Learn About Heroin Addiction And Drug Rehab New Jersey

Substance abuse like alcohol, drugs, and other addictive agents is a problem common to all nations. Every year, the countries display a report on the annual drug abuse cases to measure the intensity of the matter. The documents reveal that the US witnesses a troublesome number of drug abuse victims annually. Drug abuse is one of the most critical addictive conditions spreading among the youth and adults living in the United States of America. New Jersey is one of the most drug-affected places in the US. Due to the alarming condition, New Jersey requires an adequate number of drug rehab New Jersey to deal with the problem. 

New Jersey sees annual drug cases of 60,000, out of which consumption of the illicit drug Heroin constitutes a large portion of the victims. Heroin is the most used drug in New Jersey. A health report revealed that out of all the drug rehab New Jersey admission, 42% of admitted individuals are Heroin addicts. Cocaine (13%) and marijuana (9%) are the second and third most consumed drugs in New Jersey. The New Jersey Substance Abuse Monitoring System (NJ-SAMS) reported that New Jersey witnessed 98,479 hospital admissions for the recovery from and treatment of substance abuse in 2019. 

What caused such a widespread of illicit drugs in New Jersey? The reports and news claim the involvement of the street gangs in this matter. The drugs are handled by various dangerous mobs working underground in New Jersey. These miscreants sell drugs to the youth and adults, and therefore, there is a massive spike in the cases in the drug rehab New Jersey. The authorities are working to constrain the expansion of the street gangs and reduce the spread of drugs in New Jersey. 

Drugs and alcohol affect lives in irreparable ways. The inflicted victim may never feel mentally healthier as even though the body recovers with medicines, the guilt of consuming such substances remains. They may think that society will not respect them like before. Therefore, such people must receive counseling from experts to overcome the feeling of guilt and shame. 

So, we know that Heroin is the most abused drug in New Jersey. But what caused such a spike in the dependency on this illicit drug? We have answered the question in the following section and along with that, let us learn brief facts about Heroin and its withdrawal symptoms. 

Why is there a rise in Heroin addiction in New Jersey?

The rise in Heroin addiction in New Jersey is directly related to the growing dependency on the painkillers Hydrocodone and Oxycodone in the US. Hydrocodone and Oxycodone painkillers are made from poppy plants. These painkillers have a chemically similar component to Heroin. With growing prescriptions for these medical drugs, the authorities made a few constraints to control the dependency and overbuying. But addicts found a powerful and more affordable substitute for Hydrocodone and Oxycodone, Heroin. Therefore, we see a surge in Heroin consumption from 2007 in the US and specifically in New Jersey. 

Heroin is cheaper and more effective than painkillers, but it is also more harmful. Long-term consumption of Heroin can cause serious health issues. In extreme conditions, excessive consumption of Heroin and other drugs can lead to death. Deaths due to overdose increased by 400% between 2009 and 2017 in the US. 

We have listed below the harmful effects of overconsumption of Heroin. 

Harmful effects of Heroin addiction-

Short-term effects include:

• parched and dry mouth
• Euphoria
• flushed skin
• Increase in body heat
• limbs feel heavy
• Indigestion and vomiting 
• Skin irritation and itching
• A fuzzy brain
• Frequent drowsiness 

Long-term effects include:

• Insomnia
• Collapsed veins
• Infections in the heart lining and valves
• Skin infections like cellulitis and abscesses 
• An increased chance of contracting Hepatitis C, Hepatitis B, and HIV/AIDS by using contaminated syringes
• Liver disease
• Deterioration of Kidneys
• Pneumonia and Tuberculosis
• Menstrual problems  
• Mental disorders
• Miscarriage
• Reduced immunity
• Risk of overdose
• Impotence for men and fertility problems in women

Withdrawal symptoms of Heroin –

Withdrawal symptoms of Heroin range from highly severe to mild and last for different periods for individuals and depending on the severity of the drug overuse. The withdrawal symptoms occur when the patients stop taking Heroin during their treatment. These symptoms usually lead to relapses when the patients give in to the cravings. 

• diarrhea and vomiting
• cravings
• stomach cramps
• bone, joint, and muscle pain 
• excessive sweating
• mood swings 
• emotional breakdown and crying
• Sleeplessness

Heroin addiction treatment –

Heroin addiction is a serious problem, as we can see from its impact on the body and the after-effects of stopping the consumption of the drug. Fortunately, drug rehabs and recovery centers in New Jersey are efficient in eliminating Heroin and other substance dependencies in individuals. 

Drug rehabs have their specific rehabilitation and treatment plans directed at the needs of the patients. The patients can meet with the authorities in drug rehab face to face. The patients discuss their problems and share their experiences about how they started doing drugs. The experts will look into the matter and prescribe the required medicines and organize a counseling session for the patient. 

The medicines used in Heroin addiction treatment help to reduce the withdrawal symptoms and don’t cause any dependency. However, the dose of the medicines will be monitored by the doctor. The patients can also opt for in-patient treatment for Heroin abuse and receive 24 hours care from the doctors and nurses. Out-patient services are also available in drug rehabs in New Jersey. 

The counseling sessions are organized to tackle the mental problems of the patients. The patients often suffer depression due to substance abuse and develop a sense of inferiority complex. Sharing the worries with the counselor can help relieve the stress and anxiety. The rehabs also organize group sessions for the drug abuse patients to open up about their experiences and find compassion among the similar peer group. They won’t feel embarrassed if they spend more time with the other recovering drug addicts.