Black Balloon For Overdose Awareness Day, March 6th, 2016

People have gotten together and formed what they are calling "Black Balloon Day" on March 6th 2016.  They are asking anyone that has been effected by the heroin epidemic, people that have OD'd and died, to fly a black balloon in their remembrance.

It is nice to see that people are joining together in this country to fight this epidemic.  We can put all of our differences aside and join the fight in awareness and solutions to this horrible plague that is ripping people and families apart.

On Sunday March 6th fly a black balloon in front of your house.  If everyone that knows someone, or knows a family that's been through the horrible loss of a loved one from heroin addiction we should see more houses with these symbols up and down residential streets of America.


You can visit the Facebook page by clicking HERE

Heroin Treatment In Pennsylvania

The heroin epidemic has reached levels that we have never seen in the state of Pennsylvania. In the 1970s, heroin was also a major problem. To a degree it was confined to our big cities like Philadelphia and Pittsburg. People that used heroin then were mostly of the lower income bracket because if offered such a cheap avenue to get high. Our soldiers that were returning from Vietnam got addicted while they were in Asia and they came home having no idea how to fight it. There were not many heroin rehabs in Pennsylvania then. Many of the people who got addicted to heroin then were put on methadone programs. Those programs didn't work. We saw people who sold their methadone or just relapse back into heroin addiction. Today the heroin problem in PA is all over the place. It knows no difference between income levels, race, religion, or geography. Every day we are reading about overdoses. This is happening in the smallest towns to the largest cities. What we offer at Clearbrook is a way out of the life of addiction. We serve as a Pennsylvania heroin detox and rehab. We believe in the abstinance model of recovery. We will help you through the detox phase of recovery to make you as comfortable as possible. When you leave us, you will be completely chemical free and on the road to a life you could have never imagined in active addiction.

Oxycontin Addiction and Heroin Addiction

Oxycontin VS Heroin? They are so nearly the same drug, most users would take either one. Why is Oxycontin legal and Heroin illegal? Oxycontin and Heroin are both opioids, which are synthetic or real derivatives of opium.

Everybody has heard of Heroin addiction, and in more recent years, Oxycontin addiction. But, just what exactly are these two drugs? Oxycontin is a synthetic opioid prescribed by doctors in the treatment of severe pain. When properly prescribed and properly taken, Oxycontin has a timed-release action to produce approximately 12 hours of steady pain relief. The drug companies began an advertising campaign that left the impression that Oxycontin could be safely given to anyone in pain, even if that pain was not at all severe. It was a miracle pain reliever! The drug companies did such a good job in promoting the drug as almost a miracle drug in easing pain and the safety of it, that Oxycontin is covered by Medicaid when prescribed to a Medicaid recipient.

The doctors began to greatly over prescribe it; it began to be sold on the street; and it began to be abused.

People addicted to Oxycontin destroy the timed release action of the pills or capsules in order to partake of the entire amount of the drug at once instead of spread over 12 hours. Abusers of Oxycontin, become addicted to both, the intense orgasmic mind rush, and the state of complete blissful euphoria which follows the rush. The results of Heroin abuse is almost like the highs of Oxycontin.

The following facts were given as testimony before Massachusetts State Senator Steven Tolman and his Oxycontin and Heroin Commission in May 2009.

•Prior to 1914, Heroin was used to relieve pain and respiratory illnesses in the United States and was given credit for not being as addictive as morphine.
•Heroin became illegal in 1914 because of its addictive qualities.
•Oxycontin, or synthetic Heroin as it is often called, has almost the exact same molecular makeup as Heroin.
•Heroin and Oxycontin both give the user an intense head rush, and then euphoria.
•The drug addict will use whichever drug is the easiest for him to obtain, as Heroin and Oxycontin are interchangeable.
•Oxycontin is vastly over prescribed.
•Both Oxycontin and Heroin are extremely addictive.

Heroin Addiction Treatment

Heroin addiction treatment tends to be more effective when the subjects are diagnosed with the problem at an early stage. There are a variety of heroin addiction treatments available. Few of the options are quite effective. Depending on the patient and the sort of facility that they would like to enroll themselves in, an individual can choose the following therapies:

• Medicinal treatment
• Detoxification• Behavioral therapy

Medicinal treatment: The most popular medicines available in the market are directed towards treatment of the abusers during the detoxification stage and also when they are out of the facility and trying to restrain themselves from the reuse of the drugs. Over and above a lot of individuals enroll to outpatient facilities for heroin addiction treatment. This provides them opportunity to remain under supervision of relatives or the member of their family.

Detoxification: Detoxification is one of the major steps of treatment in both outpatient as well as inpatient treatment facilities. Patients are required to follow a strict regimen, where they are put out of dependency from substance. The patients are also trained about steps to quit heroin for their entire life. Medicines are applied during the process to minimize the severity of the withdrawal symptoms. The subjects are also kept under the supervision of an able subject who would provide them with nutritional diet and proper food. Subjects are also required to intake a massive amount of fluids during this stage. Soup and other vegetable recipes are ideal at this stage as it is accurate for the patient. Detoxfication last for about 3 weeks or more. The subjects are then put under a program to learn about skills to quit heroin.

Behavioral therapies: Behavioral approaches are extremely useful with other treatment approaches. This therapy is effective against the heroin addiction. It is included for residential facilities as well as in various outpatient programs. The sole aim of the treatment during this stage is learning skills and approaches to quit addiction.

Moreover, several novel approaches in behavioral therapies, are put into the facilities which include cognitive-behavioral interventions and contingency management therapy. It increases the skill to cope with the stresses of life when they are out of facility. It also teaches them the strategies that can be applied when they are put into situations where they are being re-exposed to use of drugs. Pharmacological treatments to with behavioral therapies help to restore a degree of normalcy in the patients.

Heroin Treatment

When it comes to heroin treatment in Chicago, you would want to know what kind of treatment you are going through, and you would have to contact a substance abuse counselor for that. The substance abuse counselor would tell you about all the details of the treatment that would comprise of the treatment for heroin.

Heroin treatment counselors in Chicago are quite versatile and you would have to schedule your meetings with the heroin treatment counselors, because unless you have a distinct knowledge of the program, you would be confused about which one to use. Therefore, it is of utmost importance for you to select someone with a great experience and good qualifications.

Also, there are several aspects that you should remember before you even get into a scheduled meeting with the heroin treatment counselor. All counselors are quite busy and if you do not prepare a list of questions that you would have to ask, you will be at a loss and not the counselor. Therefore, to ensure that the counselor does not have to schedule you another hurried meeting, you should prepare everything before your meetings.

Clearbrook Treatment Centers : The best Pennsylvania In-patient Drug Addiction Rehab Treatment Center, Adolescent Drug Rehab & Teen Drug Abuse Center in the Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey, St Louis and Chicago areas : A proven 28 Day Treatment Program in our in-patient drug & alcohol abuse treatment center.

The Drug Personality Syndrome

The "Drug Personality"

There is such a thing as a "drug personality." It is artificial and is created by drugs. Drugs can change the attitude of a person from their original personality to one secretly harboring hostilities and hatreds they do not permit to show on the surface.

A person with a drug personality Pennsylvania may:

■Have mood swings
■Be unreliable
■Be unable to finish projects
■Have unexpressed resentment and secret hatreds
■Be dishonest and lie to family, friends and employers
■Isolate themselves and withdraw from those who love him
■Appear chronically depressed
■Begin stealing from family and friends

Craving is an extremely powerful urge and can cause a person to create all kinds of "reasons" they should continue using drugs or alcohol, even once they try to quit. The person is now trapped in the endless cycle of addiction Pennsylvania: trying to quit, craving, fear of withdrawal, relapse.

Treatment Focused on Breaking the Cycle of Addiction

Traditional alcohol and drug addiction treatment Pennsylvania focuses mainly on spiritual talk therapy, while the disease's underlying physiology is never addressed. Modern, more effective treatments focus on correcting the neurological imbalances caused by substance dependence; those imbalances are the direct cause of cravings and withdrawal symptoms which, if left untreated, lead directly to relapse. This new approach, along with nutritional supplements and aftercare psychosocial counseling empowers the patient with the ability to stay on the road to recovery.

Effects of Heroin Addiction

Effects of Use
Along with the rush that takes place shortly after use, heroin addicts Pennsylvania also experience these effects:

Decreased ability to cough
Difficulty breathing
Drowsiness
Dry mouth
Heaviness in the extremities
Hypothermia
Nausea and/or vomiting
Reduced anxiety
Severe itching

As evidenced by pictures of heroin addicts Pennsylvania, the aesthetic physical effects can be extensive as well.

Complications and Long Term Effects of Heroin Abuse
Heroin abusers are also putting themselves at risk for a number of health issues, including:

Risk of contracting HIV or Hepatitis C from needle use
Increased risk of miscarriage
Increased tolerance over time where the addict must use more of the drug to achieve the same effect
Heroin overdose


Help and Treatment for Heroin Addiction Pennsylvania
People who want to quit using heroin do better when they are well motivated to do so. The motivation may come from the person who is addicted to heroin themselves or because of the involvement of concerned friends or family members who hold a drug rehab intervention. When someone detoxes from heroin, they are going to experience a series of withdrawal symptoms, including:

Diarrhea
Insomnia
Muscle aches
Vomiting
The withdrawal symptoms will start within a few hours after the person stops using heroin, with the peak occurring within 24-72 hours. Symptoms of withdrawal may be present for a week after the last time the addict used the drug. Ideally, this step in heroin treatment is performed under the supervision of a doctor. People who have been heavy users for a long time should avoid trying to stop all at once, since a sudden stop in use could be fatal. This extraordinarily painful and dangerous process is a primary factor that makes heroin addictions often last years and can result in death.

Beyond Quitting: Heroin Recovery and Rehabilitation
After successfully getting through the drug detoxification phase, a follow-up program needs to be in place if you want to successfully quit heroin. Individual and group therapy is used at drug rehab centers to help people who are trying to beat an addiction to heroin get to the root of the problem, understand it, and come up with strategies to avoid using the drug again. 12-step programs like Narcotics Anonymous could also be of help.

Your doctor may be able to refer you to a treatment center. If you have health insurance coverage for addiction treatment at HMO insurance drug rehab centers, private insurance drug rehab centers or at a PPO insurance drug rehab center, the company may have a list of facilities that are approved for full or partial coverage. Lack of coverage doesn't need to be a barrier to getting help, though. State-run facilities may be able to provide treatment at no charge or on a sliding geared-to-income scale and some facilities offer financing for treatment.

Heroin Addiction

Heroin is a narcotic and an illegal drug that is typically injected or snorted by users though it can be smoked. The manner in which the drug, from the opiates family, is ingested has little bearing on the potential for addiction. The fact is that repeated use leads to addiction, whether you are using needles or not.

What is Heroin Addiction Pennsylvania?
A person who is a heroin addict continues to use the drug, even though they are experiencing negative consequences in their life as a result. They are not able to choose whether they are going to use heroin. Instead, they experience a "need" for it that becomes a driving force in their life.

Signs of Heroin Dependence Pennsylvania
Heroin addicts have similar experiences when they have become dependent on the drug, including:

Cravings in between uses
Spending time thinking about the last time they got high and what the next high will be like
Focusing on where and when they can get the next dose
Sudden financial difficulties and erratic behavior
Track marks around injection points

Causes of Dependency
Heroin is a very effective pain killer that works by depressing the body's central nervous system. Using it affects the way nerves in the spinal cord communicate pain sensations to the brain. Shortly after the drug is snorted or injected, it creates an intense feeling of pleasure. Heroin works on the pleasure centers in the brain by affecting the level of dopamine that it produces.