Heroin is an opioid derived from morphine, which is derived from opium poppy plants. It can be injected, snorted, smoked, or smelled.

Heroin addiction, also known as opioid use disorder, is a condition characterized by changes in the brain and behavior resulting from heroin use. It harms physical and mental health, leaving the person in perpetual anguish and doubt.

What Causes Heroin Addiction?

Heroin has a high rate of addiction. It is an opioid that interacts with brain receptors to release the neurotransmitter dopamine. Like the majority of drug side effects, this relief is only temporary, leaving some users yearning for more of a pleasant feeling.

Listed below are the factors that might cause a Heroin addiction:

• When a person consumes opioids regularly, the brain stops producing dopamine as it previously did. As a result, the person must take higher or more frequent dosages of opioids to attain the same amount of pleasure.

• Opioid use disorder can begin with legal medicines such as pain relievers provided after surgery or another injury. These analgesics work in the same way as heroin does.

• If a person becomes addicted to prescribed pharmaceuticals and cannot obtain them, they may turn to illegal narcotics such as heroin to achieve the same wonderful feeling.

• While not everyone who uses legal pain relievers or recreational drugs gets addicted, some will be unable to quit using them

Who Is At Risk Of Heroin Addiction?

Anyone can get addicted, and anyone who uses opioids risks becoming addicted or developing an opioid use disorder.

It is impossible to predict who will develop an opioid use problem, but some things can make you more likely to get addicted to drugs.

A few of these risk factors are as follows:

• Family or personal history of drug or alcohol addiction
• Heavy tobacco use
• Exposure to high-risk people or settings
• Unemployment
• History of severe depression or anxiety
• History of taking risks

What are the symptoms of heroin addiction?

Early on, there might not be any signs of an opioid use disorder, particularly if the user is making considerable efforts to conceal their usage. It may become more difficult to hide as the use grows. Among the warning signs and symptoms of heroin use are:

• Agitation or fatigue
• Muddled speech
• Smaller, more constrictive pupils
• Depression
• Memory issues
• Needle imprints (if injecting the drug)
• Nose bleeds or sores (if snorting the drug)
• Constipation
• A diminished feeling of pain

What is the treatment for heroin addiction?

Methadone is currently regarded as the Gold Standard Treatment for treating opiate addiction. This is combined with group therapy, social cognitive training, academic skills training, and other types of specially designed therapeutic counseling methods or opiate addiction assistance to meet the needs of each patient. Excellent results can be attained when programs are individually tailored to fit addiction tendencies and are followed up with ongoing care.

If you or a loved one is suffering from Heroin or Opioid addiction, contact Recovery Concepts in Greenville for the best and most caring treatment suited to your specific needs for optimal results.