and, in 1994, the organization contracted the original developer to market the drug in the United States. Buprenorphine was approved by the FDA in 2002.
2. Buprenorphine is sold as Subutex (pure buprenorphine) and Suboxone (a combination of buprenorphine and naloxone).
3. Buprenorphine can be prescribed by a physician, allowing you to take the medication at home rather than come into a drug rehab facility daily as is necessary for methadone addiction treatment. It is the first drug that can be taken at home for the purposes of treating opiate addiction.
4. Approved for opiate addiction treatment by the FDA in 2002, buprenorphine is the only drug that is approved for no other purpose. Even methadone is approved for pain management.
5. Buprenorphine works by binding to the opiate receptors in the brain but does not trigger the pleasure pathway like other opiate drugs.
6. Buprenorphine in the form of Suboxone cannot be abused because the naloxone blocks the effects of other opiates.
7. Buprenorphine is highly regulated by the federal government; it is necessary, for example, for the prescribing physician to undergo a special training in order to be qualified to prescribed the drug.
8. As of yet, there have been no reported deaths due to buprenorphine overdose. Though it is possible to take too much of the drug and experience negative effects, the risk of overdose is far lower than for comparable opiate addiction medications.
9. Buprenorphine has a low level of opiate dependence so those who stop taking the drug experience minimal withdrawal symptoms as compared to methadone.
10. In the middle of 2010, it was estimated that more than 19,000 doctors were certified to prescribe buprenorphine across the United States.

With almost 900,000 heroin users in the United States, buprenorphine is increasing the ability of medical professional to provide treatment to those who need it. It is most effective when used as part of a larger, overall program that addresses opiate addiction on multiple levels. If you would like to find a heroin rehab that can address heroin addiction effectively and safely, contact us at the number listed above today.

Congratulations! You’ve not only decided to go to heroin rehab, but you’ve found a heroin addiction treatment facility, enrolled and you’re on your way. You may have a few days or a few weeks depending upon the situation, but you do have a start date, even if it’s tentative and you’re waiting to get started. The wait time need not be a bad thing. You can use the time to prepare yourself for the best, most effective experience possible at heroin rehab. Here’s how.

Prepare for Heroin Rehab: Don’t Overdose

Common sense, right? Avoiding heroin overdose is always a good idea, obviously, but a huge percentage of heroin overdoses occur right before, during or after heroin rehab. Scared of the prospect of living the rest of their lives without heroin, many addicts decide to binge and do more than usual. The resulting overdose can be deadly, and if not deadly, it can mean a hospital stay that makes you miss the start date to heroin rehab. Not good.

Rather than overindulging in heroin, alcohol or other drugs, take the time to shave a dose off your usage if you can. If you are about to enter heroin detox, you should avoid cutting back so much that heroin withdrawal symptoms start until you have medical supervision. Cutting back just a little bit, eating healthy and getting lots of rest will give you a solid start in heroin detox without causing any health issues.

Prepare for Heroin Rehab: Talk to Your Family

Disappearing into a heroin rehab facility without touching base with friends, family and co-workers is unnecessary. You’ll appreciate their support while you’re going through treatment if you give them the opportunity to provide it to you by letting them know what’s going on. Many don’t want to talk about the details of their treatment before they go because they are embarrassed or they are afraid that they will fail in front of everyone. Telling those you care about should have the opposite effect in reality: those who care about you will be happy for you and supportive, giving you someone to reach out to you as you go through treatment and supportive base when you come home.

Prepare for Heroin Rehab: Take Care of the Details

A big part of preparing for a successful stay in heroin rehab means taking care of the details. Here are some you should check off your list before you go:

• If you live alone, have your mail held while you’re away and cancel subscriptions, cable, et cetera.
• Bring pets over to a friend or family member.
• If you are employed, talk to your boss about how long you’ll be away and find out whether or not you’ll have a job when you come back.
• Pack according to the guidelines provided by your heroin rehab. They’ll let you know what you shouldn’t bring – and what you should.
• Get to know the rules before you start. It’s better not to be surprised when you arrive.
• Bring a few personal items (i.e., comfortable pajamas, pictures, a book) to make your stay easier.

Heroin Rehab at The Canyon

If you would like to get started at a luxury heroin rehab, call us at The Canyon. We’re ready to help when you’re ready to get heroin addiction treatment. Call now.

Heroin addiction is a problem that increases in scope in the United States every year. People are younger and younger at the time of their first use of the drug and the percentage of new clients at drug and alcohol addiction treatment centers claiming heroin as their drug of choice is on the rise as well.

Compared to the heroin addiction problem in Swansea in Britain, the United States has its H issues under control. A new film out that documents the heroin use and abuse in Swansea is blowing everyone away, both in Britain and on this side of the pond.

The documentary, called “Swansea Love Story,” claims that there has been a 180 percent increase in the number of heroin users and addicts in Swansea over the four years that the film was made. The largest portion of the population who become new users? Young people.

This number is in keeping with what the United States is seeing at least. A decade ago, the average age of first time use of heroin in the United States was 26. Now, it’s closer to 21. No longer is heroin something that only scary people use or full blown drug addicts with a long history of abuse. It’s now a drug of experimentation, often used in high school and college.

Says the filmmakers about their journey in making the film:

“It used to be one of the biggest ports in the world, but when Margaret Thatcher helped bring about the end of heavy industry in Britain, the social implications for places like Swansea were dire.

“Funnily enough, it was Thatcher who signed off on a program that meant heroin addicts would be given access to free, sterile needles. This was after she’d closed down the mines, docks, and factories. Mass unemployment and heroin addiction have always made fine bedfellows.

“And so we went to Swansea and lived with a gang of young addicts for a few months and found out just why addiction to heroin in Britain continues to rise at such an alarming rate.

“We found out about love, death, the organized sexual abuse of children and the collapse of the family. We stumbled into a race riot, met old sailors, and listened to a wonderful Welsh male choir. We learned about why dragging yourself out of addiction is such a struggle, especially if you’re a teenager who’s the product of two generations of heroin addicts and whose great-grandfathers were miners, sailors, and steelworkers.”

Want to check out a piece of Swansea Love Story and see for yourself? It’s on the VBS.TV broadband site and also highlighted on CNN.

If you or someone you love is addicted to heroin, help is available. You don’t have to try to go through heroin detox alone and then “white knuckle” it through early recovery and pray that you don’t relapse. Heroin addiction is a medical issue and it requires medical treatment. Contact The Canyon to learn more about heroin detox, heroin addiction treatment and all the options you have to start a new life without drugs.