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Heroin was first derived from the opium poppy flower in the late 19th century by drug manufacturer Bayer. The same company later distributed the drug as a cough suppressant and pain reliever. In 1914, the federal government put the first heroin restrictions in place that limited the distribution of the drug. Nowadays, state laws vary in the severity of sentencing depending on state legislation. In 1986 lawmakers did enact a mandatory minimum sentencing guideline for drug offenses in an effort to crackdown on organized illegal distributors. Many states such as Kentucky have adopted some of these methods of harsh drug sentencing and carry some of the most extreme consequences. States like California, on the other hand, have some of the most lenient sentencing which focuses more on small fines and shorter jail time for drug possession to emphasize rehabilitation.

Simple and Construction Possession

“Possession” is defined as having, owning, or controlling a thing, or in this case, a substance. Simple possession is a case in which a person knowingly has illicit opiates under his or her control. It might be stored somewhere on their person or belongings, but the person must be aware that they are in possession of the substance and that it is in fact illegal. If the individual receives a bag or jacket from a friend for example, and they are unaware that the drug is located on their person, they may avoid penalty. Constructive possession is the charge that’s applied against more broad instances. If the individual charged had possession or control over the substances at any time, even if the opiates are far from the individual in a suitcase, dresser drawer, or hotel room, warehouse, or other remote location. As long as the individual did at one point in time have possession and dominion over the substance, they can be charged with one or multiple counts of constructive possession.

Federal vs. State Offenses

When an illicit opiate possession case is brought to federal court (for example, heroin) an individual who has no prior record or convictions of narcotics can be sentenced for no more than 1 year in prison and/or up-to a minimum amount of $1,000. If the defendant has prior heroin convictions a prison sentence may range anywhere from 15 days to 2 years and penalties can be applied anywhere in excess of $2,500. If the case involves a defendant who was in possession of heroin with the intent to sell them greatly increases the time of incarceration and fines.

States differ individually when sentencing for possession of heroin according to specific state law. The costs incurred to the criminal justice system of each state due to the opioid epidemic can be steep. This just one part of the compound issue that’s currently putting pressure on government officials and lawmakers around the country. In Pennsylvania, the cost to the state as it relates to opioid-related arrests, court costs, and incarcerations have totaled $526 million over the course of 9 years. The calculation that determined this estimate involves data collected from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health, Treatment Episode Data Sets, and the Drug Abuse Warning Network. The number is reached by multiplying the number of opioid abuse cases based on national averages by the average per-person cost within the state criminal justice system. As the number of opioid arrests increases and incarceration times remain stagnant that estimated cost with undoubtedly grow as the problem remains unsolved. The exponential cost of inmates incarcerated on opioid-related charges means that the total cost on the state level will continue to climb.

Today, Americans are becoming addicted to both heroin and legal prescription opiates at alarming rates. The consequences of this epidemic are far-reaching and incalculable when it comes to governmental cost as well as the cost of lives and turmoil. Even as the opioid epidemic wrestles the problem by curbing the prescription of legal opiates, illegal synthetic opioids, such as fentanyl, and hard drugs like heroin, are estimated to continue to increase. As new mandates have been put in place limiting the prescription of legal opiates the legal system seems to be unsuccessful at making an impact on the issue. Instead, new forms of treatment may be viable to help curb the issue at its root.

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Our brains naturally produce endorphins that play a part in moderating levels of pain throughout the body. However, when the pain becomes too severe and our brain doesn’t produce enough endorphins for relief then we turn towards opiates in order to block the pain messages. But, alongside the use of these powerful pain relievers patients will always run the risk of dependency. 

If the medication is taken outside of normal instructed use or more often then as suggested, a dependency on opiates can be more easily established and it becomes easier for things to spiral out of control. As their body builds a tolerance to the drug, patients must take higher doses in order to feel the same amount of relief as before. Patients may end up down the path of a continuous search for relief and fall into the use of more easily obtainable drugs, like heroin, in order to relieve their pains and symptoms of withdrawal. 

 Opioids such as morphine, tramadol, oxycodone, and methadone all have the potential to cause substance dependence along with other synthetic opioids such as heroin and fentanyl. This can show in various ways including impaired control over opioid use, persistent opioid use despite harmful consequences, increased tolerance, loss of interest in other activities or obligations, and physical withdrawal symptoms once opioid use has discontinued. During a period of withdrawal is the time when many opioid users can fall victim to an opioid overdose as they may seek drugs again in order to avoid the difficulty of the withdrawal symptoms. It is important to know the signs and symptoms of an overdose and make sure that you stay in touch with the opioid-dependent person and offer support during this part of their journey to seeking help towards treatment. 

During an opioid overdose, a person’s breathing may slow or stop completely due to the drugs effect on the part of the brain that regulates respiratory depression. It may sometimes be difficult to tell whether or not a person is just experiencing a very strong high or is suffering from an overdose so be aware and alert of any of these signs in order to respond accordingly.

• Constricted pin-point pupils
• Falling asleep or loss of consciousness
• Shallow breathing
• Limp body
• Unresponsive to outside stimulus
• Choking or gurgling sounds
• Pale, blue or cold skin

When people survive an overdose, it is because someone is there to respond. Stay vigilant and try and be present for those in our lives who may fall victim to an overdose.

There are also certain things that can factor into the likelihood of someone falling victim to a drug overdose including: 

• Taking high daily doses of prescription drugs
• Taking more opioids than prescribed
• Combining opioids with alcohol or other drugs
• Taking illicit drugs such as heroin or fentanyl
• History of sleep apnea, or reduced kidney or liver function
• If you are older than 65

A combination of sedatives, alcohol, and opioids are often found in fatal drug overdoses as this combination can increase the chances of respiratory depression and chances of death. However, it’s important to remember that overdoses can be prevented and that our communities can change to help reduce both the risk and the chances of fatal overdoses. 

It is important to note that effective treatment is available for opioid dependence yet only 10% of people who need it can access it. Also, the majority of people who were dependent on opioids were using illicitly manufactured drugs such as heroin and synthetic opioids such as fentanyl. However, it is becoming increasingly more common for prescription opioids to be abused as the opioid epidemic continues to grow across the nation. 

By increasing the availability of treatment that approaches opioid addiction from a modern medical standpoint we can help give those who are dependent on opioids a better chance at recovery.  This includes creating facilities in areas that are hit harder uch as rural communities that already have a hard time in terms of access to appropriate medical care.

 It is also important that we change the viewpoint that our nation and the medical community currently has about opioid addiction. Rather than treating it as a “chronic relapsing illness”, doctors should approach it from the angle of a disease in order to be able to open their minds to the possibility of treating it at the root cause rather than only it’s symptoms. By doing so we can move forward towards an age where treatment is no longer the same unsuccessful methods from 30 years ago but rather a more beneficial and humane treatment for patients of opioid addiction.

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Opioid addiction is a crisis that affects millions of Americans from all demographics as its effects continue to spread across the country with no clear end in sight. This epidemic has had an enormous impact on people from all walks of life; Its victims come from all age groups, orientations, ethnicities, genders, professions, and classes. 

115 Americans die every day due to opioid-related causes and 7,000 are treated every day for opioid-related complications. Unless there is a serious change in the way that we think about opioid addiction and its treatments then the spread of this illness in our country will not stop until we modernize both our thinking and our treatment around opioids.

Veterans 

When we first think of just who might be affected by the opioid epidemic our minds would first think of veterans. Veterans have often been prescribed opioids in order to relieve post-combat injuries and are more susceptible to addiction as they are one of the groups more vulnerable to chronic pain. Things like mental health problems and PTSD can also lead veterans down a path of self-medicating in order to relieve their symptoms and slowly end up falling into addiction with opioids, heroin, and alcohol. 

LGBTQ+

Addiction to opioids is also prevalent within the LGBTQ community as a way to relieve psychological distress that they may experience regularly as a person that society at large still often discriminates against. As a whole, the LGBTQ community has higher rates of substance abuse due in part by the fact that there are societal imposed obstacles that they often face on a daily basis. Self-medication and addiction are common in this group.

College Students

College students are another group affected by the opioid epidemic as they can find themselves pressured into drug use at parties or turn towards opioids in order to sedate anxiety. Young adults between the ages of 18-25 are some of the most vulnerable to opioid abuse as illicit drug experimentation may begin in their teens and continue or worsen as they progress into college through the normalization of their substance abuse. Once a tolerance or dependence on the substance happens then addiction is likely to follow in later years. 

Senior-Citizens

Opioid use in elderly populations is very common as they can easily access pain medication because of medical disorders and pains naturally associated with the aging process. The risk of side effects and negative drug interactions are also increased for seniors using prescription opioids as they may be taking multiple medications for several health problems. 

Young Children and Adolescents

Despite what one may think, children and adolescents are not immune to dependency or addiction to opioids. The risk of addiction to opioids is heightened for children whose parents were addicted. Not only that, but pregnant mothers who are addicted to opioids can also pass their addiction onto their unborn babies as the chemicals from the opioids will pass from the mother’s bloodstream into the child’s.  When this happens, babies can be born with neonatal abstinence syndrome. Neonatal abstinence syndrome is when a baby is born showing the signs and symptoms of opioid withdrawal as well as low birth weight and a number of other birth defects. Alongside the misuse of opioids, neonatal abstinence syndrome has drastically risen making children the youngest casualties of this opioid epidemic.

Foster care placement has also risen along with the rates of misuse of opioids and opioid-related deaths as many children are losing parents and guardians to the effects of drug abuse and addiction every year. Even children who do not use drugs can be affected by parents who abuse opioids as they miss out on parental bonding, child development, forming emotional connections and nurturing moments with their parent or parents. Unintentional neglect of the child may also occur resulting in child services removing the child from the custody of their parents.  

Rural Communities

The opioid crisis is also prevalent in economically disadvantaged and rural communities. Opioid prescriptions are given out in higher rates in rural communities and health access tends to be limited with fewer treatment programs available for opioid addiction.  Up until recently, opioid-related deaths in rural areas had outpaced those in urban areas. However, due to the flow of synthetic opioids making its way into urban communities that it is no longer the case. 

We as a society cannot allow this epidemic to continue any longer and must come together to find a modern solution to the evolving opioid crisis.  Families from all walks of life are being affected as lives are being thrown into chaos in a system that fails to acknowledge that opioid addiction is not a human failing, but a chronic illness and must be treated as such for us to move forward. It is only when we come together that we can make significant changes by joining our hands and hearts towards finding a modern medical solution to the nationwide opioid epidemic. 

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With increasingly more dangerous concoctions of drugs being sold on the streets it’s clear why opioid addiction has not only become a compounded problem but deadlier as well. One of the biggest silent killers within the opioid crisis as a whole are accidental deaths that occur when illicit or prescription opiates are mixed with benzodiazepines (of which anxiety and sleep medications are comprised) with opioids of any kind. Of all forms of opioid use, heroin is by far the deadliest and most highly addictive. It can be sniffed, smoked, and snorted depending on the preference of the addict and purity of the drug.

Heroin is normally the end-point for an opioid user and oftentimes is the last drug in a series that an individual addicted to opiates will begin using. Codeine, hydrocodone, and oxycodone are all common gateway drugs that lay the path towards deadly heroin addiction. For an opioid addict, the wide availability and cheap cost compared to prescription drugs are what makes heroin so dangerous. Those who are already hooked on opioids require daily use or else the body experiences harsh withdrawal symptoms. The longer an opioid addict has been using heroin, the more severe withdrawal symptoms become, feeding the cycle of addiction. Heroin can go by a number of street names, but the scientific name of the substance from which heroine is derived is diacetylmorphine. Morphine naturally occurs in a resinous sap found within the seeds of opium poppy plants. Some street names for Heroin to be aware of are as follows:

• Smack
• Big H
• Horse
• Hell Dust
• Boy
• Tar
• Dope
• Chiba
• Brown Sugar
• Mud
• Brown Crystal
• Snow
• Snowball
• Thunder

Forms of Usage

There are a few different ways that heroin users enter the drug into their bloodstream. Smoking, injecting, or snorting are all methods commonly used by addicts due the decreased time it takes for the drug to enter their bloodstream and reach the pleasure centers of their brain. If a user were to ingest the drug, for example, only a part of the dose would reach their neuro receptors. This is why vein collapse, liver failure, kidney failure, and respiratory failure are all-to common deadly aspects of a heroin overdoses. New users may only seek out the highest purity heroin which can be snorted or smoke in a glass pipe or in a cigarette form. Once a user becomes accustomed to lower purity forms of heroin, such as black tar heroin, that is the usually the point at which an addict will become accustomed to or resort to injecting the drug into their bloodstream. The fact that injection users gain a tolerance to the drug exponentially faster also adds a layer of complication to heroin addiction.

Mainlining heroin, also known as shooting heroin, can become a ritualistic aspect of the user’s life. Just like a nicotine smoker will carry a pack of cigarettes and a lighter, the paraphernalia used to heat and inject the drug are almost always carried on the person. Just like smoking a cigarette daily, so too does heroin become a ritualistic part of a user’s daily routine or lack thereof. Normally, heroin is placed in a spoon along with citric acid and water and is heated from the underside using a lighter until it becomes liquid. So too does the process of laying out the items used in the injection of heroin become a process and a habit. A cotton swab or cigarette filter is commonly placed on the edge of the hot spoon to draw up the liquid. Subsequently, the user draws up the liquid with the syringe through the filter in order to get rid of any impurities. Most commonly a user will tie a shoelace or belt around their upper arm like a tourniquet. Doing so causes their veins to bulge and makes the injection process easier. New users usually start with their arms for ease of access, but after repeated use veins may collapse and become unusable for drug injection. Signs of an overdose include a lowered heart rate, shallow breathing, and unconsciousness.

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Point of Entry for Opioid Abuse

In addition to coming in tablet form, codeine is also the main active ingredient in cough syrup and cough suppressants. Codeine addiction usually begins with the abuse of prescription grade cough syrup as its not perceived to be as dangerous as other commonly abused drugs such as morphine. Overall, it’s less regulated and easier to obtain than other opiate alternatives. When taken in large quantities codeine has some of the same effects of a low dosage of morphine within the body and has a similar chemical makeup to hydrocodone. For reference, codeine is converted to morphine in the body and this form is around 8-12% as potent as pure morphine. Because codeine tolerance is developed quickly, it’s common for a prescription user to require more of it over time. This the point at which a dependence can develop as a legitimate user may turn to the drug to cope with either occasional pain, chronic pain, or eventually emotional pain. Even though many see codeine as being harmless when compared to  harder forms of opiates like heroin or oxycontin, at high enough doses codeine can lead to a coma, respiratory failure, and even death by overdose or mixture with other with other drugs. Some street names to look out for when referring to codeine are:

• Cody
• Captain Cody
• Schoolboy
• Syrup
• Purple Drank
• Doors
• Fours
• Lean
• Loads

When codeine addiction starts, users usually don’t stop opiate use with codeine. As the body develops a higher tolerance and seeks higher forms of euphoria, an abuser may begin to mix codeine with other substances such as alcohol or turn to an alternative form of opiates. Commonly an abuser will turn to oxycodone or morphine as to supplement their addiction. In 2008 a survey was conducted that showed that 4.7 million Americans reported using pain relievers for non-medical purposes. This statistic includes codeine among other highly abused opiates.

Serotonin Syndrome

Seratonin syndrome is a condition that occurs when the levels of chemical serotonin are dangerously elevated in the body. It can occur with high doses of codeine as well as instances where codeine is abused in conjunction with another drug. Side effects of the state can range from mild like shivering or diarrhea to sever such as fever, seizures, or even death. Serotonin is a chemical your body needs to normal nerve and brain cell functions but at elevated levels it starts to become an extreme risk. Less serious forms of serotonin syndrome have the possibility of going away in under 24 hours, but regardless it’s crucial to seek help if experiencing any of the symptoms. A doctor may also prescribe a drug that blocks serotonin for immediate treatment. Onset of serotonin syndrome usually starts within several hours of abusing the drug in question and can be brought on by such opiate drugs as fentanyl, oxycodone, tramadol, and codeine in addition to antibiotics, lithium, antidepressants, and tobacco addiction medications. Herbal supplements to watch out for in conjunctive use of opiates are ginseng, nutmeg, and St. John’s wort.

Codeine In Popular Culture

Codeine abuse in the form of cough syrup is widely referenced in popular culture from all ranges of public figures such as musicians, athletes, and celebrities. The preferred method of ingestion of codeine is a drink normally comprised of cough syrup, alcohol, and sprite referred to as ‘lean’ or ‘purple drank’. In March 2013 celebrity rapper Lil’ Wayne was admitted under intensive care after a codeine overdose signaled by seizures and unconsciousness. Although he survived the ordeal he had to have his stomach pumped three times in an attempt to clear his system of the drugs. Afterwards, he became outspoken about the dangers of codeine abuse and helped to raise awareness around both around codeine and the normative effect that culture has had on its use.

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The most common types of opiates are codeine and morphine, both used to treat moderate to severe pain and typically in combination with other medications. Opioids, or opioid derivatives, are available by prescription and include Oxycodone (Percocet, Oxycontin, or Percodan), Hydromorphone (Palladone and Dilaudid), and Hydrocodone (Lorcet, Dolorex, and Vicodin).

Hydrocodone is one of the most commonly used recreational drugs, and like all opiates is available in several forms including pills, tablets, and liquids. When used recreationally, opiates are typically crushed and snorted, smoked, or injected.

How can you tell if someone you know is addicted to opiates? If you’re concerned, look for signs of opiate addiction. These include changes in behavior or attitudes that aren’t attributable to any significant life change. For example, if a person becomes increasingly solitary, agitated, or anxious, it’s worth a closer look.

Any kind of behavior changes or extreme alterations in mood can be signs of an opiate addiction, and include frequent expressions of hostility, anxiety, anger, or agitation. Isolation from family and friends and avoidance of social events, as well as a decline in overall performance in work, school, or social life are also common signs.

Persons suffering from an opiate addiction may frequently “nod off” in inappropriate circumstances and neglect their personal hygiene. In addition, they may experience repeated bouts of insomnia.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the signs of opiate addiction —necessary to diagnose the condition– include a strong desire or sense of compulsion to take the drug, difficulties in controlling drug-taking behavior in terms of levels of use, a physiological withdrawal state when drug use is stopped or reduced, evidence of tolerance requiring increased doses of the drug in order to achieve effects originally produced by lower doses, and progressive neglect of alternative pleasures or interests because of drug use.

If you know someone who is suffering from an opiate addiction, there are several treatment options available. One of the most cutting edge is Accelerated Neuroregulation (ANR), which reverses the dependency and its symptoms by essentially re-regulating the brain and nervous system. Dr. Waismann and his team do this without subjecting patients to the harmful effects of withdrawal, which can be the most dangerous aspect of opiate addiction treatment.

Dr. Andre Waismann is a pioneer in ANR treatment and offers this care at his two clinics, one in Florida and one in Switzerland. To find out more about Dr. Waismann and his clinics, please contact us today.

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Since opiate addiction surfaced as a worldwide epidemic in the past 20 years, many different types of opiate addiction treatment options have been introduced. For the many who suffer from opiate addiction, the thought of withdraw is a frightening reality. Unfortunately, withdraw symptoms can be so devastating, many afflicted with opiate addiction forgo treatment in fear that the withdraw symptoms may be too serious for them to handle. Furthermore, the post withdrawals cravings will bring most patients to relapse.

There is hope for recovery, and it doesn’t include Methadone or Suboxone therapy, which can lead to further opiate abuse. Dr. Waismann and his staff of highly trained advanced medical personnel have found the answer to opiate addiction treatment.

Since 1994, Dr. Waismann has been perfecting a treatment he designed called ANR or Accelerated Neuroregulation.

By employing ANR, Dr. Waismann and his staff treat each patient individually incorporating techniques that address each person’s unique chemical dependency and medical history. The ANR procedure includes a cleansing of the patient’s opiate receptors, which reduce withdraw symptoms to nil in a matter of hours – not days. The procedure is preformed while the patient is under anesthesia. When the patient awakes, they are opiate-free and have avoided painful withdraw symptoms.

Since Dr. Waismann’s patients never have to experience withdraw symptoms, the success rate of ANR is drastically higher than that of traditional opiate addiction treatments. To date, ANR has helped individuals overcome the addiction of Methadone, Suboxone, Heroin, Percocet, Oxycontin, Codeine, Vicodin, and more.

Currently, Dr. Waismann is treating patients around the world, conquering opiate addiction one patient at a time. He is on a mission to educate and train other medical professionals on the nature of the procedure so that ANR can one day become a mainstream treatment for opiate dependency. Dr. Waismann’s treatment facilities are located in Naples, Florida at Landmark Hospital and in Thun, Switzerland.

Dr. Waismann has dedicated his life and career to helping those who are suffering due to opiate addiction. His treatment centers employ only the most capable and compassionate staff.

For more information on how Dr. Waismann’s revolutionary ANR treatment can help you and your loved ones overcome opiate addiction, contact us today.

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Although treatment facilities such as detox centers, rapid detox centers, and medication-assisted treatment centers have been slowly trickling down across the nation we have still continued to see people from all walks of life fall victim to opioid epidemic. Whether it’s a war veteran, an infant child of an addict mother, or even the doctors and nurses themselves, all have the same probability to fall prey to opioid addiction. These people do not choose to stay addicted willingly or otherwise, but rather opioid addiction is an illness just like any other and should be viewed as such when it comes to treatment.

We as a society have decided that for the last 50 years, we should approach opioid addiction as though it were a mental weakness on the part of the patient or user. Considering the state of the crisis, why is it that we continue to use the same types of treatment that we have been using for the past several decades and expect different results?

The drugs themselves have even begun to evolve with the epidemic continuing to worsen and evolve due to the continuing increase in the use of synthetic opioids such as tramadol and fentanyl. Many of the sources for these drugs are coming from illicit manufacturers rather than medically prescribed but the sudden shift towards these drugs in the wake of an already harrowing crisis has left a devastating effect on the country. Synthetic opioids made up 59.8% of all opioid-related overdose deaths in 2017 alone, a 14% increase from the previous year. With a continuously changing landscape of highly potent drugs now becoming more readily available shouldn’t our countries physicians not also strive to find a more effective solution to the problem?

Why is it that we relegate treatment to only be based around the mental strength of the patient and not on the physical and neurological functions that are going on in their body? Just what is it that is holding us back? In order to treat this national health crisis in a way that will change the playing field in this country, it is important for us to first change the way we think about the problem in order to move forward towards a more effective solution.

When it comes to rehab centers anyone who has ever attended or has had a loved one attend can tell you that we are setting people up for failure. The relapse rate in these types of facilities is so high that many times addicts can go 3 or 4 times and still fall victim to relapse right after whether it is due to their environment or lack of support system available. When it comes to medication assisted treatment, their solution is to treat the addiction with other forms of opiates as a solution to cravings. But is replacing one opioid with another truly solving the problem? It is important that we ask ourselves whether or not solving the symptoms and side effects of opioid addiction should even be considered a solution.

It is not often that we consider how easy it is for things to spiral out of control if we get injured and are prescribed painkillers by a doctor. Whether it’s for a simple back injury at work, surgery, cancer treatment, or even a car accident anyone can fall into dependency. The longer that someone is dependent on opiates the more the makeup of the receptors in the brain begin to change and the easier it is to fall into dependency as the body begins to lose the ability for it to produce natural painkillers (endorphins). It is for this reason that addicts will begin to feel pain at a higher threshold than other people and continue to fall down the well of dependency with external opiates.

To ask someone who is dependent on opioids, who has fallen into a vicious cycle that has changed the physical makeup of the receptors in their brain, to go through a detox and suffer through withdrawal and likely fall victim to relapse again and again is inherently cruel. If you have ever had a loved one fall prey to addiction you will understand that it is not a weakness in the person. Anyone can fall victim to this type of addiction, and it becomes so difficult to see someone continue down this path without the right kind of solution available to them. Before continuing to invest in the crisis first we must change the way we think about the crisis, its victims, and what success in opioid treatment looks like. Only then will we be able to tackle the long battle into this national health crisis.

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They are centuries old and have been traditionally used for pain management. The drugs, as with most other drugs, were originally intended to stay in the medical community. However, their popularity amongst recreational users has increased dramatically since their introduction.

Opiates are now among the most abused drugs in the entire world. Learning a few facts about opiate addiction and treatment will help communities and individuals deal with the issue, instead of sweeping it under a rug.

There are only a few opiates used in the medical field for pain management: morphine and codeine. This group, however, also contains heroin and opium, followed closely by a few synthetic varieties. The synthetics are sometimes used for pain treatment or to help opiate addicts. In the United States alone, there are nearly 2.5 million users of opiates over  the age of 12.

Opiate Addiction

Many doctors believe opiate addiction stems from a central nervous system disorder. This disorder develops with continuous opiate use. The natural painkillers in the body (endorphins) stop working when a person uses opiates for an extended period of time. Eventually, the brain stops making endorphins because the body is receiving the resource externally.

In individuals who are addicted, the brain receptors will increase gradually. The result is an increase in the need for the drug. As drug tolerance also builds up, the addict eventually needs increasing amounts to prevent the symptoms of withdrawal and to maintain feelings of euphoria; the root of their addiction.

Side Effects

Opiate addicts often exhibit severe mood swings as well as noticeable behavior changes. The drug will present with any of the following side effects:

• Euphoria followed by depression
• Skewed judgement
• Rapid heartbeat
• Restlessness
• Slurred speech
• Diminished coordination
• Hyperactivity
• Lack of concentration

Immediately after taking the drugs, addicts will usually exhibit increased body temperature, euphoria, heavy limbs and a dry mouth. The user also alternates between drowsy and wakeful states and cannot function normally.

Withdrawal

The withdrawal from opiates is very painful. In some cases, it has even proven to be deadly, especially for those who are already in poor health. This is why the ANR method has been designed to avoid the painful effects of withdrawal so that opiate addicts can be treated successfully without the fear of side effects.

For patients who choose another path of treatment other than ANR, they can expect withdrawal symptoms to last a week (this is for an otherwise healthy individual) to 10 days for a short acting opiate dependency and up to a month for a long acting opiate dependent. These withdrawal symptoms, which do not affect patients of the ANR method, include:

• Cold flashes
• Insomnia
• Vomiting
• Restlessness
• Diarrhea

Treatment

Opiate addicts are typically hospitalized in substance abuse treatment facilities for treatment. The ANR staff treats their patients in two clinics; one in Naples, Florida and the other in Thun, Switzerland.

If you have further questions, please contact us today.

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