Addiction is one of the common problems most of us suffer. While addiction can be related to many things, the first thing that comes to our mind while hearing the term addiction is substance use disorder.
While every element carries a certain level of addiction, a few substances take the whole notion of addiction to different levels. One of the substances that are considered to be highly addictive is Heroin.
Heroin is quite common in the world of addiction. It contributes to the majority of addiction cases you see today.
Today, we will analyze Heroin and see what dangers lie ahead of Heroin addiction.
Table of Contents
What Is Heroin?
Heroin is a modified version of Morphine. It is one of the most addictive drugs on the market, and due to its high psychoactive property, it is considered an illegal opioid drug.
This drug is available in the illegal market in various ways. The most common form sold in the market is in white powder form.
Heroin can be consumed in the following ways.
- Smoke.
- Snorting.
- Directly injecting it in the veins.
Regardless of how you use it, it is highly reactive and instantly starts showing changes.
The bottom line is Heroin is dangerous. The speed at which it mixes with the blood and the power of the effects it exhibits are the main contributor to its harmful nature.
Once a person has fallen victim to heroin addiction, you must immediately treat with detoxification. Detoxification helps to extract harmful substances from the body. To know more about detoxification, visit https://www.gallusdetox.com/locations/arizona/phoenix-detox-center/.
How Heroin Impacts Your Life?
Nothing good comes with consuming heroin. It is an illegal drug that gives you short-term pleasure and satisfaction. But take away your life force.
Heroin is metabolized to morphine. Once an individual consumes heroin, it stimulates the opioid receptor on the brain, giving the person a Euphoria sensation.
Following the Euphoria, the user experiences a wakeful and drowsy state. It clouds the brain from making the right decisions and affects body coordination.
Apart from these short-term effects, users also experience long-term effects like respiratory problems, constricted pupils, and nausea.
What Are The Dangers Of Heroin Addiction?
When it comes to how dangerous heroin can be, you can find a long list on the internet. Whether we talk about mental health, psychological health, or physical health, heroin has a negative effect on them all.
– Heroin is in no way healthy.
– Even some people might say that a little will not harm you.
– That is all nothing but lies.
Here are a few ways in which heroin is dangerous.
1. Lack Of Sleep
Just like any addiction, heroin addiction results in a lack of sleep. One might think that heroin stimulates the pleasure hormone, but how come it affects sleep.
Well, most people talk about only one side of the coin. It is true that heroin reacts with the brain to release pleasure hormones, but the same hormone remains in the body when people sleep.
Instead of resting, the body tries to process the extra-released hormone. This is the reason why people suffering from addiction always feel tired even after having a good sleep.
2. Damaged Tissue Inside Your Nose
That’s what you get from snorting all the white powders.
As we have already said, snorting is one method to consume heroin; heroin while being in a powdered state can be dangerous for your sensitive nerves inside the nose.
Frequent snorting activity results in damaging your nose tissue from inside.
3. Collapsed Veins
One of the popular ways to take in heroin is by directly injecting it into the veins. Most of you might be aware of this practice; after all, the entertainment industry flaunts this openly in the movie scenes.
Continuous use of the syringes at one spot can damage the veins!
4. Mental Disorder
Excessive use of heroin can result in mental disorders. The person might experience depression, anxiety and might have suicidal thoughts. This kind of mental stress gives rise to personality disorders.
6. Increases The Chances Of Heart Attack
Heroin has a psychoactive effect on your nerve cells. That means excessive use of heroin for addiction can numb the body’s nervous system; this includes your heart as well. Hence, heroin addiction always keeps the person exposed to heart attacks.
7. Low Blood Pressure
A person suffering from heroin addiction often suffers from low blood pressure. This is because of the dilated blood vessels. Continuous use of injection for heroin addiction dilates the blood vessel.
Dilated blood vessels mean your blood pressure decreases. This makes the user feel weak, fatigued, and dizzy.
8. Increase The Chances Of Respiratory Problem
Excessive use of heroin can result in respiratory problems. Overdose of heroin asks the body to numb all the nerve receptors which affect the breathing process.
People under the influence of heroin addiction suffer from severe asthma issues and other respiratory problems.
9. Decreased Appetite
People with heroin addiction want to have only heroin. As a result, they tend to neglect real food. This affects the body and makes it weak. Loss of appetite can also be due to the slow metabolism process.
10. Weak Immune System
Heroin addiction affects your immune system, thereby exposing your body to outside’s harmful infections. This includes the decrease or suppression of the T & B Immune cells or hindering the creation of new immune cells.
Once your immune system is weak, your body loses its ability to fight against viruses, bacteria, and infections.
Heroin Withdrawal Treatment
The withdrawal from heroin can be extremely uncomfortable. This sometimes prompts the patients to go back to their old habits.
When someone is suffering from heroin addiction, professional treatment is recommended immediately. Often, detoxification is needed at the onset of the withdrawal symptoms.
Following the detox treatment, the person can be asked to follow through with other treatment therapies like – residential rehab, substance use therapy, or outpatient mental health therapy.