what is a speedball drugs

We believe everyone deserves access to accurate, unbiased information about mental health and addiction. That’s why we have a comprehensive set of treatment providers and don’t charge for inclusion. We do not and have never accepted fees for referring someone to a particular center. Providers who advertise with us must be verified by our Research Team and we clearly mark their status as advertisers. Speedballing has taken the lives of countless famed individuals.

what is a speedball drugs

Best drug addiction treatment in Beverly Hills, CA

what is a speedball drugs

This becomes very dangerous to the user, which could then also result in their own eventual deaths. Polydrug use or using multiple drugs at once is a dangerous practice that can have severe and even fatal consequences. It’s important to understand the risks of speedballing, as well as other drug combinations, and seek help if you or someone you know is struggling with substance abuse. Aside from cocaine and heroin combinations, the term speedball is also being used as a loose term to describe any mixture of a depressant and stimulant.

What Makes a Speedball So Dangerous?

Once the speedball is injected however, it’s too late to consider its severe and potentially deadly effects. Logic and reason cannot counter the blissful highs of a speedball. It requires a strong awareness and firm boundaries not to allow substance use to reach the point of a speedball addiction. In fact, nearly half of drug overdoses in 2019 were caused by polydrug abuse. Similarly, illegal drug manufacturers are beginning to lace other drugs with fentanyl, as it increases the power of the drug.

Respiratory Failure/Depression

  1. Outpatient addiction treatment offers many of the same beneficial programs and activities but does not require the patient to stay overnight.
  2. In contrast, heroin use can cause a decrease in blood pressure, heart rate, and cardiac output, inducing a state of relaxation and sedation.
  3. Plus, overdoses often involve multiple drugs rather than a high dose of just a single drug.
  4. Just be sure to tell them about specific symptoms so they can send the appropriate response.

It’s a combination of heroin and cocaine, which are both illegal drugs. By mixing the two, users experience the intense rush of cocaine, followed by the relaxing effects of heroin. While the term traditionally refers to injecting both drugs at once, it can now refer to snorting them together. This is due to the rising purity levels of both heroin and cocaine. Various other drug combinations can be referred to as a speedball, though the classic combo is still cocaine and heroin. Combining heroin and cocaine in a speedball can increase the risk of overdose, as users may miscalculate the dosage or underestimate the potency of the mixture.

Medication-Assisted Treatment

Drug slang is commonly thrown around, allowing drug users to speak with codenames to avoid getting into trouble and calling attention to their conversation topics. “Speedball” is one such street name – a term that describes a dangerous doozy of mixing a stimulant with a depressant. Other slang names for speedballing include, “dynamite”, “belushi”, “bombita” and “snowballing”. Avenues Recovery provides an in-depth overview of what a speedball is, and symptoms of speedballing that one should be cognizant of.

What is Hepatitis C? Causes, Symptoms & Treatment

Individual therapy is a core component of speedballing addiction treatment. In one-on-one sessions with a therapist, individuals work to identify the underlying causes of their addiction, develop coping strategies, https://sober-home.org/can-you-smoke-shrooms-read-this-before-you-do/ and set goals for recovery. Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT) or Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) may address distorted thinking patterns, manage cravings, and develop healthier behaviors.

Giving your brain drugs that have contrasting effects can cause serious damage physically and even psychologically. However, the first step in doing this is to acknowledge the problem itself. Denial of substance abuse could lead to further risks and could just end up with the person struggling with addiction not being able to address the problem. Once you suspect that you or anyone you love is struggling with addiction, address the problem immediately by acknowledging it.

Speedballing is the practice of using heroin and cocaine simultaneously. You can risk addiction or overdose if you frequently use cocaine. This can also lead to physical and mental dependence on the drug. The buildup of dopamine leads to intense feelings https://rehabliving.net/genetics-and-alcoholism-pmc/ of alertness and energy. The effects of cocaine wear off after 15 to 30 minutes, depending on how it is used (IV or snorted – not mixed but used consecutively). A significant concern for people who speedball is the increased risk of overdose.

This can be done via an inpatient, partial hospitalization, or intensive outpatient program. It’s not enough to understand what a speedball is, you also need to have an understanding of why they are so dangerous. If the depressant is metabolized before the stimulant, you take the risk of having a heart attack. Your blood pressure https://soberhome.net/addiction-termination-when-is-it-appropriate-to/ may become very high, putting you at risk of a stroke. The risk of this grows if you have another condition such as heart disease, a weak blood vessel, or high blood pressure. These are medical problems people don’t always know they have, so when they do the speedball, their risk is already drastically increased.

While speedballing isn’t tracked as other drug addictions or practices, some numbers show the severity of the practice among drug addicts. These speedballing statistics are shocking, impressive, and proof of the dangers of mixing drugs. While a speedball habit is incredibly dangerous, quitting isn’t easy. Opioids can alter brain chemistry in persistent ways.[16] People can feel sick when they try to quit.