Heroin is highly addictive and can lead to physiological dependence within days of repeated use. Dependence can lead to addiction when the person finds that they cannot stop using heroin despite negative consequences. 

In 2018, a study showed that around 30% of people who tried heroin and continued to use it over the course of a year ended up developing an addiction to it. Heroin use can also lead to potentially fatal overdose. In short, using heroin is always a gamble, and the first time using it should be viewed as seriously as the 100th time using—as there is no safe way to consume or obtain the drug. It’s a complex substance that can be manufactured and abused in a myriad of ways. The intense euphoria that it causes in users is the main driver of heroin addiction.

If you or a loved one needs help quitting heroin, our heroin addiction treatment program in Port Matilda might be the answer you need.   

What is Heroin?

Think of heroin as the child of morphine: both belong to the opioid class and are derived from opium. Heroin is extremely addictive and fast-acting. In Pennsylvania and the East Coast generally, heroin typically takes a whitish, powdered form. Heroin sold in western regions of the country can have a solid black tar-like consistency or look like a brownish powder. It’s not uncommon to see any of the three types anywhere in the United States.

Since 2007, when prescription painkiller popularity and subsequent abuse began to soar in unprecedented ways, large populations of people began to develop a strong tolerance to oxycodone and hydrocodone. These medications can be thought of as cousins to heroin, with similar molecular structures and effects on brain chemistry. Once people noticed that their painkillers didn’t work to alleviate discomfort anymore, they began to look for cheaper and stronger alternatives that were not in medical use in the United States. This led many to use and then abuse heroin, which has claimed millions of lives since the late 90s. 

The probability of heroin-related death spikes even more when fentanyl, another opioid and synthetic painkiller, mixes in with the drug. Sometimes as much as 50% stronger than heroin, fentanyl can kill people immediately upon use.   

Why Do People Use Heroin?

Besides using heroin for pain, people can start using heroin for many other reasons. Curiosity, emotional pain, poor coping skills, and peer pressure are all factors that can drive someone to try heroin. The issue is that it affects users incredibly fast—if not instantly—and the euphoric rush is so impressive that the brain immediately demands more of it. While many people eat heroin in pill form, the most fast-acting methods include snorting, smoking, and injecting it.  

What Are The Signs of a Developing Heroin Addiction?

As soon as you see the following short-term symptoms of heroin dependence in yourself or your loved one, we recommend that you immediately contact us so that our team can assess your situation, determine how developed the addiction is, and recommend treatment options:  

• Bouts of intense euphoria followed by nodding off or appearing extremely drowsy
• Warm, red skin or patches of skin
• Dry mouth
• Heaviness in the limbs
• Vomiting or digestive issues 
• Confusion and slowed cognition 

With time, heroin starts to affect the body in documented ways. Insomnia, skin infections, poor hormonal or menstrual health, and behavioral irregularities may start to surface. Other indicators of an advanced heroin addiction can present as:

• Collapsing veins
• Heart infections
• An HIV/AIDS, hepatitis B, or hepatitis C diagnosis
• Mental health disorder diagnoses or noticeable declines in mental health 
• Respiratory infections and diseases 

Get Help For Heroin With St. Joseph Institute in Port Matilda, PA

We specialize in heroin recovery treatment and are equipped to offer medically supervised heroin detoxification and to educate clients about heroin relapse prevention. We help people beat heroin addiction every day, and we welcome you and your loved one to pursue a future unplagued by this lethal substance. You’re not alone; St. Joseph Institute is here for you!