Researchers have discovered that heroin use and abuse is a serious societal problem. These professionals concluded that more than 9 million ingest this drug worldwide and the substance accounts for almost 20 percent of all admissions to rehab in the United States.
Heroin Overview
Chemical Makeup
Heroin, also nicknamed horse, junk, and smack belongs to a group of drugs known as opiates. The chemical is specifically derived from the seeds of opium poppy plants.
Method Of Administration
Eventually, heroin is made into and is typically sold as a powdery white substance. However, the finished product could be other colors, such as black or brown depending on factors, like its purity, the specific modes of production, and other substances it might be mixed with during the manufacturing process.
An appreciable number of users mix the chemical with water and ingest said product directly into their veins. That said, the drug can also be ingested by smoking, sniffing, and snorting. Additionally, the substance is often used in combination with other potentially dangerous and highly addictive drugs like cocaine.
Bodily Impact
The Mind
Heroin ingestion can exercise a significantly negative influence on both a user’s mind and body.
When the drug makes contact with the brain, it affixes itself to special components of brain cells called opiate receptors. These features are crucial because they help regulate important sensations such as pleasure and pain. Moreover, said parts also play a critical role in vital systemic processes like breathing.
However, in the short-term, users experience pleasurable feelings like reduced pain, calmness, and a relaxed, even pleasantly confused state of mind. That said, these positive perceptions last for short spurts.
Unfortunately, brain cells grow dependent on heroin rather quickly and a user must continually ingest greater quantities of the substance to produce desired outcomes. Ultimately, this disturbing pattern precipitates dependency and addiction.
The Body
While opiate receptors are primarily found attached to brain cells, said components are also found affixed to cells comprising other bodily features, such as the:
- Lungs
- Spinal cord
- Central nervous system
- Digestive tract
Therefore, heroin use often results in a host of physical manifestations including breathing difficulties, dry mouth, systemic itching, liver problems, heaviness or numbness in the extremities, and digestive issues like upset stomach, nausea, and vomiting.
Over The Long-Haul
Heavy or repeated heroin ingestion can lead to serious, potentially permanent health problems like:
- Systemic infections
- Liver and kidney diseases
- Lung and breathing problems
- A malfunctioning digestive system
- Insomnia
- Cardiovascular issues
Furthermore, the substance could precipitate serious mental health issues, such as anxiety disorders, depression, and cognitive disturbances.
Withdrawal Symptoms
Many users often yearn to stop. However, abrupt cessation often yields untoward and possibly hazardous withdrawal symptoms, including trembling, nausea, vomiting, body aches, mental agitation, nervousness, increased perspiration, and intense cravings for another fix.
Convincing A User To Embrace Detox And Rehab
When considering the preceding facts, seeking professional help is a dependent’s first step towards recovery However, this process can prove challenging. Fortunately, one might find success by partaking in actions like:
Knowing The Signs
A solid percentage of prodigious heroin users or addicts will display certain signs indicating that they have a serious problem including:
*Behavioral changes
*Engaging in reckless actions, such as stealing, aggressiveness, and fighting
*Lying
*Decline in physical appearance
*Loss of interest in activities the user once enjoyed like school or athletics
*New friends or associations
As the situation progresses, a dependent’s loved ones might find drug paraphernalia like needles lying around. Moreover, the subject in question might become embroiled in legal trouble, or even display blatant signs like the appearance of track marks on their arms or other injection areas.
Encouraging An Addict To Obtain Help
One must realize that, ultimately, the dependent must understand they have an uncontrollable problem and need professional assistance addressing said issue. However, a close relation might be able to help the dependent reach this conclusion through efforts like:
Being Direct
Sometimes, directness and firmness are the best approach. Educating the addict about how their actions impact loved ones and friends might make said subject realize the mistakes they are making and inspire them to take drastic but necessary actions.
Staging An Intervention
Such events involve bringing together a number of the dependent’s family, friends, and other close relations in an attempt to convince the individual in question to seek assistance.
Typically, such events center around the concerned parties explaining the value the addict has added to their lives and how their dependency has damaged such associations. While occasionally overly dramatized in the media, interventions must be carefully planned and are often more effective when organized with the help of trained professional addiction specialists.
Involuntary Commitment
When an addict’s use is completely out of control or posing life-threatening complications, family members might seek to have said relations involuntarily committed. Some states allow for court proceedings demonstrating such need.
Contacting Us
Heroin addiction is a serious concern that could have lasting impacts on the dependent. Fortunately, through detox and rehab, said subjects might conquer said dependencies and regain their health and happiness.
However, convincing a loved one that they have a problem and require help is not always an easy or enviable task. Therefore, our Columbus-based facility asks concerned relatives to request our assistance in undertaking this delicate process.