Heroin use is on the rise in the U.S. and one of the biggest reasons is linked to the opioid epidemic. Believe it or not, the cost of heroin can be considered a bargain when it’s compared to the price of prescription painkillers or opioids.
Heroin makes its users feel not just great, but ecstatic. Of course, the price of that euphoria is never worth the pain that is heroin’s inevitable downside. In fact, there are no upsides to heroin, and here are some facts to ponder if you have even the slightest thought about what this insidious, addictive drug is like.
Heroin can decrease feelings of pain and anxiety, but as is the case with most drugs, you will need more and more to achieve the same high.
Risks Beyond Overdose
Heroin is often mixed or adulterated with other substances including starch, sugar and powdered milk. But heroin can also be diluted or cut with poisonous substances as well as other opioids such as fentanyl, which makes overdosing or death an ever-present possibility.
Heroin can be smoked, snorted or injected. Many addicts inject heroin because it results in the fastest high, but this places them at risk for an entirely different set of life-threatening circumstances. Blood-borne diseases such as HIV are commonly transmitted from user to user when needles are shared.
High doses of heroin suppress the autonomic nervous system. This system regulates blood pressure and respiration, and in severe cases of decreased respiration, a lack of oxygen in the brain results in permanent brain damage.
Lastly, heroin withdrawal is agonizing and painful. Stopping cold-turkey can result in insomnia, anxiety, agitation, vomiting and diarrhea.
The side effects of trying to quit on one’s own can be so excruciating that addicts return to using, resulting in a vicious, tormenting cycle and this is just one of the many reasons that medical professionals strongly urge that addicts participate in a medically monitored detox routine.
Recovery from heroin is possible—recover your unique, purposeful, sober life by reaching out to the dedicated experts at Cumberland Heights.
Addiction is a chronic, progressive and potentially fatal disease. For over 50 years we have carefully provided the highest quality of care for adults, adolescents and families who suffer from, or are affected by this devastating disease.
Our nonprofit alcohol and drug addiction treatment center is located on a peaceful, pastoral 177-acre campus on the banks of the Cumberland River in Nashville, Tennessee. We provide a continuum of services through two 12-Step immersion campuses, 12 outpatient recovery centers and 4 sober living homes.
At Cumberland Heights, we always put the patient first, and value the importance of family participation in the recovery process. Take the first step toward healing by calling us at (866) 899-5231 today.
