Speedball is a combination of illegal drugs. The components are a stimulant and a depressant, such as cocaine and heroin. Besides these, any two stimulants and depressants can be combined to create a speedball. Some examples include:
- Alcohol and cocaine
- Alcohol and meth
- Xanax and meth
- Cocaine and marijuana
Speedball addiction is considered polydrug abuse since you become addicted to more than one drug at a time. Polydrug abuse is more complicated to treat than addiction to only one substance. It requires special attention and different treatment routes.
If you want to know how long speedball addiction treatment lasts, read on to find out.
How is speedball taken?
The preferred method of taking speedball is through intravenous injection. Users would often dissolve cocaine and heroin powder together, then inject it with a syringe into their arms. The intravenous route produces a quick, intense high that many users want.
Another way to take speedball is by snorting cocaine and heroin powder together. While snorting is easier and painless, it does not give a very powerful high. For this reason, most speedball users would rather inject the drug cocktail directly into their bloodstreams.
What does speedball do to the body?
Speedball is a mixture of two drugs with opposing actions. Users refer to stimulant drugs as “uppers”, while depressants are called “downers.” Speedball can produce a “tug of war” effect on your brain and body. The stimulant makes you feel more alive and alert, while the depressant makes you want to relax and slow down. These antagonistic effects occurring at the same time can wreak havoc on your body.
Here is one possible consequence. Depressants like heroin and Xanax can trigger a side effect known as respiratory depression, or the slowing down of your breathing rate. On the other hand, stimulants like cocaine and meth increase activity in your central nervous system.
When the brain is more active, it needs additional oxygen to sustain the increased activity. But because of the effects of the depressant, you cannot breathe faster and your body cannot provide more oxygen to your brain. If this trend continues, your brain may shut down due to a lack of oxygen, and your entire body will be affected as well.
If you do not get medical attention, you may experience a fatal respiratory failure.
Another dangerous consequence of speedball use is overdose. Since you are taking two drugs each time, the risk of overdose is much higher than taking only one drug. In addition, speedball can trick your brain that you have a higher tolerance than you actually do. You could be easily tempted to take more speedball, further increasing your risk of overdose. Moreover, the potency of speedball can quickly trigger a potentially fatal overdose.
How is speedball addiction treated?
Speedball addiction treatment has similarities to treating other drug addictions. Types of treatment include medical detox, behavioral therapies, and medications. But because speedball addiction is a case of polydrug abuse, there are certain considerations.
Suppose you have an addiction to speedballs consisting of heroin and cocaine. When you are in treatment, the effects of both substances have to be addressed simultaneously. If not, the treatment will not be very effective.
In detox, for example, both heroin and cocaine need to be eliminated from your body. This is a more delicate process than just removing either one. Withdrawal symptoms may be more severe than detoxing from just one drug. With these in mind, medical professionals must be supervising you each step of the way when detoxing from speedball. Enrolling in an inpatient speedball addiction treatment program gives you maximum supervision not just during detox, but throughout the entire treatment process.
When dealing with a polydrug abuse problem, it is always a good idea to find out if your preferred rehab facility has personnel trained to deal with polydrug abuse. Not all recovery professionals are equipped to handle polydrug users. Dealing with polydrug abuse is a matter requiring extra attention and more careful methods.
How long does speedball addiction treatment last?
The duration of treatment depends on a few things such as:
Severity of your addiction- Frequency of speedball usage
- Your dosage of speedball per intake
- Your current health condition
- Your mental health status
- Previous history of substance abuse
Often, treating a speedball addiction requires more time and effort than treating an addiction to a single drug. Since speedball consists of two substances, addiction to it is known as polydrug abuse. Cases of polydrug abuse are more complicated to treat, which is why it often takes longer.
It also depends if you are in an inpatient or an outpatient treatment program. Outpatient programs typically last longer – three months or more – because you are not in a rehab facility the entire time. You only have to be there during scheduled therapies. Inpatient programs, on the other hand, are more intensive. You need to live inside a rehab facility for anywhere between one to three months.
The rehab facility is a controlled environment free of potential drug triggers. This environment allows you to focus on activities that promote your recovery. These include:
- One-on-one therapies
- Group therapies
- Support groups
- Family therapy
- Recreational activities (e.g. sports, art, etc.)
All of these activities are designed to reduce your tendency to use drugs.
Your daily schedule in the rehab facility will also be managed. This way, you can develop healthy routines like consistent sleep and wake times every day, as well as having defined meal times. Your meals will consist of well-balanced diets, as eating healthy will also help you develop a sober lifestyle.
Eventually, you will be equipped to avoid drug triggers and actively pursue sobriety on your own. You will have learned healthy habits and better coping strategies for stress and negative emotions that do not involve substance use.
Medicaid can pay for part of your codeine addiction treatment. State-funded health insurance usually covers rehab costs for most recovering individuals. However, even though Medicaid typically helps protect addiction treatment services, the coverage can differ based on the specific insurance plan. Medicaid coverage of your codeine addiction treatment costs can vary from state to state.
Inpatient rehab centers offer codeine addiction treatment services as the patient stays on-site in the facility. Inpatient or residential care programs usually have a duration of 15 to 90 days, depending on your treatment needs and the program you’re taking. Medicaid can cover inpatient codeine addiction treatment based on the duration of the program.
After completing inpatient codeine addiction treatment, most recovering users attend outpatient treatment to give them continuous support on their recovery journey.
This type of therapy is used in Klonopin addiction treatment programs to help recovering users identify the things, places, and people that their minds link to drug use. Additionally, therapists can help clients closely monitor patients’ conscious and unconscious thoughts regarding their Klonopin use to help them treat the hidden causes of their addiction. After the user can determine the trigger situations that push them to use Klonopin, this can help them develop a plan of action for when they get drug cravings.
Medication therapy combined with talk therapy has benefited some recovering users. People suffering from anxiety or depression taking Klonopin might be better off with medication management treatment. They can also use advanced non-addictive anxiety treatment drugs or antidepressants.
Inpatient rehab programs require patients to stay at the treatment facility during the duration of the program. There is restricted access to the outside environment, including family and friends, but there can be arranged visits. There is also a rigid daily schedule for patients comprising personalized therapy activities, personal free time, physical activity, meal times, and group and individual therapy. Inpatient rehab offers recovering Klonopin users 24-hour medical supervision and support. Since most Klonopin users tend to use other addictive drugs, an inpatient rehab treatment approach is best equipped for treating co-occurring mental disorders and addictions.
Learn alternative coping mechanisms required to keep on the recovery journey outside a rehab setting
Inpatient rehab for patients suffering from cocaine addiction involves the client living at the treatment facility under the supervision of clinicians, nurses, and doctors. This allows for around-the-clock support, care, and observation by medical professionals in a supportive setting. As the patient works through their cocaine addiction treatment, they go through varying levels of care requiring gradually fewer hours of treatment every week. This includes intensive outpatient care and partial hospitalization programming.
This type of treatment might be a better option for individuals whose addiction is less severe or those who are unable to leave their families or jobs to engage in full-time inpatient treatment. Outpatient rehab is also taken as a demotion from exhaustive inpatient treatment. This level of treatment involves the individuals living in a supportive home environment or sober living. The individual will develop a part-time schedule for their treatment around their home and work responsibilities. Patients taking part in outpatient treatment as part of a continuous level of care find it offers them a chance to progress out of cocaine addiction treatment more easily.
The first 6 to 12 hours: During this time after the last dose of Tramadol, the user will start experiencing minor symptoms of withdrawal which can look like the flu. This includes body aches, a runny nose, watery eyes, and sweating.
The physician may opt to ease the user off their physical dependence on the drug by tapering them off Tramadol. This can make Tramadol withdrawal much smoother but it can extend the timeline since it usually takes weeks or months to get over this dependence. If the medical professional tapers the user off of Tramadol properly, then the withdrawal symptoms should only last for five to seven days. However, if they do not taper properly the withdrawal symptoms might last longer and be more intense.
The extent of the user’s physical dependence on the drug will determine the severity and duration of Tramadol withdrawal. This is because the brain depends on Tramadol significantly and might need some more time to get back to normal and restore its balance which was probably affected by extended, chronic Tramadol use. As such, people who have been taking particularly large doses of Tramadol for quite a while might be more dependent on it as compared to other users.
Based on research, withdrawal from meth occurs in two stages. The first stage can happen within 24 hours of your last dose of meth. The withdrawal symptoms may be at their most intense at this time. Over the course of a week, they will gradually subside.
Meth makes your brain release lots of dopamine and serotonin. These two molecules are involved in producing feelings of reward and satisfaction. Eventually, your brain’s supply of dopamine and serotonin will run out, and once you suddenly stop taking meth, withdrawal will kick in.
Exercise is known to release brain molecules that put you in a good mood. Additionally, when you exercise while withdrawing from meth, it gives the added bonus of keeping yourself physically fit. In turn, your overall state of health will improve, which also helps in your recovery.
Marijuana withdrawal varies among different users. Individuals who are mildly dependent on marijuana can quickly stop using the drug themselves, but chronic users with a higher tolerance may require extra assistance to kick the habit.
Even though most regular weed smokers usually do not think they are addicted to it and most former users have typically experienced drug cravings in the initial stages of their abstinence journey. The cravings will vary depending on each individual but what remains constant is the strong urge to use marijuana.
A significant number of former marijuana users have reported experiencing problems with sleep during withdrawal, such as night sweats, disturbing or vivid dreams, and insomnia. Some have also stated that they frequently had dreams of using marijuana, also referred to as “using dreams.” Recovering users may experience vivid dreams often about 1 week after stopping, and they can go on for almost one month before they are off the drug completely. It is also not uncommon for former users to have such dreams years after stopping taking marijuana.
Insomnia
Alcohol interferes with the normal function of the brain. As a depressant, it slows down activity in the brain, promoting relaxation. If you drink frequently, your brain will soon become used to the effects of alcohol. Consequently, to keep the brain functioning, it will have to work harder to keep you alert.
In STR, your benzo dosage depends on how you rate your level of pain. If your pain rating is higher, you get a bigger dose. Several other criteria are also assessed before any medication is prescribed.
When you are experiencing symptoms of an anxiety disorder, like trembling, nervousness, difficulty speaking, irritability, and the like, you would want yourself to calm down. Drinking alcohol is a popular way to do this. After a drink, you may begin to feel more relaxed and confident.
If you often experience symptoms of anxiety, the best thing to do is to consult a mental health professional. They can help you figure out if you actually have an anxiety disorder. When you have anxiety symptoms, it doesn’t always follow that you have an anxiety disorder. You need to fulfill specific criteria first before being diagnosed with one.
During CBT, your therapist will train you to identify erroneous thoughts that are not grounded in reality, which in turn trigger anxiety. He will then ask you to consider more realistic and positive alternatives then have you weigh the evidence for both the negative and positive thoughts. Once you realize the positive thoughts have more basis in reality, then your patterns of thinking about anxiety-inducing situations will change.
Infertility
When you drink, alcohol affects your pituitary gland and hypothalamus. Without GnRH, FSH, and LH, the testes cannot produce testosterone. Based on research, testosterone levels drop as quickly as 30 minutes after drinking.
12 ounces of beer (normally at 5% alcohol)
