About Heroin Addiction
Heroin is an illegal drug that is extracted from morphine and is known to be one of the most potent drugs to cause an addiction. This drug binds itself to the opioid receptors in the brain and long term use can cause serious dependence on this drug. Heroin is known to cause extreme physical and psychological dependence and that is why it halts a person’s normal living and affects his health in the worst possible way.
According to surveys, heroin is so dangerous that it is very rare for a person to use it and not develop drug addiction. In fact, most people develop an addiction after their first time use. Scientists also believe that there may be a genetic component to the development of addiction, but to date they do not know how it works.
Heroin Side Effects
Heroin addiction can cause some serious health issues and side effects for the patient that can include psychological issues like stress disorder, bipolar disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety and panic disorder as well as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Apart from these side effects, heroin drug addiction can also put the physical health of the user in danger, including:
- Kidney disease and liver disease
- Bacterial infections and collapsed veins
- Pneumonia and abscesses
- Organ damage
- Infections like Hepatitis, HIV etc.
- Overdoes of heroin is can also cause the death of the addict
Treatments for Heroin Addiction
Heroin addiction is a dangerous illness and it is impossible to get rid of this habit without proper medical treatment. There are mainly two types of treatment centers for heroin: residential and outpatient.
Residential treatment centers
As the name suggests these types of programs require the patient to stay in the facility for the duration of the program.
Outpatient treatment centers
These centers allow the patient to live at home and meet with counselors and doctors on a regular basis.
