The Ugly Truth of Drug Addiction Essay

In summarizing what has been discussed, it brings awareness on heroin addiction and a discussion on the illegal and one of the severely addictive drugs that are becoming one of the drugs that have been most abused in the recent past. The immediate impact that is likely felt by the heroin users is how quickly an effective the drug is capable of moving into the brain hence binding the opioid receptors. On the other hand, it is important to note that heroin is quite addictive since it is capable of entering brain hastily. For a general abuser, they tend to demonstrate various signs of drowsiness for various hours with their mental function getting impaired as result of the impact of heroin that is taking place on the central nervous system. It is also identified that one of the most damaging long-term has implications of heroin is the addiction itself. In most cases, heroin addiction is recognized as one of the relapsing diseases that is associated with a compulsive nature of drug use, molecular changes and the neurochemical changes that are taking place in the brain.

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On the other hand, the impact and the general treatment of a mother who is pregnant who are making use of heroin are vulnerable and, in most cases, they capable of contracting hepatitis B and HIV/AIDS in general. Afghanistan has routes of trafficking drugs where heroin can easily be found. Heroin is illegal and stated to be incredibly addictive. Using heroin has effects on both males and females in any age group, social background, and economic status. Some addicts claimed to have been addicted from the first time they used the drug. Heroin is produced from different poppy plants whose seed pods extract morphine. Heroin is sold in the form of brown or white powder or in a sticky form that is black and known as black tar heroin in the streets. This street heroin contains starch, powdered milk, sugar and sometimes quinine.

Administration of heroin can be in different ways like smoking, sniffing or snorting and injection. Addicts of heroin prefer using intravenous injection because it gets a person high quicker than the other methods and is extreme. It takes between seven to eight seconds for one to be high from an intravenous injection, intramuscular injection takes between five to eight minutes to make someone high and sniffing, and smoking takes around thirteen minutes to make someone high. This gives us the understanding why most heroin addicts use intravenous injection which makes them high within seconds of use.

Use of heroin induces a feeling of euphoria and relaxation rapidly which is referred to as downer effect. Heroin use brings out signs just like other drugs do; these are sudden behavioral changes, pupils that are constricted, mouths that are dry, short breaths, series of hyper-alertness and an appearance that is droopy. Addiction sign of heroin differs from those of its use: these are possession of needles for no medical use, silver spoons that are burnt, wrappers of gums and aluminum foils that have marks of burns, burnt straws, powdery residue on plastic bags and shoes without shoelaces. Heroin addiction has signs in the behavior of an addict like deception, distant vision, mumbling in speech, reduced interest in activities that were ones interesting, hostility towards those close, increased sleeping time, covering marks of needles with clothes and decrease in school or job performance. The physical signs of heroin addiction are a loss in weight, dropping of the menstrual cycle in females and marks of needles on arms and between their toes.

Heroin use has side effects that are long term and short term. Immediately after an injection of heroin, it is converted into morphine after it crosses through the blood-brain barrier where it is bound to opioid receptors. This is considered a "rush" by addicts, and it is determined by the quantity of the drug taken and the speed it enters the brain. After a "rush" an addict will feel a flash of warmth on their skin, drying of mouth, nausea, vomiting, extreme itch and feel that their arms and legs are heavy. Abusers of heroin will feel lethargic for hours, and their mental function will be reshaped due to the central nervous system being affected by heroin. Slower breathing affects the performance of the heart to an inadequate performance which could lead to blacking out of death in the worst case scenario.

The long-term side effect that is most important is an addiction in itself. Addiction is a recurring, long-term disease that changes the brains neurochemical and molecules and necessitates seeking and use of the drug. Heroin addicts spend most of their time and resources in acquiring and using the drug. Addicts change their purpose in life to discovering ways of getting high by any means within their reach. This stage is characterized by increased quantity and frequency of heroin use. HIV/ AIDS, hepatitis B and C, abscesses, arthritis, bacterial infection, and infection of linings of the heart and valves and veins collapsing are side effects found on using heroin on long terms.

The brain's creation of neurotransmitters is suppressed by the use of heroin same as other drugs. When an addict stops using heroin the brain reacts by producing adrenaline in surges which causes symptoms of withdrawal. The horror of symptoms of withdrawal and its effect on relieving pain makes addicts want to use heroin continuously. After a few hours of stopping the use of the drug symptoms of withdrawal like the extreme craving of heroin, sweating profoundly, nausea, insomnia, fever, running nose and severe aches of bones and muscles kick in. Withdrawal symptoms experienced after long-term usage include risks of complications that are medical like death. Stroke, seizures, heart attacks and hallucinations are some of the extreme withdrawal symptoms.

Treatment methods for the addiction of heroin are available, but some prove to be effective than others. The level of effectiveness depends on the timing of capture of addiction with the most common being the administration of methadone instead of heroin. Methadone is an opiate that is synthetic and blocks heroin's effects and withdrawal symptoms. Buprenorphine and Levo-alpha-acetyl-methanol are treatments in the form of therapy that treat addiction to heroin.

Therapy as a medication helps addicts by preventing their relapse and providing emotional support. Therapy on behavior can be inpatient or outpatient, and it should match their needs in particular to avoid relapse. Voucher-based systems are used in Contingency management therapy where patient earn a point that can be exchanged for healthy living items for drug tests that are negative. Interventions in cognitive behavior are meant to help patients improve in life coping skills, change the perspective of thinking and improve behavior. When therapy in behavior and medication are combined norm is restored, crime decreases, and there is decreased exposure to drugs