Heroin Abuse Effects
There is no such thing as a safe way to use heroin. Once medically approved for treating headaches and chronic pain, it is no longer prescribed under any circumstances. Using heroin in any form is considered heroin abuse as it can be addictive almost immediately depending upon the method of ingestion.
If you are addicted to heroin, Orchid Recovery Center is available to help you break that addiction and avoid any further damage due to heroin abuse effects. The longer you use the drug, the more long lasting its effects will be. We encourage you to seek treatment for heroin addiction at Orchid sooner rather than later.
Heroin Abuse Short-Term Effects
Effects of heroin in the short-term kick in relatively quickly after ingesting whether it is injected intravenously, smoked or snorted. A brief rush is felt followed by a long period of feeling “heavy,” slow and warm. It’s described as “nodding” or having waking dreams. It’s harder to think clearly and your motor skills slow down. Vomiting, constipation and difficulty speaking and keeping your eyes open happen, too. A kind of itchy skin feeling and extreme drowsiness also describe the short-term effects of heroin use. Because heroin attacks the central nervous system, the breathing slows and sometimes slows down so much that it stops altogether. It is possible to overdose and die the first time heroin is used.
Heroin Abuse Long-Term Effects
Effects of heroin in the long-term start to show after regular use for as little as a few weeks. The most immediate include agitation between hits and intense weight loss resulting in a skeletal appearance. Skin tone turns sallow and hair becomes straggly and loses its sheen. After a few months, effects include collapsed veins, abscesses, blood infections and heart lining and valve infections. Cellulites, forms of pneumonia, serious heart conditions and liver disease come after chronic use. Blood vessels get clogged and patches of organ cells die resulting in infection.
Once addiction is full-blown, extreme symptoms of withdrawal occur after the effects of the drug start to wear off. These include overwhelming craving for the drug, muscle and bone pain, restlessness and insomnia, involuntary twitching muscles, vomiting, diarrhea and hot and cold flashes. Should these symptoms occur and persist in users with other health problems, total withdrawal without medical supervision can be fatal. Also, almost all heroin users who use needles contract Hepatitis C and many also contract HIV from sharing needles.
At Orchid Recovery Center, we want you to break free from the cycle of heroin addiction. We have a heroin detox center for women that will help you make it through the toughest symptoms as easily as possible. When you are ready, our drug rehabilitation facility is ready and waiting to help you begin rebuilding your life—this time without the deadly dependence upon heroin.
Heroin Abuse Treatment at Orchid Recovery Center
At Orchid Recovery Center, our treatment philosophy is one of abstinence. We help women learn how to take care of themselves without the dependence upon drugs or alcohol of any kind. We want to help you reclaim your dreams and resume a life without heroin addiction. If you think that Orchid Recovery Center might be the place for you, contact us today about more information about our unique drug addiction treatment program for women.
Further Reading