Heroin Addicts
Big H, smack, black tar, brown sugar, horse, dope, junk, mud, or heroin…whatever you want to call it, it is a dangerous and highly addictive drug that is derived from morphine. It is loved by users for it’s transcendent relaxation and the initial intense euphoria that it produces. It also interferes with pain perception.
Tolerance, needing more of the drug to produce the same effect that was previously felt with a smaller amount, is quick to develop with heroin use. These higher doses spawn physical dependence and result in a full-blown heroin addict. At this point, withdrawal from heroin can occur within just a few hours after the last “high.” The user becomes restless, irritable, incoherent, has muscle and bone pain, can’t sleep, and vomits if they do not get their next dose of heroin. It is actually very dangerous and potentially deadly for habitual Heroin Addicts to suddenly detoxify from heroin.
No one wants to admit the tarred “A” of addiction, but the first step in becoming free of the side effects of heroin is to admit the addiction. Most addiction specialists would need a NASA calculator to total how many times they have heard, “I can quit anytime I want to!” However, those words are hardly congruent with the known long term effects of heroin usage. If the heroin addict really could quit at anytime, then why would they continue to use a substance that causes
1) Collapsed veins
2) Abscesses across the body
3) Liver disease
4) Infection in the heart lining and valves
5) Clogging of blood vessels in the heart, lungs, liver, brain, and kidneys
6) Respiratory failure and death of vital organ cells
And, that is not to even mention the risk of overdose, STD’s, and the effect on personal relationships.
Recent scientific studies have shown that the brain imaging studies of those with drug addictions have changes in areas of the brain that are critical to learning and memory, judgment, decision making, and behavior control. These changes enable heroin addicts to seek out their drug-of-choice no matter what the consequences are to themselves or others, which can be just as deadly as the drug itself.
Drug addiction and treatment, especially where heroin is concerned, is a complicated process. There are seemingly insurmountable physical and psychological obstacles, but with the countless numbers of drug treatment centers, drug detoxification centers, behavioral psychologists, drug intervention specialists, etc.. the heroin addict can find help.
Heroin Detox
One of the most difficult addictions to beat is the addiction to heroin, and the heroin detox rate is not very good. Heroin is an opioid. The definition of an opioid is any of a group of substances that resemble morphine. During heroin detox, the nervous systems of heroin addicts are greatly affected. The addicted person has become used to the over abundance of heroin in their bodies which makes the withdrawal symptoms very painful because they are always present.
Now withdrawal symptoms generally begin within twelve hours after an addict stops using the drug, and usually the withdrawal symptoms peak within two to four days. Some of the withdrawal symptoms are nausea, anxiety, diarrhea, abdominal pain, insomnia, chills, sweating, sniffing, sneezing, weakness, and irritability.
There is a very high rate of Heroin addicts leaving detox programs so many people choose the fast acting anesthesia-assisted opioid withdrawal procedures. These procedures have been highly publicized as a very fast, painful way to withdraw from heroin. This procedure will cost you between $5,000 and $15,000. This is a very expensive and some studies have shown that this procedure is very risky and can cause death, abnormal heart rhythm, psychosis, increased stress, delirium, attempted suicide, and acute renal failure.
There are a couple of drugs used in the detox process which are methadone and buprenorphine. Lofexidine is an experimental drug also being used in detox treatments These drugs imitate heroin and are given in large does at first then gradually diminished until the addicted person is detoxified. Also because these drugs simulate heroin there is no withdrawal symptoms.
Clonidine can be given orally or in patch form. In patch form the drug is slowly administered into the body over a one week period. Heroin Addicts should take this drug in oral form for at least two days when starting the patch because it takes a while for the patch to work. Monitoring of a person on this treatment is crucial because this treatment can cause hypo tension and sedation.
Where to Get Help for Heroin Addicts
Heroin detoxification includes, admitting there is a problem, seeking medical help for the problem, staying focused on the goal, rehabilitation, and continuing the treatment through programs. Very often psychological cravings will still happen, so it is crucial that an addicted person keep up with follow up treatments such as therapy.
