Heroin Group Counseling Assists Recovery

The scientific name for heroin is diamorphine. It is extracted from the dried milk of the opium poppy (Papaver somniferum). Diamorphine does not naturally occur in opium poppies but is manufactured from morphine, a natural opiate. Of all the opiates, heroin has the most addictive potential. The heroin group counseling is part of a multi-step process in drug rehabilitation.

Effects

After the initial euphoria, followed by feeling calm and relaxed, diamorphine makes the user feel drowsy. Their pupils constrict, speech becomes slurred, attention is impaired and the user feels detached. It may also result in headache, vomiting and mood disturbances. This is a Class A drug, meaning that even possessing it is illegal and may lead to a prison sentence. Being illegal, it is manufactured in less than controlled conditions and cut with any number of obnoxious agents in varying proportions. It is impossible to predict what strength is being supplied and it is easy to overdose.

Short Lived

The initial high from the drug doesn’t last. Repeated doses are necessary to get the same buzz. It does not take long to develop tolerance to the drug. More and more is necessary to maintain the high and stave off the painfully unpleasant side effects. At some point, the body becomes so fiercely addicted that a larger and larger dose is needed just to feel normal, let alone euphoric.

Bodily Damage

Paradoxically, despite being dependent on the drug, it has many negative effects on the body. It can damage the blood vessels, leading to thrombosis and abscesses, which can go on to become gangrenous. Gangrene can spread to the brain, bones and heart and can also lead to amputation of a limb. A leading British scientific journal rated diamorphine the single most harmful of twenty popular recreational drugs, both in terms of its addictive potential and the amount of physical damage it produces.

Withdrawal

Users who are fortunate enough not do perish from an overdose or from other complications may eventually decide they have had enough of the life of a drug user and stop taking it. Doing this on their own is nearly impossible because of the devastating effects of withdrawal. These include severe muscle cramps, nausea and vomiting, headaches, convulsions and profuse sweating.

Medication

Fortunately, there are detox treatment centers where people can go to get help with becoming clear of the drug. Here, they may have controlled access to substitutes such as methadone, as well as other forms of support to help them get through this difficult phase. There are some people who decide to go through what is known as ‘cold turkey’, or the sudden complete cessation of the drug without any form of support.

Life After Detox

Once the recovering addict has done heroin addiction detox, their next task is learning how to live without using the drug or the emotional phase. One of the great advantages of residential drug treatment programs is they effectively isolate the individual from the psychological and environmental influences that used to trigger their drug seeking activities. They also gain practice at forming relationships with non-drug users.