BASIC DESCRIPTION

Heroin is an opiate.  Opiate is a general term for drugs classified as opioids that are derived from poppy plants.  These drugs affect the opioid receptors of the brain.  So what does all this mean and what do you need to know?

Opiates are highly addictive and have significant powerful effects on the user.  These effects include feelings of euphoria and emotionally well-being that are so powerful that the user can become almost instantly psychologically dependent on these substances.

From a physiological standpoint these drugs also affect the central nervous system by way of disrupting the pain center of the brain.   The combination of the feelings of euphoria and the effects on the central nervous system are a powerful duo that is very difficult to overcome.

The psychological effects are so strong that the user will have an extremely difficult time adjusting to life without it as nothing in life can or will produce the same level of well-being and euphoria.  The fact that the user has the ability to recreate this euphoria at will by ingesting more of the drug even though their life does not warrant these feelings cause the user to continue to chase the feeling while ignoring their actual life.  This combined with the suppression of all physical pain creates a recipe for disaster.

When the user tries to stop the pain that they experience without the central nervous system being suppressed is almost unbearable.  This combined with the feelings of depression related to facing reality and the lack of drug-induced euphoria make it one of the most difficult drugs to stop using.

So how do they stop?

The best chance at “kicking” (as addicts often refer to when talking about stopping heroin” is a combination of interventions.

The first phase is detox.  Medical detox has proven to be the most effective way to treat opiate dependence. The goal of the detox should be to minimize the extreme pain due to the malfunctioning of the central nervous system and the pain receptors in the brain.  This is often done with a combination of medications.   This combined with a mild anti-anxiety medication all while under 24 hour supervision will give the user the best chance at success.  This MUST be followed with immediate transfer to a long-term (minimum of 90 days and longer if possible) program where the medications are either stopped before hand or tapered during the first week in the program.  Long-term opiate maintenance although very popular at the moment has proven to be an unsustainable method for treating addicts.

The long-term program that the user transfers to should specialize in treating all addictions but have a strong understanding of opiate dependence and its unique way of manifesting itself in the user.  The program should be focused on reconnecting the addict with a sense of self and purpose.  The best way to accomplish this is by treating the biological, psychological, and sociological aspects of active addiction.  It is important that the program encourages the participant to fall back in love with being alive.  This is obviously a very difficult but essential part of the equation.