What is Heroin?

Heroin Overview

Heroin is a powerfully addictive derivative of the prescription painkiller morphine. Heroin is an extremely addictive substance and can often lead to life long effects on the user. Heroin is usually taken intravenously by needle, but can also be inhaled, or smoked. In fact many users believe that snorting heroin is less likely to result in becoming an addict, but this is a mistaken belief.

Heroin makes users feel euphoric, makes everyday worries disappear, and is also a potent painkiller. The thing that makes heroin an especially addictive drug is that the user needs to take it just feel “normal” again. The high that heroin users seek becomes more and more difficult to obtain as their tolerance increases.

Heroin Side Effects

• Addiction
• Collapsed veins
• Exposure to infectious diseases such as AIDS and Hepatitis
• Pneumonia and other respiratory difficulties
• Risk of accidental overdose and death

Heroin Addiction

Heroin is an extremely addictive drug as pointed out above. Tolerance to heroin can begin to increase in as little as three days of use. The painful withdrawal from heroin also contributes to the users addiction. They know how difficult the withdrawal will be so continue to use heroin in order to avoid the withdrawal symptoms. The symptoms of withdrawal from heroin include, cramps, chills, fever, abdominal pain, muscle spasms, anxiety, severe depression, aching joints, insomnia, itching, and muscle spasms. Heroin addiction is so powerful that many users will chase the drug to the exclusion of everything else in their life. They will become disinterested in other activities. Many heroin addicts also have extensive legal troubles that are due to them committing crimes in order to support the cost of their habit.

Heroin Treatment

Admission to an inpatient facility is recommended for someone who is seeking to quit using heroin. The reason for this is that hospitals can help the addict with the painful withdrawal symptoms. This is often done by giving methadone. Methadone is a longer acting opioid which allows the addict to avoid withdrawal. The methadone dose is then tapered to the lowest dose the patient can stand. Addicts often stay on methadone for months or years to avoid relapsing into heroin addiction. Intensive group therapy and twelve step programs are also recommended for a heroin addict to kick the habit.

Heroin Links

If you would like more information about heroin use, prevention, or side effects please feel free to visit the following sites:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heroin http://www.vistabay.com/blog/?p=17 http://www.heroindrugtreatment.com/