Why You Should Not Try Taking Heroin At All

Heroine is such a very dangerous drug that you should not even try.  Why?  It is because you can get addicted to it even after just one use.

What is heroin?

Heroine is an opiate.  This means it is a drug that is derived from the opium poppy.  It is meant to serve as a very effective painkiller.  But just like the other opiates, it works directly on the brain and can therefore be so addictive.

What makes heroin so addictive?

When taken – either by smoking, injecting, or snorting – it enters the bloodstream.  Then it rapidly enters that part of the brain that is responsible for physical dependence and for producing the pleasurable sensation of “reward.”  When the user stops taking it, he experiences withdrawal symptoms such as nausea and vomiting, cold sweats, severe muscle and bone aches, intense craving for the drug, etc. Thus, to continue enjoying its effects and to avoid these withdrawal symptoms, the user keeps on taking the drug. Long term use of the drug can lead to serious problems for the user. He can lose his job.  He can end up losing his spouse or his family.  He can get really very sick and even die in the process.

Methods of treating the addiction:

Treating the addiction is not easy. But it is not impossible.  One needs to decide to quit it and has to be properly motivated to stop it.  It is a very difficult and painful process both for the user as well as the people around him, his family.

There are several treatments that are available to the addict.  But there are mainly two methods, namely, using medicines and the other one is via behavioral interventions.  The best, of course, is a combination of both methods.  A detoxification process precedes any of these methods to help users withdraw from heroin safely. Some of the medicines that have been found to be safe and effective at treating heroin addiction include methadone, buprenorphine, and naltrexone.  Methadone dampens the “high” that the users experience.  Buprenorphine relieves the craving for heroin.  Naltrexone blocks the action of the opiate in the brain.

Behavioral interventions can be done either in the home or in drug treatment centers. Two behavioral therapies that have been found to be effective especially when employed hand in hand with the medications described above are contingent management program and cognitive-behavioral therapy. Heroin addiction help centers can also be of great help.  These centers are designed to assist families who have loved ones who need treatment of their heroin addiction.