Heroin Addiction in Naperville, IL
Heroin is one of the most well-known addictive substances in all the world. However, while many people have heard of heroin or of heroin addiction, they likely do not fully understand exactly why heroin is so addictive or how they could possibly understand an addiction to heroin. If you are a person that is suffering from heroin addiction in Naperville, it is important to get to know more about heroin and heroin addiction as well as the ways in which you can safely and successfully go about heroin addiction recovery and get treatment for heroin addiction. Once you have a better understanding of what it means to suffer from heroin addiction in Naperville, you can be sure to get yourself into a rehab center that offers treatment for heroin addiction as soon as possible.
Heroin Effects: Why Is Heroin So Addictive?
In order to fully engage in your heroin addiction recovery, it is essential to know just how heroin affects a person and why the drug is so addictive to begin with. Heroin is an extremely potent drug that has almost immediate effects on the brain and body. It falls under the category of opiate or opioid drugs, which means it is derived from a white liquid found inside of the seedpods of a poppy plant.
The effects that opiates have when consumed or used include a reduction or complete erasure of pain, a sense of relaxation and sleepiness, euphoria, and essentially, an escape from reality. These are the effects that people notice when they use heroin. However, they often do not stop to think about why they feel that way when heroin enters their system.
When a person uses heroin, the drug enters the person's bloodstream and will be carried through the blood vessels up to the brain. Once it is in the brain, all different chemical reactions occur. Some of the chemicals attach themselves to the pain receptors in the brain as well as throughout the body. This action of binding to the pain receptors means that the signals carried by neurotransmitters to those pain receptors to indicate the person is in pain will not be received and will be blocked by the heroin. It's important that those who suffer from addiciton, seek the help of addiction treatment centers in Naperville.
The euphoria caused by heroin use occurs due to the flood of feel-good hormones that occur when heroin reaches the brain. The specific hormone in question is dopamine, which is commonly referred to as the "pleasure chemical." And, of course, heroin also generally slows down the nervous system both due to the blockage of pain signals and the rise in levels of dopamine. This is what causes the relaxation associated with heroin.
Because these effects are so intense and occur so quickly, it is easy for the brain to develop a dependence on heroin to release dopamine, deal with pain signals and the like. As such, heroin is so addictive because people mentally and emotionally crave the effects they feel from the drug and because of the physical, biochemical processes that occur inside of their body.
How Is Heroin Used?
When people use and abuse heroin, there are different ways that they may go about it. The most common method of abusing heroin is by shooting up (injecting the drug into the vein directly using a needle). This is especially true of the most typically found (i.e. least expensive) forms of heroin such as black tar heroin. Some people also smoke or snort heroin. However, this is a method most often associated with more pure forms of heroin like china white.
Heroin Addiction Signs and Symptoms
In order to know if you need treatment for heroin addiction and to commit yourself to heroin addiction recovery, it can be helpful to know the signs and symptoms of heroin addiction in Naperville. Some of the most recognizable signs of heroin addiction seen in patients in heroin addiction recovery and treatment for heroin addiction include:
- Increased tolerance to heroin
- Constricted (smaller than normal) pupils
- Extreme lethargy
- Heroin cravings
- A loss of control over drug use
- Extremely slow breathing
- Low heartrate and blood pressure
- Grogginess or sleepiness
- Slow and slurred speech
- Frequent nausea
- Itchy skin
- Track marks at injection sites
- Memory loss
- Cognitive impairment
- Difficulty understanding or following conversations
As a person continues to abuse heroin, the symptoms of heroin addiction can become much more severe. Organ damage can occur, particularly to the lungs, heart, liver, and kidneys. Brain damage that may be permanent is also a possibility. Some people suffer from strokes or heart failure due to heroin abuse, and those that abuse heroin intravenously may develop severe blood infections known as sepsis or an infection that travels to the lining of the heart (known as endocarditis).
Why Should I Enter a Heroin Addiction Rehab?
When you are suffering from a heroin addiction in Naperville, it is important that you enter a heroin addiction rehab sooner rather than later. Heroin is so highly addictive that it is quite difficult for a person to overcome an addiction to heroin, even with the care and support of their loved ones. A drug rehab in Naperville can provide all of the support and treatment that a person needs to break their physical and mental addiction to heroin. Medical detox will safely help a person sever their physical addiction while numerous therapies can be used to address the mental addiction and help the person develop coping strategies to use after treatment is over. Call Naperville Alcohol Treatment Centers for help (877) 804-1531.