Can a heroin-assisted drug addiction treatment be beneficial to addicts?

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Heroin is one of the most dangerous drugs in the world. It destroys the user's overall well-being. It damages the user's interpersonal relationships, and it damages professional reputations. Loved ones are desperate for the addict to get help for their addiction. Unfortunately, the only way an addict can overcome their addiction is to acknowledge that an addiction actually exists. Once the individual has acknowledged that a heroin addiction exists, then the next step is admitting them into a reputable rehab program.
Many of these rehab programs have helped individuals overcome their addictions and live healthy and vibrant lives. However, there are a few individuals who do not have the same outcome. When these treatments fail to help the addict overcome their addiction, many of these individuals return to their heroin addiction.
Researchers in Canada have found that heroin-assisted treatment for drug use can improve the outcome of heroin addicts and lower harm. As of right now, this treatment is not legally offered in Canada, as studies are still being conducted to prove its effectiveness.

Martin Schechter, a Professor of School of Population and Public Health, Faculty of Medicine, University of British Columbia in Vancouver, Canada, has studied the effectiveness of heroin-assisted treatments. There have been 6 controlled trials that have concluded that heroin-assisted treatment is effective than standard treatment for individuals that have not benefited from traditional rehab treatments. A recent Cochrane Collaboration review showed that this treatment lowered illicit drug use, criminality, arrests, and showed a marked decrease in deaths from heroin addiction. 

Schechter states that the cost of heroin-assisted treatment is 4 times the cost of traditional treatment. However, he states that in the long run, it works out to be much cheaper when you compare the costs to the outcome.
Despite the fact that heroin-assisted treatments have shown to be effective to this minute population, conventional treatments are still preferred and recommended above all else.

Understanding heroin addiction
Heroin is known to produce feelings of relaxation and euphoria, due to chemical alterations in the pleasure center of the brain. Just like other members of the opiate family, heroin usage disables the brain's ability to sense pain.

There are many ways to tell if an individual is currently under the thralls of heroin addiction:
·         Needles and syringes found in the user's room.
·         Shortness of breath
·         Small bags with white powder inside.
·         Disorientation
·         Small pupils
·         Dry mouth
·         Straws, silver spoons, and aluminum foil with burn marks.
When an individual has used heroin for long periods of time, their body can develop a dependency to the drug. When this happens, the individual may require more of the drug in order to achieve the desired effect. When this happens, it puts the individual at a high risk of developing an addiction. Additionally, the higher dosage of heroin and longer use of heroin can also add to the severity of withdrawal symptoms when heroin use is stopped.

Contact your local heroin addiction rehab center if you suspect a loved one may be addicted to heroin. 

For more information about Drug addiction treatment you can refer to Your Addiction Solutions : http://www.youraddictionsolutions.com

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