Flooding the United States in Waves are Cheap Doses of Heroin

First, it is important to know what heroin looks like. The purest form comes in a fine, white powder, although it can also be gray, brown, or black depending on the additives used to dilute it such as sugar or caffeine or other products.

Knowing how cheap doses of heroin are ingested can also play a vital role in detecting the presence of heroin abuse. Some of the methods for ingesting the plant include drinking it in tea, chewing, smoking, snorting, or injecting it. Most users prefer injecting the drug, so they will often try to cover up the tell-tale track marks on their body such as sores, bruising, scars, and collapsed veins. Other physical signs to look for include sudden weight changes, poor hygiene, pale skin, poor appetite, changes in sleep patterns and declining health.

Most heroin users display changes in personality, becoming moody, agitated, depressed and withdrawn. Of course, these behaviors aren’t always a result of heroin use, but they can be a red-flag to pay attention to if drug abuse is suspected.

What the Heroin User Goes Through

Hundreds of heroin addiction stories can be found online that portray the absolute misery a person endures while under the influence of cheap doses of heroin. Many users admit to becoming addicted after only one use. Some addicts express that they honestly want to quit, but the cravings are so intense they have no choice but to continue using. They feel cut off from the rest of the world. They have lost everything they owned. Some of them describe living on the streets and being raped, beaten, hungry, sick, and arrested. They confess to thinking death was right at their door and there was no way to escape.

In addition to the above, a heroin addict must also deal with the side effects of the drug itself. After the initial rush wears off the person becomes drowsy and may experience decreased heart rate and slowed respiration. Within a few hours, the effects have faded, and heroin withdrawal symptoms become noticeable.

The long-term heroin addiction symptoms can range from arthritis, hepatitis, HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, and other deadly diseases to coma and death. Opioid painkillers were the most commonly found drug in the 22,400 drug overdose deaths in the US, accounting for 38.2% of these deaths, with heroin and morphine involved in over half of the accidental drug deaths nationwide.

Can a Person Overcome Heroin Addiction?

Heroin addiction can be treated and controlled with the right approach. Anyone seeking this type of treatment should do some research to determine if a facility has adequate expertise in treating this addiction specifically as it is one of the most difficult to overcome. A long-term, residential facility is highly recommended because they offer a safe, supportive environment that allows the individual to relax and focus all their energy on healing. All activities and courses are designed to address specific factors that played a role in the addiction, while also instilling an improved sense of self-esteem and a set of skills the person can rely on once they complete treatment and enter the outside world again.

There is a broad range of treatment approaches such as traditional, faith-based and Indigenous/Native American programs. Depending on the person’s needs, physical health, preferences and financial status, there is an agenda for any contingency. There is a need for caution when it comes to choosing a program that relies on drugs such as methadone as part of the treatment process. Many addicts have learned that they traded their opiate addiction for a methadone addiction, so this might not be the best course of treatment to consider.

Another practical aspect of therapy for heroin addiction is known as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. This therapy helps patients to recognize and avoid situations where they may be tempted to use heroin. CBT lasts only 16 weeks at most, which is a relatively short period when compared to other forms of therapy. The fact that it can be effectively implemented in a relatively short time makes it attractive for use alongside other forms of treatment. Additionally, this therapy is flexible enough to be used on a wide range of patients.

Regardless of which treatment program a person enters, it is important that they plan ahead for an aftercare program. These programs provide a variety of services from job placement, sober-living homes, assistance with legal issues and much more. Their primary function is to provide continuing counseling, support, and guidance during the patient’s transition back into society. An aftercare program is a crucial component of relapse prevention.

Heroin Addiction Makes You a Prisoner in Your Body

No one chooses to become an addict, even though he or she willingly tried a drug knowing the potential dangers, the intention was just to try it this one time for fun. With some substances, a person could succeed in just giving it a try and never touch it again. Heroin, however, can become addictive after only one use, and then one more innocent victim becomes a hostage, held a prisoner in their body by the power of the cheap doses of heroin. Every semblance of who he or she once was becomes a fuzzy memory, and now their only purpose in life is to remain as a vessel that must be fueled by heroin.

When the cravings are intense, it ‘s hard to consider going through detox and rehab, so most addicts avoid treatment due to their fear of withdrawals. If he or she could think rationally, it would be evident that the dangers of continuing to use cheap doses of heroin are far more frightening than anything that could happen during detox. For this reason, friends and family members should conduct an intervention, hosted by a professional, to convince the addict to get into treatment before it is too late. Treatment works, but the person has got to want to escape the prison of addiction and fight for their right to a happy, drug-free life.