The best heroin treatment addresses the mental, physical, emotional, and spiritual aspect of the person.
Heroin is a very addictive drug deriving from the opium poppy plant.
Opium is processed into morphine then heroin. Typically heroin comes as
a brownish or white powder or as a black gummy or coal like substance known
as black tar heroin, which is mostly prevalent in the western most states.
Heroin is usually cut with other substances such as sugar, starch, coffee,
or quinine. Heroin can also be cut with strychnine or other poisons. Heroin
users are always at risk of an overdose because there is no way of knowing
the actual strength or contents (what its cut with). Heroin
abuse is also associated with transmitting diseases such as HIV,
Hepatitis and many others that can be contracted from sharing needles.
Heroin can be injected, snorted, or smoked. The average heroin addict may inject
four to five times a day, though this can very significantly based on his or
her tolerance, the potency of the heroin and the individual's ability to pay
for the drug. Injecting heroin produces the most intensive because the rush of
heroin reaches the brain much faster. When heroin is snorted or smoked the effects
come on within ten to fifteen minutes.
Lots of people start-out snorting or
smoking heroin thinking that these methods are safer. Smoking and snorting heroin
may reduce chances of an overdose but the threat of addiction is just as high
and once addicted to heroin many addicts eventually turn to injecting.
Once ingested heroin produces a surge of pleasure or a rush. The rush intensity
is determined by the quantity and potency of the drug. One of the reasons Heroin is so powerful
is because it reaches the central nervous system so fast. Other effects of a heroin
high can be warm flushing sensations, drowsiness or nodding, dry mouth, and
heavy extremities, nausea, vomiting, and itching.
The length of a heroin high depends on the amount used and the users developed tolerance, but typically around six hours for low or no tolerance. After months of regular use an addict may find it difficult to experience a high because of increased tolerance.
Heroin tolerance develops rapidly and consequently so does physical addiction. A physical
addiction to heroin is very powerful and can compel an addict to risk
almost anything to obtain dope. Physical addiction and tolerance
to heroin develop within weeks or less with daily use. Continued heroin use
requires higher doses of the drug achieve the same desired effects. With
increasing doses the brain adapts to the drug and becomes chemically dependent.
Once addicted, if the addict reduces or stops the normal doses that the
body's adapted to, heroin withdrawals will set in.
Heroin withdrawal symptoms include restlessness, muscle and bone ache, diarrhea,
vomiting, anxiety, depression, insomnia, hot and cold flashes and leg spasms.
The most severe withdrawal symptoms typically reach their peak at
day three and begin subsiding after about a five day. However, drug craving, anxiety, depression,
insomnia and other withdrawal symptoms can linger on for many months for
some individuals.
Heroin withdrawals alone are rarely life threatening. However, supervised medical detoxification is recommended because heroin withdrawals can be unbearable and without proper medications to suppress the violent syndrome and thus, very few addicts will adhere.