Heroin
Addiction
What is Heroin?
Heroin is an illegal drug processed from morphine, which naturally occurs in the seed pods of opium poppy plants. Heroin is considered an opioid because it’s made with opium, and it has the same highly addictive nature that opioid painkillers do, which are prescribed by doctors. Opium naturally comes from the opium poppy plant. It can also be manufactured synthetically.
When heroin is taken, opium from heroin will attach to opioid receptors on nerve cells in the body, which then blocks pain messages that are sent from the spinal cord to the brain. They then release large amounts of dopamine throughout the body. This strong feeling of dopamine release can make the opioid abuser feel addicted and want to keep taking heroin for its euphoric effects.
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What does heroin look like?
Heroin can be smoked, snorted, or injected. Typically before injection, heroin is heated with a lighter or candle in a spoon or bottle cap. Heroin is heated because it inactivates the HIV virus that can come from sharing needles.
How is heroin taken?
Amphetamine is taken orally, injected, or dissolved in water or alcohol before injection. The crystallized version of amphetamine can be smoked. When taken orally, effects occur in 15 to 20 minutes. When snorted, it takes 3 to 5 minutes to feel the effects. When injected, the effects are felt instantly. The effects can last for hours.
Why do people use heroin?
People use heroin to receive a feeling of euphoria from the opium that is in heroin. Many addicts use it to escape unhappy personal lives or to self-medicate for anxiety or depression. In the 2000’s, many prescription painkiller addicts turned to heroin when the government began to crack down on the overprescription of OxyContin to combat the opioid epidemic.
How long does it take to get addicted to heroin?
Heroin is highly addictive, but addictions form according to various factors. These include the physiological makeup of the person, their general health, frequency of heroin use, size of heroin doses, and more. How long does it take to get addicted to heroin? There is no specific timeline, but it can develop faster than you think.
SLANG TERMS
- China white
- Junk
- Mexican mud
- Black pearl
- Black tar
- White horse
- Chiva
- Skag
History of
Heroin
Heroin was first synthesized from morphine in 1874, which came from the seed pods of the opium poppy plant. In 1898, heroin was produced for medical use by the Bayer Company in Germany. In 1924, heroin was made illegal in the U.S., 21 years after medical professionals started to notice the addictive effect it had on users. By 1995, Southeast Asia produced 2,500 tons of opium, which Lead turned to Led to illegal trading.
Heroin rose in popularity in 2010, after prescription painkillers containing opium were harder to obtain. While heroin started out as a popular urban drug, it grew in popularity in suburban neighborhoods during this time. It quickly began the second opioid epidemic in the U.S. At that point, deaths from heroin overdoses increased by 286% from 2002. Today, you’ll notice that black tar heroin is commonly found on the West Coast and produced in Mexico, and white and brown heroin powder is commonly found on the East Coast from South America and Southeast Asia.
What Does a Heroin Addict Look Like?
If you or your loved one is addicted to heroin, you’ll begin to notice symptoms that resemble the flu, including vomiting and sweating. If you are wondering, “What does a heroin addict look like?” they may seem to be acting out of sorts, such as slurring their speech, moving slowly, or sleeping excessively. They may do whatever it takes to cure their heroin craving, including stealing or getting in trouble with the law. Withdrawal symptoms can happen as soon as their first or second experience with the drug.
SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS
- Nausea
- Drowsiness
- Vomiting
- Sweating
- Moving slowly
- Sensitivity to pain
- Craving heroin
- Slurred speech
PARAPHERNALIA
- Hypodermic needle
- Syringe
- Spoon
- Candle
- Lighter
- Foil
- Rubber-tubing
- Cotton balls
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What are the Effects of Heroin Addiction?
The short-term effects of heroin include euphoria and a feeling like a user is dreaming or walking through a dream. Then they may feel heavy limbs and depressed breathing. They also may experience a nodding off sensation that goes from drowsiness to alertness. Long term, users could experience respiratory failure. From inserting dirty needles, addicts could get an infection in their heart lining or valves. Injection can lead to a vein collapse.
Short-Term Effects of
Heroin Addiction
- Euphoria
- Warm, flushed skin
- Dry mouth
- Nodding off and drowsy
- Feeling of heavy limbs
- Slower breathing
- Constipation
- Foggy mental feeling
Long-Term Effects of
Heroin Addiction
- Skin infections
- Respiratory failure
- Stomach cramps
- Pneumonia
- Kidney disease
- Collapsed veins
- Infection in heart and valves
- Liver disease
Heroin
Addiction Statistics
14,000+
deaths from heroin overdose in 2019.
80%
Of heroin users started with a prescription painkiller.
18-25
age group with the greatest increase in heroin use.
How is Heroin Addiction Treated?
Heroin addiction takes mental and physical treatment because of the withdrawal symptoms you will experience during detox. Heroin requires medication, cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), counseling, and sometimes medication-assisted therapy (MAT). MAT is a comprehensive treatment that includes medicine, counseling, and therapy.
Here at Gratitude Lodge, you’ll detox from heroin under the care and supervision of expertly trained medical staff. After your detoxification process, you can stay in one of our residential addiction treatment centers in Long Beach and Newport Beach, CA. There, you’ll receive personalized counseling, participate in group therapy, and develop an invaluable support system that will help provide a long-lasting recovery and defense mechanisms from relapse. You may also receive naltrexone, methadone, or buprenorphine medications. Naltrexone helps prevent relapse, and methadone and buprenorphine help ease withdrawal symptoms.
Common Drug Combinations with Heroin
Heroin is often paired with crack cocaine, and sometimes benzos (benzodiazepines), to create an effect called “speedballing.” The combination can intensify the high received from heroin or cocaine alone. Heroin can also be paired with stimulants, sedatives, and depressants.
- Cocaine (“Speedball”)
- Marijuana
- Xanax
- Opioids
- Meth
- Crack cocaine
- Benzos
- Alcohol
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Types of OTHER Drug Addiction We Treat
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