Serenity Lane Educates on the Effects of Heroin

Serenity Lane, located in Eugene, Oregon, recently released a blog laying out the effects that heroin can have on the body, both short-term and long-term. As one of the oldest nonprofits in Oregon dedicated to helping people through recovery, they frequently offer their expertise on topics regarding addiction in order to better help their community and beyond. With 34% of overdose deaths in Oregon being tied to heroin, they felt it important to lay out how heroin impacts the body. With this knowledge, people can better spot the side effects and symptoms and know what they mean and where they are coming from.

The first thing they explain is how long heroin stays in the body. In the world of medication and substances, the term “half-life” is used to describe the length of time something is in the system. “The term half-life is used as a means to define how long a substance is present in your body, measured by the length of time it takes for half of it to be out of your system.” The article says. “Heroin has an incredibly short half-life of 30 minutes on average.”

Despite its short half-life, it’s very common that the effects of a substance aren’t felt during the entirety of its half-life. “This means that people may feel as though they no longer have heroin in their bodies and decide to consume more before it’s fully passed through their system,” the article explains.

Serenity Lane then goes on to explain the different kinds of side effects someone can experience from heroin use: from short-term to long-term and even the signs of withdrawal. Some of the side effects are more long-term than others, such as depression, psychosis, or anxiety. Others are much shorter-term, like nausea, cramping, and dry mouth. Either way, they stress the importance of recognizing these side effects so individuals can better identify where they’re coming from, especially in the case of withdrawal side effects.

“Withdrawal occurs when the body becomes accustomed to a substance being within it that alters how the body functions.” The article writes. “Our bodies are incredibly adaptable and can adjust to a substance being within them. When this happens and the substance is then removed, the body has to then adjust back to behaving without the substance. This doesn’t come without consequences. The process of your body adjusting to not having a substance in it is what is known as withdrawal.”

The article reiterates that the exact timetable for withdrawal can vary from person to person. Things like the history of substance use, other substances in the system, genetics, metabolism, and more can impact the exact amount of time it takes for an individual to withdraw. “On average it lasts about a week, with symptoms usually starting within 12 hours of your last dose.”

Serenity Lane has been helping people overcome substance and alcohol use disorders since 1973. All of the programs they offer have been accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities (CARF). They have introduced many new programs in Oregon, such as residential step-down and outpatient programs that integrate residential and outpatient services. They have also been the provider of the only Addiction Counselor Training Program in Oregon. Some of their graduates are now offering their services through several treatment programs throughout the country.

People who would like to know more about the addiction treatment services available through Serenity Lane of Eugene, Oregon can visit their website or contact them by telephone or email. Serenity Lane has live people ready to help place patients from 8:00 am - 7:30 pm Monday through Friday, and 8:00 am - 6:00 pm Saturday and Sunday.