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What Is a Speedball?

There is little doubt that co-occurring addictions can be both damaging and devastating. This includes a co-occurring stimulant and depressant addiction, which are the two substances that a speedball is made of. Many people often ask, “What is a speedball?” Yet, the more important question may be, “How can one recover from a speedball addiction?” The good news is there are many means, methods, and modalities that can help one recover from what is a speedball addiction.

What Exactly Is a Speedball?

So then, what exactly is a speedball? The quick answer is that it is a combination of cocaine and heroin, but there are more complexities than that. According to the peer-reviewed journal, Neuropharmacology, “The co-use of cocaine and opiates, termed speedball, has been on the rise since the 1970s and represents a growing subpopulation of drug abusers. The prevalence of cocaine use among heroin addicts ranges from 30% to 80%. Negative health and social consequences of such combinations are severe, particularly when cocaine is used intravenously.” 

It is also important to understand that “speedballs” are no longer just cocaine and heroin. They can be any combination of stimulant and depressant (often an opioid). For example, a speedball could be a combination of methamphetamine and fentanyl. This combination could be particularly dangerous because fentanyl is such a powerful synthetic opioid.

How Dangerous Is a Speedball?

So, “How dangerous is a speedball?” The answer is that a speedball can be extremely dangerous. As previously mentioned, this is especially true if the speedball is taken intravenously. 

According to the Journal of Substance Abuse Treatment, “[An] investigation compared groups of speedball and non-speedball cocaine users on global measures of depression and anxiety and modal groupings of personality characteristics measured by the MMPI [the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory]. Compared to men who use cocaine without opioids, compulsive speedball users evidenced significantly greater problems with depression, trait anxiety, and related symptomatology, and were more uniformly characterized by modal profiles reflecting severe psychopathology and maladjustment. These results agree with descriptions of severe pathology associated with speedball use.” Furthermore, there are also many other signs and symptoms worth noting.

The Signs and Symptoms of a Speedball Addiction

Now, the signs and symptoms of a speedball addiction will vary based on the individual. However, there are some universal signs and symptoms that often manifest. The following are just a few of those signs and symptoms:

  • Isolating away from family and close friends
  • Losing interest in activities and hobbies once enjoyed
  • Struggles with sleep cycles, including sleeping too much and not sleeping enough (hypersomnia and insomnia)
  • Feeling anxious, nervous, or overly “stressed out”
  • Having feelings of depression
  • Experiencing substance-induced psychosis
  • Committing self-harm or harming others
  • Loss of appetite
  • Lacking care of one’s appearance and/or personal hygiene
  • Extreme mood swings
  • Engaging in other risky behaviors
  • Having suicidal ideation or attempting suicide

As one can see, the symptoms of a speedball addiction can be very serious. This is why if any, many, or all of these symptoms are present, it is important to seek professional help as soon as possible. Doing so could mean the difference between short-term side effects and long-term consequences.

Is a Speedball Addiction Treatable?

So, is a speedball addiction treatable? The good news is that the answer is an emphatic, “Yes!” The key is to find the right treatment that works for the individual. Generally, with a speedball addiction, treatment starts with a safe and secure detox. This not only helps get the substance out of one’s system safely but it also often connects an individual to the next critical stages of their recovery.

After a safe and secure detox, the next stages of recovery usually take place in residential addiction care or an intensive outpatient program (IOP). This often depends on whether an individual needs 24/7 monitoring or can manage their treatment while also keeping one foot in their everyday lives.

Regardless of whether one chooses residential treatment or an IOP, it is important that their recovery plan be both individualized and comprehensive. This is also known as the “multi-angled approach.” An effective multi-angled approach should pull from all categories of treatment. It should use evidence-based psychotherapies like cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) and dialectical behavior therapy (DBT), experiential therapies like nature-based therapies and art therapy, and holistic healing methods like yoga therapy and mindfulness meditation.

The Phoenix Difference at The Phoenix Recovery Center

Here at The Phoenix Recovery Center, we believe in what we like to call the Phoenix difference – “Empowering individuals and families suffering from addiction and mental health disorders, to celebrate life through lasting solutions.” This includes helping individuals recover from a speedball addiction.

Speedball use can take everything away, but that doesn’t mean one can’t get it back. There is hope, and there is help. The time is now.

Speedballs (a mixture of a stimulant and a depressant) can be extremely dangerous. They are also highly addictive. Many speedballs today contain fentanyl, which makes them even more deadly than ever before. The good news is there are many effective means, methods, and modalities that can help one recover from a speedball addiction. If you feel like you or a loved one are struggling with issues of addiction, mental illness, or both, we can help get you on the positive path toward long-term recovery right away. You don’t have to go through this process alone. For more information about speedballs and their dangerous and addictive properties, please reach out to The Phoenix Recovery Center today at (801) 438-3185.

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The Phoenix Recovery Center
489 W. South Jordan Pkwy
Suite 400
South Jordan, UT