Why Heroin Abuse Is So Dangerous

When we think of drug abuse, there are several drugs that immediately come to mind as being exceptionally dangerous.  One of those drugs is heroin.  It is a powerful opiate, the use of which can lead to addiction, severe medical conditions and even death.  The reasons that heroin is so incredibly dangerous has to do with several factors, including:

• How it is used
• The effect it has on the brain of the user
• The lengths that people will go to get it
• The great difficulty associated with quitting

Understanding the risk factors are important for anyone interested in seeking help for a loved one who is currently addicted to heroin.

How Is Heroin Ingested?

Injecting heroin is one preferred method for taking the drug that offers its own dangers.  The drug is liquefied through a process known as “freebasing.”  The liquid heroin is pulled into a syringe and injected directly into the blood stream.  Sharing and reuse of needles are common during this practice.  This sharing of needles can easily spread blood-borne diseases such as HIV/AIDS and hepatitis from one addict to another.

Another form of heroin use is snorting or sniffing.  Finally, heroin may be smoked.

The Effect of Heroin on the Brain

The human body contains opiate receptors throughout the anatomy.  Some of these opiate receptors control pleasure, pain and emotional reward.  These are the receptors that an opiate addict is trying to engage when they use heroin.  Pain is reduced and the brain offers a new sense of pleasure or euphoria.  This is the “high” that drug users find as a result of the drugs they ingest.

There are other opiate receptors in the brain stem that control involuntary functions such as blood pressure and breathing.  When an individual uses heroin, the drug is converted to morphine which attaches to all opiate receptors, including those that control something as simple as breathing.  There is no way to know how much heroin will cause these receptors to overload and cease operating at any given time.

The Lengths to Which an Addict Will Go to Obtain Heroin

Because of the highly addictive nature of opiates like heroin, an individual suffering from addiction will go to great lengths to obtain either the drug or the cash to buy drugs.  The addict may engage in risky behavior like prostitution or armed robbery, placing their lives in danger.   Even if they have enough money through legal means, they can place themselves in harm’s way simply by visiting locations that are rife with violence and corrosive illegal activity to obtain their drugs.

The Difficulty Associated With Quitting

In order to successfully stop using heroin, many addicts must receive long-term rehab services.  Even then, the chance of relapse still exists.  Because of the fear that they will be unsuccessful, some addicts are afraid to try to improve their lives.  Others are fearful that they will be deprived of a drug they feel they need to survive from day to day.  This mentality is dangerous because every time an addict refuses to try, they place themselves at risk of the other dangerous factors.

It is possible to stop using heroin with the help of trained, experienced professionals.  The dangers of heroin use can be greatly reduced simply by taking the first step towards recovery.

Drug Addiction

When most people begin to experiment with drugs they never think that they will one day be addicted to them.  However, emotional, psychological and physical factors can make some individuals more susceptible to drug addiction then others.

Some symptoms of drug addiction include a dependence on a particular drug or drugs, going to great lengths to obtain drugs and get high, physical cravings and the willingness to take risks to obtain the drugs even with there are negative consequences.  Persons who become addicted to drugs have constant cravings and thoughts about buying and taking drugs.

Persons can be addicted to both legal and illegal drugs. The number of individuals who are taking legal drugs, those prescribed by their doctors and over-the-counter, to get high is growing at an alarming rate.

When there is long-term use of drugs, pathways in the brain become altered. It is at this point that the drug addiction becomes a disease.  When the pathways and nerve cells in the brain become changed, physical addiction occurs. The brain reacts differently to the types of drugs that are taken and will be altered accordingly.

Drug addiction can be influenced by both genetics and the environment in which one lives. A person can be pre-disposed to drug addiction based on their family history.  The environment can also play a major role in drug use and drug addiction.  Individuals who have a lot of life stressors or who are around people who abuse drugs may be more tempted to use them themselves.  Some drugs are also much more addicting then others. Heroine and cocaine are two such drugs that often quickly entrap the persons who try them.  Others are less so such as marijuana.

One’s personality type may also influence whether or not they become addicted to drugs.  Individuals who have problems with depression or anxiety may use illegal or legal drugs to self medicate and may become addicted in the process.

It is believed that nearly 20 million people in the United States over the age of 12 have taken some sort of illegal drug.  24% of men and 16% of women in the U.S. have used drugs, with marijuana being the one most commonly taken. Drug-Rehabs.org reports that one in four Americans between the ages of 26-34 have tried cocaine. According to the Mayo Clinic 19,000 deaths from drug use occur every year in the United States.

Most people recognize that drug addiction can take a serious and even deadly toll on an individual.  It can cause them to lose the things that are most important to them such as their family, friends, job and money. Some people are more susceptible to drug addiction and everyone who takes drugs does not become addicted to them. There are individuals that are able to only take drugs socially. The problem is, one doesn’t know until after they have become addicted if they are one of those individuals. By then, it is impossible to turn back the clock.

Whether or not an individual becomes addicted to drugs depends on several factors.  A person’s genetic makeup, their environment and what is going on in their lives will either contribute to or insulate one from drug use. Drug addiction is very serious and can be a very ugly disease because it robs the individual, the people that they love and those who love them of a whole and healthy human being.  Family and friends suffer because they have to watch, often helplessly, someone that they care about deteriorate right before their eyes. Drug addicts suffer because they often alienate and hurt those people closest to them.