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Help with Heroin Addiction

Heroin is one of the most addictive drugs of abuse that exists, and many millions of individuals have fallen prey to heroin addiction. Heroin is in the opiate class of drugs, and can be injected, sniffed/snorted, or smoked. Soon after heroin is used it is converted to morphine and quickly reacts in the areas of the brain and central nervous system that regulate feelings of reward and pleasure and reduce pain. This causes the individual to feel an almost immediate feeling of pleasure which is commonly known as a "rush" or a "high". How intense the high is dependent on how the drug is administered and how much is taken.

Because the effects of heroin are so intense and fast-acting, it is very easy for an individual to become hooked on the drug even after just one use. Individuals who end up becoming addicted to heroin will quickly develop dependence to the drug, and will need it on a daily basis not just to get high but to be able to function normally. The physical and mental hold that heroin takes on the user become all consuming, and the individual soon finds themselves doing anything and everything to get more and the drug to get high. Their primary goal is to abuse heroin at costs, resorting to all manner or illegal activity and destroying everything and everyone in their path to do so. Sadly, individual who abuse heroin are putting themselves through unnecessary emotional and physical torture which will only result in disastrous consequences if they don't receive help.

Because of the physical dependence that chronic heroin users experience almost inevitably, serious and most often painful withdrawal symptoms occur if use is stopped or reduced abruptly. This is one of the reasons that heroin addiction is such a hard habit to kick. When someone is withdrawing from heroin, not only do they experience harrowing physical symptoms that can seem unbearable, but they experience intense cravings and urges to use the drug. So much so that using heroin again is the only solution to resolve the symptoms of withdrawal and the intense cravings to which most addicted individuals will simply cave in to. Heroin withdrawal can occur within a few hours after the last time the drug is taken. While acute heroin withdrawal symptoms subside after about a week, some heroin addicts have withdrawal signs and cravings for the drug for many months. Many individuals will just continue using the drug despite any and all consequences and cannot quit without intervention.

Aside from the obvious consequences as a result of addiction to heroin, individuals who inject heroin often share needles and other injection equipment. Injecting any drug into one's vein as a means to get high puts users at risk of contracting HIV and other infectious diseases including Hepatitis. Because injection drug use is a factor in an almost one-third of individuals who are infected with HIV in the nation, it is evident that heroin addiction is having a devastating impact on the health and livelihoods of many individuals who are addicted to the drug. Many individuals who inject heroin also put themselves at risk of other health issues including collapsed and scarred veins which can sometimes be life threatening. In the end, it is not worth the risks or losing one's life because of heroin addiction.

Fortunately, there are many proven and successful drug rehab programs which are available to treat heroin addiction and help individuals get their lives back on track. Because of the physical dependence that individuals can develop to the drug, a professional drug detox followed by an effective treatment curriculum at a drug rehab facility is their best here. Treatment should be administered at a drug rehab, one which is inpatient or residential, which can counsel and provide therapy and support to individuals as long as it takes to fully rehabilitate them. For heroin addicted individuals this is not a fast process, and will take anywhere from a few months to a year to address all addiction issues and get them to a stable point where they will be able to remain drug free. Many individuals have tried and failed to beat heroin addiction on their own, it is most often a losing battle. But many more have found success in beating many kinds of addiction including heroin through effective drug rehab and have beat the odds. Contact a professional drug treatment counselor to find out what drug treatment options are available in your area.

Facts

  • Laws which prohibit the possession or purchase of alcohol among youth can influence underage drinking-and-driving fatalities.
  • Women who are pregnant are urged to never use LSD or any other type of drug.
  • Salvia is used recreationally as a party drug among youth in the United States, although it does not have the recreational effects of other types of drugs like heroin or cocaine.
  • Individuals who have experienced OxyContin withdrawal compare the process to the intensity of heroin withdrawal.