Heroin Addiction Treatment: 4 Proven Steps to Recovery Without Relapse

Heroin addiction treatment: heroin is one of the most dangerous drugs. If you use it regularly for a while you will become addicted, and if that happens you need to stop immediately and begin your recovery with a residential stay at El Massar Center for Psychiatry and Addiction Treatment.

Symptoms of Heroin Addiction

The symptoms of heroin addiction include the following:

Pupils

The pupils become constricted.

Drowsiness

You may experience sudden drowsiness or loss of consciousness.

Breathing

Your breathing becomes slow or laboured.

Skin

You will have itchy skin.

Appetite and weight

You will notice your appetite has dropped, and you will lose a lot of weight in a short time.

Craving

You will have a very strong craving for a dose of heroin.

Mood

You will have severe mood swings, which leave you tense and anxious most of the time.

Psychological disorders

You may develop depression and anxiety disorders during heroin addiction treatment.

Concentration and memory

You will notice your memory starting to weaken and your concentration dropping.

Isolation

You will find yourself wanting to sit apart from others all the time.

Legal trouble

You may face legal consequences if you act illegally to get money, such as through theft or robbery.

Work and study

You will start neglecting your studies or be unable to work properly, and if this goes on for a while you may lose your job.

Causes of Heroin Addiction

The causes of heroin addiction include the following:

Escaping from facing things

When you go through a trauma or crisis, you may be unable to face the psychological pain it causes, so you might use heroin to avoid confronting those feelings or that pain.

Depression and anxiety

If you suffer from chronic depression or anxiety and have not seen a psychiatrist to help you recover, you may turn to drugs to ease the symptoms of these disorders.

Self-esteem and self-worth

If you feel low self-esteem or inadequate most of the time, you may turn to drugs to escape those feelings.

Bad company

If you spend time with a person or group who use drugs, there is a strong chance you will end up like them.

Family problems

If you live under constant stress because of family problems, you may use drugs to ease that pressure.

Genetics

You are more likely to become addicted to drugs if a member of your family is or has been addicted.

The Harmful Effects of Heroin Addiction

The harmful effects of heroin addiction include the following:

Brain

Addiction causes brain damage through lack of oxygen, which results from the slowed breathing that addiction causes.

Heart

You develop a rapid heartbeat as well as inflammation of the blood vessels.

Liver and kidneys

The liver and kidneys are damaged by the build-up of toxins.

Depression

You will suffer severe depression, losing all enthusiasm and enjoyment in life.

Anxiety and tension

You will be tense and anxious most of the time.

Isolation

You will notice that most of the time you want to keep away from people and be alone.

Financial problems

Because you spend all your money on heroin, debts may pile up, as heroin is very expensive.

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How Heroin Affects the Central Nervous System

Heroin affects the central nervous system in the following ways:

Euphoria and relaxation

After taking a dose of heroin you will feel an overwhelming euphoria and become extremely relaxed.

Pain

Heroin relieves severe and moderate pain.

Breathing

Your breathing slows, and this can progress until you cannot breathe at all.

Pupils

The pupils become constricted.

Addiction

Over time, with continued heroin use, the body becomes used to the drug and you become addicted. At that point it is best to begin heroin addiction treatment at El Massar Center for Psychiatry and Addiction Treatment.

Brain

Cells or particular centres in the brain are damaged, especially those responsible for decision-making.

Heroin's Damage to the Heart and Liver

Heroin's damage to the heart and liver includes the following:

Heart rate

Your heart rate slows because heroin suppresses the nervous system, which regulates the pulse.

Heart valves

You may develop inflammation of the heart valves from a bacterial infection picked up by injecting heroin with contaminated needles.

Blood pressure

Because of the slow heart rate, your blood pressure may gradually fall, leaving you faint, dizzy or light-headed.

Viral hepatitis

Especially hepatitis C and B, because the virus is passed on through contaminated needles.

Liver damage

Long-term use of the drug damages the liver as toxins build up in it.

Liver failure

Caused by toxins accumulating in the liver and the liver becoming unable to get rid of them.

Does Heroin Cause Permanent Brain Damage?

Yes. Heroin can cause permanent damage to brain cells because of the lack of oxygen reaching the brain as a result of the slowed heart rate. Long-term heroin use also changes brain chemistry, leaving you emotionally unstable and prone to mood swings.

Heroin and Morphine

Both substances belong to the opioid family. Here are the differences and similarities between them:

Origin

Morphine is a natural substance extracted from the poppy plant, while heroin is manufactured from morphine.

Use

Morphine is used to relieve severe pain, such as pain after surgery or cancer pain, while heroin is banned for medical use in many countries.

Effect

Morphine relieves severe pain and also gives a sense of relaxation, calm and comfort, while heroin acts faster and more powerfully than morphine and produces overwhelming happiness and euphoria.

Risk

Both are narcotic substances, and if you take them excessively or without a doctor's supervision you will become addicted and will then need to recover at El Massar Center for Psychiatry and Addiction Treatment.

What Does Heroin Smell Like?

The smell of heroin varies with its purity, how it was made and the chemicals added to it, but in general it is as follows:

The original smell

Heroin smells like vinegar or something sour, or it may smell like a bitter-tasting medicine. Sometimes it smells like burnt sugar, especially when the drug is heated. If the heroin is mixed with other chemicals, it may have a pungent smell or smell of plastic or earth.

Is Heroin a Depressant or a Stimulant?

Heroin is one of the most powerful narcotics and is not a stimulant; it belongs to the depressant class, specifically the opioid group.

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What Happens When You Stop Heroin?

If you stop using heroin completely, you will experience a range of psychological and physical symptoms known as withdrawal symptoms. The body goes through several stages during withdrawal, as follows:

Stage one

This begins 6 to 12 hours after stopping. You feel anxious and tense, have a runny nose and watery eyes, sweat, and have a strong craving for a dose of the drug.

Stage two

This comes 1 to 3 days after stopping, when you feel severe pain in the bones and muscles, along with stomach and bowel cramps, nausea and vomiting.

Stage three

This begins between days 4 and 10, when you feel depressed and extremely weak and are unable to sleep.

Names of Medicines Used to Treat Heroin (Powder) Addiction

Medicines used in heroin addiction treatment include the following:

Bupropion

It treats the depression you feel during recovery and also reduces your urge to use again.

Topiramate

It reduces the high you get when you use.

Modafinil

It reduces the craving for a dose of heroin.

Disulfiram

It makes you less inclined or willing to take a dose of heroin while you are recovering.

Naltrexone

It reduces your craving for a dose of heroin.

Is Heroin the Same as Cocaine?

No, heroin is not cocaine.

The Difference Between Heroin, Cocaine and Opium

The differences between heroin, cocaine and opium are as follows:

Source

Opium is extracted from the opium poppy, and certain chemicals are added to it to make heroin, while cocaine is extracted from the coca plant.

Effect

Opium is used as a sedative and a painkiller for severe and moderate pain; heroin is a stronger sedative than opium, while cocaine is a powerful stimulant.

Physical and psychological effects

Opium makes you relaxed and sleepy or drowsy, while after a dose of heroin you feel overwhelming euphoria, followed after a while by severe drowsiness and lethargy, and you may then have difficulty breathing.

The psychological and physical effects of cocaine are excessive confidence and extreme hyperactivity, along with a racing heart.

Risk of addiction

These are among the most dangerous drugs; even brief use can leave you addicted, and you will then need to recover at a specialised centre such as El Massar Center for Psychiatry and Addiction Treatment.

How to Deal With Someone Addicted to Heroin

It is best to approach a person with addiction with a great deal of patience and wisdom, as follows:

Positive communication

Stay calm when talking to them and don't point the finger of blame or attack them, so they don't become stubborn or refuse to start heroin addiction treatment.

Environment

Provide a safe environment where they feel secure and their urge to use is reduced.

Financial and emotional support

If the person is close to you, provide the financial support needed for heroin addiction treatment, encourage them to go ahead, and visit them regularly at El Massar Center for Psychiatry and Addiction Treatment.

Severe Physical Symptoms of Heroin Withdrawal

The severe physical symptoms of heroin withdrawal are as follows:

Physical pain

In the bones and muscles or in the spine.

Digestive system

You will have severe stomach cramps, diarrhoea and nausea.

Sweating

You will sweat heavily without exertion and have chills as if the weather were cold.

Heart

Your heart rate increases.

Blood pressure

Your blood pressure rises as a result of the faster heart rate.

Psychological Symptoms After Stopping Heroin

The psychological symptoms after stopping heroin are as follows:

Anxiety and tension

You will feel tense and distressed most of the time for no clear reason, find it very hard to control your emotions, fear relapse and feel insecure.

Depression

You will feel sad and hopeless and unable to carry out daily activities, and you may have negative thoughts such as thoughts of self-harm or suicide.

Mood and anger

Your mood will be unstable, which leaves you angry much of the time.

Are Heroin Withdrawal Symptoms Dangerous?

Yes, heroin withdrawal symptoms are often dangerous and can be fatal if not managed medically, which is done through a residential stay at El Massar Center for Psychiatry and Addiction Treatment.

How Long Does Heroin Withdrawal Pain Last?

How long heroin withdrawal pain lasts varies from person to person depending on several factors, including the amount of the drug in the body, but in general it lasts between 5 and 10 days.

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What Are the Best Methods of Heroin Addiction Treatment?

The best methods of heroin addiction treatment at El Massar Center for Psychiatry and Addiction Treatment include the following:

Diagnosis and assessment

You will have a comprehensive medical examination at the centre to determine how heroin has affected your body and mind, along with a drug test to measure the level of the drug in your body.

You will also have a number of psychological assessments to identify the drug's effect on your mental and psychological state, all so that a treatment plan suited to your physical and psychological condition can be put in place.

Withdrawal symptoms

A few hours after stopping, you will begin to feel psychological and physical withdrawal symptoms, and you will need a set of medicines that ease these symptoms and reduce your craving for another dose.

Psychological rehabilitation

Once you are through withdrawal, you will undergo psychological rehabilitation to treat the psychological reasons that led you to become addicted to heroin, as well as any psychological illnesses you developed after using.

The aim is to build a new, more positive identity that is more resilient in facing life's challenges with patience and flexibility instead of escaping into addiction. This stage can take a long time, between 6 months and a full year.

After recovery

At this stage you will be outside the centre and must follow your doctors' instructions so you don't relapse, such as staying away from any triggers, exercising once or twice a week and asking the centre for help.

The centre will also stay in touch with you from time to time to check how you are and invite you to its group therapy sessions, so you have a safe environment where you can express yourself better.

How Can You Prevent Relapse After Heroin Treatment?

There are several things you need to do to prevent relapse after heroin addiction treatment, including staying away from the people who encouraged your addiction and from the places where you used or got the drug.

You should also follow a healthy lifestyle, such as eating a healthy diet rich in minerals and vitamins and exercising twice a week.

Frequently Asked Questions About Heroin Addiction Treatment

How can I get rid of heroin withdrawal symptoms quickly?

You can get through heroin withdrawal symptoms quickly by going to El Massar Center for Psychiatry and Addiction Treatment and beginning your heroin addiction treatment there, under medical supervision so that whatever is needed is done when the symptoms become severe.

Why is heroin considered one of the most dangerous drugs?

Heroin is considered one of the most dangerous drugs because of its harmful effect on the brain and nervous system: it damages the brain cells responsible for perception and concentration and suppresses the nervous system, and a large dose can be fatal.

Can heroin addiction be cured?

Yes, recovery from heroin addiction is possible. It takes strong willpower and good medical follow-up, both of which are available at El Massar Center for Psychiatry and Addiction Treatment.

Can heroin withdrawal cause death?

No, withdrawing heroin from your body does not cause death.

How many days does heroin withdrawal last?

How long it takes to withdraw the drug from the body varies from person to person depending on several factors, including age and the amount of the drug, but in general it lasts between 5 and 10 days.

Does the body return to normal after quitting heroin?

Yes, the body returns to normal after heroin addiction treatment at El Massar Center for Psychiatry and Addiction Treatment.

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