Addiction is a disease, involving the progressive habitual use of drugs and/or alcohol in spite of physical, social, occupational, and/or financial consequences. Common signs include an increased tolerance for and consumption of substances; physical, psychological, and behavioral withdrawal symptoms; and loss of control. Our Pathways Florida team looks at who you are as an individual and how we can best help you reach your goal of getting back to health and the life you were meant to live. We treat all addiction and mental health conditions simultaneously, which is essential for lasting transformation. We combine evidence-based therapies of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Motivational Interviewing and Person-Centered Therapy with 12-Step principles that address all aspects of optimal wellness. We will work with you and your family to develop a plan that meets your unique goals.

Opioids are a class of drugs chemically similar to alkaloids found in opium poppies. Historically they have been used as painkillers, but they also have great potential for misuse. Repeated use of opioids greatly increases the risk of developing an opioid use disorder. The use of illegal opiate drugs such as heroin and the misuse of legally available pain relievers such as oxycodone and hydrocodone can have serious negative health effects. According to the CDC, 44 people die every day in the United States from overdose of prescription painkillers.

Heroin is administered in three ways: smoking, snorting or shooting (injecting). Because it enters the brain quickly, heroin addiction develops rapidly, often within a few uses. Heroin is a powerful pain-killing illicit drug derived from the opium poppy plant. It is produced from morphine, one of the biologically active components of opium. Heroin looks like a white or brownish powder, or as the black sticky substance known on the streets as “black tar heroin.” It is diluted with other drugs or with sugar, starch, powdered milk, or quinine before injecting, smoking, or snorting. Some of the physical symptoms of heroin are euphoria, drowsiness, respiratory depression, constricted pupils, nausea, and dry mouth. A heroin overdose causes slow and shallow breathing, blue lips and fingernails, clammy skin, convulsions, coma, and can be fatal. Many young people who inject heroin report misuse of prescription opioids before starting to use heroin. In addition to increasing the risk of overdose, the intravenous use of heroin places individuals at higher risk of diseases like HIV and hepatitis C.

At Pathways Florida Treatment and Recovery Center there are several essential treatment components that work together to provide a full continuum of care to treat your drug addiction. These components include comprehensive medical detoxification services to help minimize the physical and psychological symptoms associated with withdrawal allowing patients to achieve a stable and substance-free state. Heroin addiction treatment usually begins with medically assisted detoxification and includes pharmacological treatments (such as Naltrexone or buprenorphine) that help prevent relapse and ease withdrawal symptoms. Heroin addiction treatment programs, such as Pathways Florida drug rehab, also involve addiction counseling, cognitive-behavioral therapy, drug rehab and heroin support groups. Heroin rehabilitation usually involves one or more forms of behavioral therapy, such as cognitive-behavioral therapy, addiction counseling, individual or group therapy and psychotherapy. These treatments address the root causes of addiction and teach clients various coping techniques for preventing relapse.

Some heroin rehab programs involve pharmaceutical interventions. Medications such as methadone, buprenorphine and extended-release naltrexone (Vivitrol) help patients’ recovery by easing withdrawal symptoms, reducing heroin cravings and helping prevent relapse.

We also offer a wide variety of individual and group therapy options that provide the support and encouragement needed to help addicts address the underlying issues that keep them stuck in their addiction. To give those new in recovery the tools they need to cope with the stressors and triggers that can lead to relapse, our Sarasota, Florida drug rehab facility offers life and coping skills training to deal with your heroin addiction as well as aftercare programs that focus on relapse prevention and rebuilding your life. Here at Pathways Florida, we address all of an addict’s physical, mental and spiritual issues. We offer nightly 12-Step meetings for anyone in recovery. Meetings include Alcoholics Anonymous, Narcotics Anonymous and Cocaine Anonymous where clients are encouraged to share their experiences, network to build a support system and to find a sponsor to continue their path of recovery. Once heroin rehab is complete, a long-term care plan should be established to prevent relapse. Here at Pathways Florida Treatment and Recovery Center we will work with you to develop a supportive relapse prevention plan. This might include continued addiction counseling, continued participation in our Pathways aftercare support group and continued development of healthy coping behaviors. By this stage, it is essential that our clients understand the power of heroin addiction and the value of recovery.