Do You Know the Considerable Risks of Heroin Abuse?

Heroin is an opiate which is developed from the drug morphine which comes from the opium poppy. The chemical process used and the way in which heroin is administered affects the speed at which it works within the body. This process triggers some of the risks of heroin abuse.

Heroin is transmitted to the brain any time an individual uses it by shooting up, snorting, or smoking it. Once absorbed, heroin is converted back to morphine. It connects with molecules in the central nervous system called opioid receptors. These receptors are located throughout the brain and body in areas which manage the perceptions of pain and pleasure, blood pressure, sexual arousal, and breathing.

The way that morphine and heroin are built makes them chemically similar to neurotransmitters (brain chemicals) called endorphins. These are the chemicals that deal with pleasure and deaden the pain. They are sometimes called the body’s “natural opiates.” Opiate drugs act like incredibly powerful endorphins. They are more intense and powerful than the body’s naturally produced endorphins. Another neurotransmitter affected by drug use is dopamine – the “reward” chemical. But heroin and opiate use do a lot more than trigger chemicals.

The Heroin “Rush”

The “high” one experiences depends on how the heroin is administered. One of the most common ways to administer heroin is intravenous. Users who are shooting up often feel a surge of euphoria called a “rush.” This is usually accompanied by dry mouth, flushed skin, arms and legs feeling “heavy,” and poor mental functioning. This “rush” usually lasts one or two minutes.

After this initial rush, the experience differs depending on how the heroin was taken. Intravenous users go “on the nod” by feeling alternately wakeful and drowsy. Another reaction heroin abusers have had during this period is a drowsy, satisfied state, and a sense of distance from the world around them. This high can last about four or five hours.

Addicts build up tolerance to the effects of heroin and some no longer experience the initial “rush” at all. They may take heroin only for “relaxation” purposes or to battle withdrawal symptoms.

First-time users who shoot up often experience a much different reaction than long-term addicts. Their experiences usually include major abdominal discomforts, nausea, and vomiting. This initial discomfort is sometimes enough to put off the individual from further experimentation with heroin. However, the drug is extremely addictive; even after using it a few times a person can become addicted.  This is one of the most common risks of heroin abuse.

“Coming Down” from Heroin

Part of the reason heroin is so addictive is the physical and mental problems experienced when the individual stops using it. Heroin withdrawal can cause severe discomfort to a user.

These symptoms can last for about a week to ten days. Heroin detox should be done under the care of a trained medical professional or addiction specialist.

Because heroin affects the pleasure centers of the brain, training in new pleasurable activities is needed to help the individual return to a drug-free life. Rehab is always recommended after detoxing from heroin. This gives the brain time to re-calibrate and gives the person a way to discover what drew them to heroin and find healthy alternatives for handling their problems.

Some of the Risks of Heroin Abuse

There are considerable risks of heroin abuse, and there are good reasons people instantly think of it as deadly. Unfortunately, these facts are either not known to some or are not enough to deter them from trying the drug.