What Is Lean? Effects & Dangers

Depressed young man drinking alcohol in bar

Lean, also known as purple drank, sizzurp, or dirty sprite, is a concoction that has woven its way into popular culture, frequently mentioned in music and social media.

This mixture, which blends prescription-strength cough syrup containing codeine and promethazine with soft drinks and sometimes hard candies for flavor, originated in the hip-hop community of the southern United States and has since become a symbol of a sedated, euphoric high among its users.

Despite its casual and often glorified mentions in various cultural contexts, lean consumption has dangerous consequences. Below, we’ll explore its short- and long-term effects and associated risks.

Short- & Long-Term Side Effects of Lean

Lean’s impact on an individual’s health can be categorized into immediate, short-term effects and more insidious, long-term consequences.

Short-Term Effects

The immediate aftermath of consuming lean includes a range of effects that alter both physical and mental states.

Users often report a euphoric feeling, accompanied by sedation and a significantly slowed heart rate. This state of relaxation and disconnection from reality also comes with impaired motor skills, making it dangerous to perform tasks that require precise coordination or attention.

The combination of codeine, an opioid, and promethazine, an antihistamine, in lean contributes to these effects but also leads to adverse reactions such as nausea, dizziness, vision impairment, and confusion, showcasing the immediate dangers of this substance.

Long-Term Effects

With prolonged use, the dangerous effects of lean become more severe and potentially life-threatening. Dependency on codeine can develop rapidly, leading users into a cycle of increasing consumption to chase the initial highs. This increased intake heightens the risk of overdose and respiratory depression.

Chronic users may face many health issues, including dental decay (often referred to as “lean teeth”), weight gain, constipation, and urinary tract infections.

The psychological toll is equally concerning, with potential for depression, anxiety, and intense withdrawal symptoms during cessation attempts. These long-term consequences highlight the critical need for awareness and intervention in cases of lean abuse.

The Risks and Dangers of Lean Consumption

In the hospital sick male patient sleeps on the bed.

Lean consumption poses significant risks and dangers that can be broadly categorized into physical health risks, psychological risks, and the overarching role of addiction. Here is a detailed breakdown:

Physical Health Risks

  • Overdose Potential: High doses of codeine and promethazine can lead to life-threatening overdose, characterized by respiratory depression, coma, and even death.
  • Impact on Liver: Chronic use of lean can cause liver damage due to the high levels of acetaminophen in many cough syrups, which is toxic to the liver in large quantities.
  • Respiratory System: Lean use depresses the central nervous system, leading to slowed breathing, which can be fatal in cases of overdose or when combined with other depressants.

Psychological Risks

  • Dependency: The opioid component (codeine) in lean can lead to physical and psychological dependency, making it difficult for users to stop.
  • Withdrawal Symptoms: Users trying to quit may experience severe withdrawal symptoms, including anxiety, irritability, sweating, nausea, and tremors.
  • Impact on Mental Health: Regular lean consumption can exacerbate or contribute to mental health disorders, such as depression and anxiety, further complicating recovery efforts.

Treatment for Lean Addiction

Treating lean addiction requires a comprehensive approach that addresses both the physical dependency and the psychological aspects of the addiction. Our inpatient rehabilitation program offers a structured environment where individuals can receive the support and care needed to overcome their addiction to lean.

Within our program, patients benefit from medically supervised detoxification to safely manage withdrawal symptoms, followed by personalized therapy sessions that include cognitive behavioral therapy, group therapy, and family counseling. This holistic approach not only helps individuals break free from the physical chains of addiction but also equips them with the tools and strategies needed to rebuild their lives and prevent relapse.

For more information on how our program can help you or your loved one overcome lean addiction, contact us today.

Paying For Rehab: A Mini Guide

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One of the biggest challenges of attending a drug rehab is finding a way to pay for treatment. While many individuals out there are desperate for addiction treatment to help them with their substance abuse issues, many addiction treatment programs can be costly.

If you’re struggling with substance abuse, don’t let paying for rehab deter you from seeking treatment. There are many resources out there that can help you or a loved one pay for rehab. As you explore your options, you can determine what treatment facility is best for you. 

Required Treatment for Your Needs

The first step to take to determine if you can afford addiction treatment is figuring out what kind of addiction treatment you need. There are various types of addiction treatment programs available to choose from. Different programs will have different costs associated with them.

Treatment Options

The type of treatment option you need depends on how severe your addiction is along with other factors. If you are dealing with a mild addiction, an outpatient program could be enough to help you overcome your substance abuse. If your addiction is more serious, and you might experience severe withdrawal symptoms that require medication and observation, inpatient treatment with detox is the best option for you. 

Inpatient treatment

When you undergo inpatient treatment, you will live at the treatment facility. This is a residential form of treatment. One of the biggest benefits to inpatient treatment is you remove yourself from your surroundings that helped fuel your addiction. You will also have only one thing to focus on during inpatient treatment: getting and staying sober. The normal temptations aren’t available during inpatient treatment. This treatment is more costly than outpatient because of its residential nature. 

Outpatient treatment

Outpatient treatment tends to cost less than inpatient treatment because you don’t live at an outpatient facility. You’ll attend individual and group therapy sessions here, just like you would during inpatient. The difference between the two is you aren’t putting your life on hold while participating in outpatient treatment. You will live at your house, have all of the same personal responsibilities, and even go to work. The downside to this is you have less time during the day to focus on recovery, the upside is you’ll easily learn how to incorporate recovery into everyday life.  

Exploring Funding options

Once you have determined what type of treatment you’d like to pursue, you can explore your options for funding the cost of addiction treatment. 

Private health insurance

Private health insurance can cover a portion or all of your addiction treatment costs, depending on your plan. If you have a particularly good health insurance plan, all of the costs of treatment will be covered. To find out if your insurance covers addiction treatment, you can reach out to them over the phone. You can also call the rehab you want to attend to get your insurance verified (they’ll let you know if they accept it or not). . 

Employer assistance

If you’re currently employed, you can see if your company provides employer assistance. If you feel comfortable doing so, consult with the human resources office of your employer to look into any funding available for rehab treatment for employees. Any don’t worry about potentially losing your job after confiding in HR about your addiction, according to the FMLA, it’s illegal to be fired when pursuing addiction treatment. 

Medicare or Medicaid

Both Medicare and Medicaid offer some coverage for rehab treatment. If you are on Medicare or Medicaid, look into the details of your policy. You should have at least partial coverage for rehab. However, the extent of any coverage that your plan includes depends on which parts of Medicare coverage you have or which state you live in when it comes to Medicaid. 

State governmental programs

Some state grants are allocated toward covering the costs of addiction treatment. These programs are frequently provided in connection with a state’s judicial system. This means that you’re especially likely to be eligible for state governmental programs if you are having legal problems as the result of drug or alcohol addiction. 

Cash pay

If you don’t have insurance or access to programs that help pay for rehab, you can pay out of pocket, although this is rare. If you are looking to pay for rehab yourself, you can call the facility you’d like to go to and ask the cash pay price. 

We’re Here To Help

Newport Beach Recovery Center is here to help you with your addiction. You can verify your insurance benefits through our website or by giving us a call. Please don’t wait to reach out for help, it’s time you get your life back from addiction! 

Addiction Treatment and Recovery Options – When Do I Need Help?

According to a 2012 survey on addiction and health in the United States, conducted by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, as little as 10 percent of individuals who admit that they are struggling with substance dependence or abuse of some kind have actually received any kind of treatment. This is a terrifying and saddening statistic and is made all the more worrisome when one stops and thinks about the various types of substances people are addicted to.

Lack of Treatment Sought for Addictions

Many people choose to forego any kind of treatment for their addiction disorder because they believe things are not really all that bad and they don’t need any help or treatment yet. They have yet to hit rock bottom or they do not believe that their problem is bad enough to warrant any sort of treatment or intervention. The truth of the matter is: if you’re questioning whether or not you need help getting sober, you likely do. Whether your addiction is related to drugs such as heroin or methamphetamine, prescription medications like Oxycontin or phenylalanines,  or other substances like caffeine or alcohol, it is important that you get treatment for your addiction sooner rather than later!

Understanding Your Addiction and Its Severity

If you are beginning to have problems with your personal life, social interactions, relationships, work or school life, and any other areas of your life because of your substance use, then you probably have an addiction. Addiction is diagnosed on a spectrum and there is a range of various criteria that will be used to determine how bad your addiction is- mild, moderate, or severe. Medical and mental health professionals use eleven criteria to determine if someone is addicted to or abusing a substance:

  • Lack of control over when and where and how much the substance is consumed or used
  • The individual has a desire to quit but has been unable to do so under their own power
  • The individual is spending a lot of time, effort, money, and energy to get the substance
  • Cravings for the substance that begin to interfere with normal activities when not satisfied
  • Lack of responsibility in terms of how much the substance is used or while it’s being used
  • Problems with relationships in personal, romantic, social, work, or school environment
  • No interest in doing things that the individual normally enjoyed for the sake of the substance
  • Dangerous use of the substance repeatedly occurring and concerns and warnings not heeded
  • Worsening situations and a visible decline in health, hygiene, mental sharpness, etc
  • Tolerance develops which requires more of the substance to be consumed for desired effects
  • Withdrawal symptoms and cravings get severe when the substance is withheld

Your Addiction Can Get Worse

Because addiction severity is measured on a spectrum, a diagnosis of a mild addiction may be better than a severe addiction, but it is not a reason to be flippant about getting addiction treatment and help. It’s easy to take an it-could-be-worse approach but it is important to remember that addiction is a progressive disease. If it is not taken seriously and if you not get help sooner rather than later, it will get worse and it will get worse quickly in almost all cases. If you’re only a mild case right now, this is the time to act and seek help before the addiction grows and takes an even stronger hold. Think of it like you would a problem with your car- it might be minor now and not be affecting how the car runs or operates; however if left un-fixed the problem could eventually lead to a serious breakdown of the key part of the car and cause a major accident or render the car useless. Addictions can do the same to your mind and body when left untreated!

Get The Help You Need For Recovery

Addiction is not simply a lifestyle choice or a mistake. While most addictions originate from a poor choice or a bad decision that was made at one point and time, the underlying addiction itself is a chronic disease, and truly is no different than other disease people have to deal with their entire lives like asthma, hypertension, diabetes, cancer and so forth. Someone diagnosed with Stage 1 or 2 cancer would seek help to treat and control their disease.  Someone with diabetes and a blood sugar of 200 would work to take steps to control their disease. Someone with asthma would use their inhaler at the signs of a mild asthma attack rather than waiting for it to get worse. You don’t have to hit rock bottom and be out of all other options before you get help for your addiction. Get help before things get worse and take back your life. Call Newport Beach Recovery of Costa Mesa, CA. Learn more about rehab and how treatments can help you beat your addiction once and for all with the finest recovery program in the area!

How to Find the Best Rehab in Orange County

Not every treatment facility is the same, but the right place for you may involve the type of treatment and therapy that you need to help you through this recovery process. So, while we go through the perks and benefits of the various treatment centers in Orange County, please be aware that the perfect place for you may change over time. It also may be different for you when compared to others, depending on your support system, the length of time you’ve been in recovery, as well as other factors like work commitments and therapy options. The good news is that there really is a myriad of options, with flexible evolutions in your treatment and recovery program. The goal is to offer support and services that are ideal for your individual stage of recovery and particular needs.

To start, you’ll want to consider the basics factors for the rehabilitation and treatment facility in Orange County that will best meet your needs. Here are some essential points to consider:

License & Accreditation

It should probably go without saying that you should check for the facility’s license and accreditation. The treatment center should be licensed via the California Department of Health Care Services (DHCS), Substance Use Disorder Compliance Division (SUDCD). Other accreditations are possible. Although they are not required, further accreditation will demonstrate a dedication to excellence and the pursuit of quality care.  In other words, they want to prove that they are a great program, based on expert opinion.

Referral Requirement

Some facilities require a referral from a provider, whether it’s a primary care physician, mental-health care doctor, or other professional. It’s important to know what paperwork you need to have in place, so you don’t waste your time, or attempt to get into a facility without the appropriate referrals.

Treatment Options

What type of treatment and/or therapy does each facility offer? Is it outpatient or inpatient? Do they offer detox? Also, how is the program structured? And, are there after-treatment care, therapy, or a “safety net” in place for after you leave the facility? Will the program specifically meet your needs for recovery? It is focused on your drug rehab? Also, is a family a part of the treatment process?

Reviews

Seek testimonials from others who have gone through the program. It’s a good idea to find out what to expect from other addicts who have been through the program. You can also gain insight from health-care professionals. While he/she may not be able to give you specifics due of doctor-patient confidentiality, they can give you an idea of overall success rates as well as a consensus of which programs best met the needs of their patients.

Payment

The cost of the treatment facility is another factor you will need to consider. Does your insurance cover it? What payment plans are available for each facility? The best facilities also offer staff and resources to help you navigate the logistics of payment and insurance to find the solutions that will work best for your needs.

Availability

Some programs won’t be able to accept you for treatment right away. There may be a waiting list, or you may also be required to meet certain criteria for admission. This may also be a factor of the program’s popularity and success rates, but some rehab facilities offer flexibility. Just because one portion of the facility’s offerings are full, you may be able to access some part of their treatment, counseling, or services. Other facilities may only accept you under certain circumstances (for inpatient, etc). Ask questions, and find out how you can tap into their services and support network.

To find the best rehab in Orange County, you should consider the list of essential features that you need. With that list in hand, you can check off the items that sync up, while also realizing that the criticality of your recovery is also of the utmost consideration. The best program for you may be a combination of a detox program, with an outpatient solution that will allow you to work. Or, it may be better for you to participate in a more intensive treatment program with hospitalization and inpatient treatment. The best programs will focus on your well-being to ensure that you’re receiving the appropriate care, support, and services that will assist you on your path to recovery.

In the end, you also need to be comfortable with the staff and the place. This may be a fresh start, a new beginning, but it starts with you. The best rehab in Orange County is just a place. It has to work for you, in both a generic and a very specific and individual way. They give you the tools for recovery and then you take the steps forward.

Contact us today for more information and to speak to an addiction professional. Newport Beach Recovery Center can be the best place for your sobriety.