Heroin Addiction
Help with Heroin addiction. This is a very dangerous drug and causes all sorts of mental health issues once addicted which does n to take long. It is bought as a white or brown powder off the streets sold by drug dealers. It can be heated up which turns it into a liquid which can then be injected. This is normally heated up on a teaspoon. Some users will swallow it or snort it.
Once taken it turns into a Morphine drug. But unlike normal Morphine. This is much stronger but surprisingly the effects do not last long. This is why user have to keep buying it.
Heroin Addiction:
Understanding the Epidemic and Seeking Recovery
Introduction: Heroin addiction is a devastating and highly addictive substance use disorder that affects individuals from all walks of life. This article aims to provide an overview of heroin addiction, including its causes, effects, and available treatment options. By increasing awareness and understanding, we hope to foster compassion and support for those impacted by this epidemic.
Understanding Heroin Addiction: Heroin is a powerful opioid drug derived from morphine, which is obtained from the opium poppy plant. It binds to opioid receptors in the brain, producing intense euphoria and pain relief. Heroin addiction develops as the brain becomes dependent on the drug, leading to compulsive drug-seeking behaviour and a range of physical and psychological effects.
Causes of Heroin Addiction:
Various factors contribute to the development of heroin addiction:
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Biological factors: Genetic predisposition and alterations in brain chemistry can increase vulnerability to addiction.
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Environmental factors: Exposure to heroin-positive environments, peer influence, childhood trauma, social isolation, and economic disadvantages can heighten the risk of addiction.
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Prescription opioid misuse: The misuse of prescription opioids, such as painkillers, can lead individuals down the path to heroin addiction due to the similarities in the effects and the increased accessibility of heroin.
Effects of Heroin Addiction:
Heroin addiction has wide-ranging effects on physical, mental, and social well-being:
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Physical health: Chronic use can lead to respiratory depression, increased risk of infectious diseases (e.g., HIV, hepatitis), collapsed veins, organ damage, and increased vulnerability to overdose, which can be life-threatening.
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Mental health: Heroin addiction often co-occurs with mental health disorders such as depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). It can worsen symptoms and impair cognitive functions, leading to difficulties in memory, concentration, and decision-making.
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Social and economic consequences: Addiction can strain relationships, lead to loss of employment, financial instability, legal issues, and social isolation.
Treatment Options for Heroin Addiction:
Effective treatment options are available to help individuals overcome heroin addiction and regain control of their lives:
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Medically-assisted detoxification: The first step often involves a medically-assisted detox under professional supervision to manage withdrawal symptoms and ensure safety.
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Residential or inpatient treatment: These programs provide a structured environment with round-the-clock care, therapy, counselling, and support to address addiction, co-occurring disorders, and develop relapse prevention strategies.
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Outpatient treatment: This option allows individuals to receive treatment while living at home. It typically involves counselling, therapy, group support, and medication-assisted treatment (MAT) if necessary.
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Behavioural therapies: Therapies like cognitive-behavioural therapy (CBT), contingency management, and motivational interviewing (MI) help individuals identify and change harmful behaviours, develop coping skills, and address underlying issues contributing to addiction.
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Support groups: Participating in support groups such as Narcotics Anonymous (NA) provides a supportive community, accountability, and guidance throughout the recovery journey.
Conclusion: Heroin addiction is a deeply troubling and challenging condition, but recovery is possible with the right support and treatment. By understanding the causes, effects, and available treatment options, individuals struggling with heroin addiction, as well as their loved ones, can take steps toward recovery. Seeking professional help, embracing support networks, and staying committed to the journey of recovery can lead to a healthier, drug-free life. Remember, it’s never too late to seek help and regain control from the grips of heroin addiction.
Effects of Heroin addiction
Being an opiate, Heroin is a pain killer. The user feels no side effect while on Heroin, but feels deadfall once the effect have worn off. Hence needs more to feel normal again. Heroin effect the rain as does all drugs. With Heroin the effects are strong. The users feels completely relaxed. I asked a Heroin addict of how he felt while on Heroin, and he replied “it is like have a cuddle from God”. Heroin releases lots of feel good chemicals into the brain. Users tend to lose all track of time while on Heroin.
Heroin is made of – Help with Heroin addiction
Heroin is made from poppy seeds. Opiates. When it its purest form, it is around 96% pure. But dealers cut it (Mix it with other substances to make more which makes more money). By the time it comes on the streets it is around 18% pure. This is due to all the dealers down the line who have cut it to make more money. The big issue here is what it is cut with. In some cases bleach, rat poison etc it used.
Is Heroin addiction dangerous
Yes. Very dangerous. It becomes even more dangerous depending on what it is cut with. We are seeing more and more cases of it being cut with a pain killer called Fentanyl. This is a pain killer, and a very strong pain killer. In fact it is over 50 times stronger than Morphine. The pole here is, if cut with Fentanyl it will lead i most cases to the user having an overdose. This can kill and does! Most long term users of Heroin die in their 40’s.
Users who inject Heroin which is contaminated with Fentanyl, and more likely to overdose. Once the addict has overdosed, there is no going back. The only way of getting back to normal is with professional medical help. If this is not available to addict will die. Time is of the essence here.
Damage to Heroin users is damage to veins if injecting. Risk of HIV if injecting. It brings on depression, can cause gang mental health, abscesses, organ failure, impotence, poisoning, and aching under the skin. Just to name a few of the issues.
Recreational use – Help with Heroin addiction
Amazingly I have known a few long term Heroin addicts who can hold down a job while being addicted to Heroin. Most are on a Methadone script. I can also say that not one of them like Heroin and all want to stop. But sadly cannot stop.
In most cases heroin completely destroys lives. Destroys families, and ends up finishing the user. I believe addiction to Heroin can be prevented. But I also believe the user is never really over it. This is one drug you should stay away from. It will destroy your life.
The other thing you must thing about with all illegal drugs . Every penny you spend on illegal drugs, goes towards feeling crime.
Things not to do to help a user – Help with Heroin addiction
Never give Heroin users money. This just compounds the problem, and never pay off dealers. Once you do that the dealer will know there is more money to be had from the family. They will them start giving the user as much as they want, and come to you for the money until you have nothing left. The problem is the users problem, not your. So never blame yourself. The user knew exactly what he was going onto be fore he started to use.
Things to do to help a user – Help with Heroin addiction
If this is a family friend, or relation or a loved one. Tell them to get help. Get them to call us. We can hep them. Tel: 07811 606 606. We offer private treatment and ways to get funding. Free rehab is also available. Places available.
Is it hard to give up – Help with Heroin addiction
Yes. it is. But it is much easier through the private system. The problem is this. There are a lot of symptoms which arise when giving up Heroin. These are Can sleep, feel sick, sweating, no hungry, hot and cold chills, panic attacks, high heart rate, depression, crying, and even users contemplate suicide. But if you can get through it, you are free.
Heroin Street names
1/ Brown
2/ Smack
3/ H
4/ Dope
5/ Skag
6/Dragon
Is Heroin addictive
If a user was to use Heroin on a daily bases for as little as 3 days. They would become addicted. Heroin is one of the most addictive drugs on the street today. It is highly addictive. You only have to try it a few times, and you will be addicted. It is a very hard drug to get off. We see in rehab that people who were addicted to Heroin, always seem to go back to it. Even after 10 years, 15 years etc. Staying off heroin is very hard.
Drug dealers
Most dealers now sell Heroin with Crack Cocaine. So you would buy two white, one brown for sake of argument. That is 2 crack cocaine and on Heroin. Or 2 brown and one white/ That is 2 Heroin and 1 Crack Cocaine. I feel this is to get the user addicted to as much as possible, to bring in more revenue for the dealer.
Contact us
If you or a loved one are having problems with Heroin addiction. Call us now. We can hep you. Tel; 07811 606 606 (Open 24 hours)
