Understanding the heroin epidemic can be difficult. Heroin is an illicit substance. It is a type of opioid, much like prescription pain killers. This is a very dangerous drug that creates addiction quickly and puts any person using it at risk of an overdose. If you’re using heroin, you could be at risk of developing a severe addiction that threatens your life. At Atlantic Recovery Center, we want to help you avoid becoming just another number.
What Are the Statistics on Heroin Use?
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services makes it clear that understanding the heroin epidemic is crucial because heroin is working through the United States. In 2018, there were about 10.3 million people over the age of 12 that misused opioids in some manner, many of them using heroin itself.
The National Institute on Drug Abuse sheds more light. In 2017, over 70,200 people in the U.S. died from drug overdoses in the country. Of those, 15,482 of them were due to heroin overdoses. It’s also important to look at the change over time with heroin misuse. For example, the data shows that in 1999, just 1,960 people died from heroin overdoses. In 2007, that number was 2,399 people. That’s an incredible climb over a short period of time.
Understanding the Heroin Epidemic’s Cause
The heroin epidemic can be blamed on many factors, but some of it comes down to the increase in prescription drugs. As doctors were pushed by pharmaceutical companies to increase the number of prescriptions written for opioid pain relievers to patients, this created an increase in the number of people who need pain medication on a constant basis. That’s because the body demands more and more of the drug to reach the same type of high.
Patients unable to get prescription opioids routinely or at increasing doses were forced to find other options. Heroin does the same thing that prescription drugs do, at a much higher level, filling this need. This, as well as more access to the illicit substance on the streets, has led to more people dying from heroin overdoses.
We Are Working to Fight the Heroin Epidemic
At Atlantic Recovery Center, we recognize that you cannot stop using drugs on your own, especially powerfully controlling drugs like heroin. We can help you. We offer a comprehensive treatment plan designed to help you to stop dependency on a drug like this. Our team offers help such as:
- Residential treatment programs
- Partial hospitalization programs
- Intensive outpatient programs
- Aftercare treatment programs
- Full rehab services
If you are facing overdose or know that you are addicted to heroin, there is help available to you through our service. For those who have a loved one facing the same types of challenges, we can help you as well. Turn to our team to learn more about the treatment plans we offer and how we can help you get your loved one help.
What Makes Our Treatment Program Unique?
Getting help for heroin is an option for most people. Our drug and alcohol treatment center is focused on providing you with the tools and resources you need to recover. This includes:
- Providing full examinations; if detox is necessary, we can refer you to a local solution.
- Small, individualized care plans that we designed just for you.
- We offer a family-style approach dedicated to meeting each one of your needs.
- A positive, uplifting program is always available to you.
- We offer specialized care for those who are union workers.
The heroin epidemic is happening in the U.S. If you are using heroin or prescription drugs, you have a right to find the help you need to get out of this situation. Our team is here to help. We offer evidence-based treatment and holistic care to encourage full-body healing. In a positive environment with dedicated professionals, we can meet each one of your goals with superior care.
The abuse of heroin is an ongoing epidemic in the United States. People who abuse heroin begin their addiction journey with prescription pain medication after an illness or injury. Heroin is a synthetic opioid and provides a similar high to that created when you abuse prescription drug medication. As a more affordable alternative to prescription pain medication, heroin epidemic statistics continue to rise. According to the Center for Disease Control, more than 15,000 people died as a result of a heroin overdose in 2017. This statistic has only increased in recent years, and since 2010, the number of heroin-related deaths increased by five times as much. Treatment programs that focus on providing heroin addiction treatment have continued to develop to meet this growing crisis.
HEROIN USE REACHES ALL INCOME AND BACKGROUND LEVELS
The abuse of heroin does not discriminate. In 2015, 81,326 visits to the emergency room occurred because of unintentional heroin abuse or misuse. This rate is an estimated 26 out of every 100,000 people. The widespread use of prescription opiates has led to a significant rise in heroin addiction in the past ten years. With prescription laws becoming more regulated, the goal is to reverse this trend and improve heroin epidemic statistics. Heroin use has grown substantially in groups that are usually low risk for abusing, which include women, people with private health insurance, and those with higher income levels. It is a problem that is not going to go away without taking a serious look at the reasons why people become addicted to heroin in the first place.
OVERCOMING AN ADDICTION TO HEROIN
With heroin epidemic statistics so staggering, it’s essential to take a look at your recovery options. Early intervention when you begin to abuse prescription pain medication can prevent an addiction to heroin in the first place. Once you start with heroin, finding the right treatment is necessary. Your brain becomes dependent on heroin, and trying to quit on your own is almost impossible. To overcome an addiction to heroin, you need:
- Support throughout your journey to detox and to learn more about the impact of addiction
- Positive reinforcement to help you stay motivated in your recovery
- A sense of purpose and hope that you are going to heal from your addiction
- Treatment that is focused on your specific needs as you learn about sobriety and your recovery
You can overcome a heroin addiction, but you have to decide to get the help you need. When you read heroin epidemic statistics, it’s time to decide that you don’t want to become one. Healing is possible, but you are the one that has the control
YOUR JOURNEY OF SOBRIETY
Every step you take in your recovery journey will lead you on the path of sobriety. As you learn about recovery, you will get a better understanding of the importance of support as you heal from your addiction. You can find help in a variety of ways, and it is the people who are also in recovery who are going to understand you the best. You can find support by:
- Going to 12-step meetings in the community and talking with others in recovery
- Seeing an individual therapist to talk about your recovery and what you need for support
- Getting a 12-step sponsor and starting the work of going through the 12 steps
- Engaging with others as a volunteer in your community
Each journey of sobriety is different, but it is easier when you have a team of support around you. Find people in your community that you trust. Then, you can begin to open up about what is going on in your life. When you talk to others, you will discover that you aren’t alone in your journey.
TAKE YOUR LIFE BACK STARTING NOW
Stop letting drugs or alcohol control your life. If you need help with addiction, contact Atlantic Recovery Center at 1-866-824-5193. You can make a break from addiction when you call us for assistance
Are You Suffering from Heroin Addiction?
If you are using heroin or other opioids, you deserve help. It is available to you in many ways, including in our treatment program. At Atlantic Recovery Center, we don’t want you to be another number in the heroin epidemic. Reach out to us for immediate help and support by calling 1-866-824-5193 now.