Heroin addiction: signs of heroin use, consequences, treatment. Recent advances in the treatment of heroin addict

Heroin and its varieties are one of the most dangerous drugs of the opium group. Addiction can form after a single intake of this substance, and the consequences for the body will be catastrophic. This drug is one of the most widespread in Russia, the number of its users is estimated at hundreds of thousands. The market mainly includes illegal substances from Afghanistan, where opiate production has skyrocketed since the fall of the Taliban.

How is heroin used?

The specified drug is mainly sold in dry form, and before use, drug addicts heat it to liquid state... Then heroin is injected into the bloodstream through a syringe, which poses a danger of infection of the body. A small part of drug addicts use the powder by smoking: in this case, the amount of psychoactive substances consumed per dose is somewhat lower.

Is this drug used in medicine?

Drug addicts love to tell stories that diacetylmorphine used to be sold in a pharmacy and was available to anyone. Like many psychoactive substances, the drug leaked onto the market by accident, and its destructive properties were not immediately noticed. However, heroin has not been used in medicine in the United States for almost 100 years, and in Europe for over 50 years. In addition, the quality of the artisanal drug produced in clandestine factories in Afghanistan is lower than those previously produced by pharmacists.

Why does heroin kill?

Opiates are considered one of the threats national security Russia because of the destructive impact on humans. For almost 100 years of practice, the effect of heroin on the body has been thoroughly studied. The clinical consequences of its use for a long time are also described. On the one hand, the product is quickly excreted from the body. On the other hand, its decay products can be deposited in vital organs: liver, kidneys, tissues.

However, substances sold on the black market contain a large number of impurities, since the product practically does not undergo purification to increase its mass. Thus, even a single dose of the drug can lead to such consequences as respiratory paralysis, severe poisoning.

Since drug addicts often use dirty syringes, infections and viral diseases instantly spread among addicts. The most dangerous of them are HIV, hepatitis C, syphilis. Also, sources of bacteria can be contained directly in the substance, since it does not undergo disinfection.

Here are just some of the consequences of using heroin:

• Dysfunction internal organs. A person can fail the most important systems, without which normal life impossible. Heroin destroys the heart, kidneys, liver, affects vision, stomach function.
• Atrophy blood vessels. When injecting substances, a problem quickly occurs with the flow of blood to organs, including the brain.
• Sudden weight loss. Due to stomach problems, the consumer instantly loses weight, which also negatively affects health.
• Memory impairment. The simplest actions are difficult for a person, due to insufficient oxygen supply to the brain, cognitive functions can sharply decrease, and working capacity decreases.
• Loss of appetite, sleep. Strong impacts on the central nervous system make it difficult to relax, switch off consciousness: it is difficult for the consumer to bounce back without sedatives.
• Psychological disorders. Long-term use of substances leads to the appearance and exacerbation of diseases such as schizophrenia, paranoia, mixed personality disorder. In addition, coordination deteriorates, fine motor skills, which reduces the level of qualifications of a specialist.
• Hallucinations. Many people who use heroin have this mental disorder, in which the addict can commit unexplained and uncontrollable acts.

In which the receptors in the brain are partially atrophied. If the substance is not introduced into the blood in a timely manner, the addict experiences severe pain, which can only be stopped by other substances. Since the body quickly gets used to the administered dose of the substance, its volume needs to be increased to get pleasure. This will inevitably lead to an overdose, and without medical care death will come.

External symptoms of heroin addiction:

• Sudden mood swings. With withdrawal, a drop in vitality is noted, at the moment of euphoria - an extraordinary emotional upsurge, immediately after use - a state close to a coma.
• Inappropriate behavior. Although opium addicts do not belong to the category of "violent", they are quite capable of doing things that go beyond morality, law, or logic.
• Lethargy, lethargy. Energetic, mobile people, in just a few weeks of active use, become like their pale shadows, react very weakly to external stimuli.
• Severe constriction of the pupils. One of the common symptoms is the so-called "charcoal eye". The pupils are very narrow and do not react at all to light.

Stages of heroin addiction treatment:

1. Detoxification of the body. Numerous residual products accumulate in tissues, muscles, liver, kidneys, and the process of their elimination is rather complicated.
2. Active stage of therapy. With the help of a specific technique, the addict gets out of the active stage of addiction, completely refuses surfactants.
3. Group work. Recovering drug users heal better among their fellows in misfortune, where they share their problems and achievements.
4. Anti-relapse therapy. Within 2-3 years after a complete refusal to take psychoactive substances, you need to work with a specialist who will help diagnose the threat of breakdown in time and prevent it.

And the last thing that heroin is dangerous: it is the need for daily use to maintain vital functions. Given the high cost of the drug, consumers instantly slip to the bottom of life, sell property, take out loans, and commit crimes. There is only one way to stop: seek help from experienced doctors who will help you build a course of treatment and return a person from the captivity of addiction.

One of the most famous drugs today is heroin - brownish or White powder, which is made from morphine. This substance has a powerful analgesic effect, after taking it, a person falls into euphoric bliss, feeling a feeling of complete satisfaction. But the drug is dangerous rapidly developing addiction- after a week of daily intake.

Heroin addiction

Heroin addiction is enormous. To experience pleasure, young people take heroin over and over again. Such a desire to repeat the dose at the beginning of the drug addict's journey is explained by such a vivid feeling of high and satisfaction, which is felt at the first cases of use.

Heroin is used intravenously, sniffed, or added to smoking mixtures. After the first injection (usually an injection into a vein), there will be no dependence

After 3-4 injections, a person becomes addicted to drugs, because he cannot stop and give up such pleasant sensations on his own.

The reason is that after the first drug use, even a notorious and extremely timid person becomes a kind of king of the party and the most sociable person. In addition, there is sexual liberation.

the effect

After heroin enters the body, each person will have an individual reaction. Drug addicts describe these sensations as similar to an orgasm lasting about a couple of minutes. As a result of this "high", the feeling of tension is eliminated. Drug addicts describe that after this a feeling of pleasant heaviness and melting of bones appears in the body, a person experiences a feeling of detachment from the events taking place around. In such a state, all problems and difficulties are deprived of their seriousness and are pushed somewhere far away. The addict will remain in a similar state for about 5 hours.

From a medical point of view, heroin is a powerful pain reliever and nerve-calming drug.

In the photo, the consequences of using heroin

All the effects that drug addicts get when using drugs are side effects for doctors:

• Euphoria;
• Excellent, cheerful mood;
• Calmness bordering on drowsiness;
• Relaxation of the whole body, especially the limbs;
• Feeling warm and comfortable;
• Indifference to the environment.

Unlike other drugs, heroin quickly penetrates the blood-brain protection of the brain and accumulates in it. After penetrating the meninges, heroin sheds its disguise and is converted into morphine. As a result, it turns out that the difference between morphine and heroin is the presence of a specific shell in the latter, which facilitates the transportation and penetration of the narcotic substance into the nervous system structures. Once penetrated, the heroin molecules excite the nervous system, causing all of the aforementioned side reactions.

Heroin is not capable of provoking the development of any disease. This substance by its influence for short time leads the body to nervous system aging and exhaustion. Heroin molecules are similar to particles of endorphins that act as stimulants and activators of emotional manifestations in the body and intellectual abilities.

The heroine of these pseudoendorphins contains much more than the body needs, therefore all types of neurocellular activity are simultaneously activated, creating chaos and overexcitation. As a result, a significant part of the nerve cells die off, dying prematurely. Heroin affects not only the brain, but also others organic systems, causing severe intoxication.

The video shows the first signs of heroin addiction:

Stages of addiction development

Heroin addiction develops very quickly. Already after three or four doses, a person acquires a persistent drug addiction to heroin. The whole process of development of addiction takes place in several stages.

"Golden Year"

This stage is characterized by a persistent desire of the addict to take a new dose of the drug in order to experience a repeated feeling of flight and euphoria, lightness and indifference. If the desired dose cannot be obtained, then the addict experiences a sensation of pronounced psychological discomfort. It is on this basis that one can suspect the development of heroin addiction.

Psychological changes

Over time, the addict no longer gets the usual sensations from taking the drug, because tolerance has developed in the body. To achieve the promised euphoria, you need to increase the dose. Therefore, the addict begins to take heroin on a regular basis. At this stage, changes in the mental state become apparent. All his thoughts revolve around only one goal - where to get the dose. So addict may not hesitate to violate the law, just to get funds for the purchase of the next dose of heroin. At this stage, the patient begins to show signs of withdrawal symptoms such as restless or disturbed sleep, weakness and emotional irritability.

Breaking

This is the stage at which withdrawal symptoms become permanent. The addict is constantly in search of a dose, and he no longer needs heroin for pleasure, but to get rid of the withdrawal syndrome or simply withdrawal.

A similar phenomenon is manifested by the following symptoms:

• Severe runny nose, lacrimation and dilated pupils;
• Goose bumps, violent sneezing, chills;
• The patient is very worried, he constantly experiences pronounced anxiety;
• Lack of appetite;
• Insomnia torments;
• The patient shivers, then, on the contrary, he throws himself into a fever, accompanied by hyper-persistence and weakness.

How to recognize a heroin addict

It is possible to determine heroin addiction in a person by some external signs:

• Frequent mood swings, instability of the emotional state;
• Flushing of the face, especially the eyelids, which is characteristic of the time immediately after the use of heroin;
• Cold, hoarse voice;
• Abnormal pupils, they usually do not react to light, remaining excessively constricted;
• Sleep disorders and a constant lack of desire to eat;
• The tendency to theft, loss of valuable items or things from the house, pulling money for expenses.

Effects

The consequences of heroin abuse consist of asocial, inappropriate behavior of the drug addict. Often, drug addicts share a syringe, which leads to infection with hepatitis, viral infections of the blood or HIV. Gradually, a mass of chronic pathological conditions develops, such as pathologies of the cardiovascular system, metabolic disorders, mental health disorders, liver or nervous system pathologies.

Drug addicts rarely live up to 30 years of age, and most end even earlier due to heroin overdose. Accordingly, the question of how to get rid of heroin addiction is very acute.

Treatment

The goal of heroin addiction treatment is to relieve the patient of the urge to take a new dose, which is achieved different techniques... If there is an overdose, then the drug addict is subject to compulsory hospitalization.

The question of whether it is possible to get rid of heroin addiction completely is especially acute, since everything depends not only on the right treatment, but also on the addict himself and his environment.

At home

It is impossible to overcome heroin addiction at home. In the early days, such patients need isolation from temptations and drug addicts, so the most effective approach would be to go to a narcological dispensary or a specialized clinic, stay at home and ask how to remove addiction is not only ineffective, but also life-threatening.

In the hospital

Inpatient treatment takes place in several successive stages: removal of withdrawal symptoms (withdrawal symptoms), drug therapy, psychological rehabilitation. To relieve withdrawal symptoms, specialized medications, contributing to the termination of the splitting of heroin in the blood and its early withdrawal. Then the body ceases to suffer from drug shortages.

The pain caused by brittle pain is eliminated by means of Ketorolac, Lornoxicam, Tramadol, etc. To get rid of vegetative disorders, use Clonidine or Prooxan. The drugs Phenazepam, Diazepam, Nitrazepam, etc. effectively cope with sleep disorders. The use of antipsychotics is also shown to suppress mental agitation and irritability. For this, drugs such as Haloperidol, Thioridazine, Quetiapine, etc. are used.

Psychological support is essential for drug addicted patients. Typically, group rehabilitation psychotherapy, family sessions, or aversive therapy are used.

Coding

This method is also called aversive therapy. It is sometimes based on hypnosis techniques, but others can be used. psychological techniques... The main thing is to achieve the goal - to make the addict aversion to heroin and other drugs. The coding technique for heroin addiction is highly effective, although it is often used only as an auxiliary therapeutic method for getting rid of the disease.

Video about heroin addiction:

Recent Achievements in the treatment of heroin addiction September 12th, 2011

To many people in modern Russia who have a relative in the family suffering from drug addiction are familiar with the expressions: "Whoever tasted the tears of the poppy will cry all his life", or even more shortly and precisely: "There are no former drug addicts!"

This is taken from the slang used by drug addicts. They express in the most capacious way the main problem that doctors all over the world face when trying and ... In Russian-language literature, this is the so-called "pathological drug addiction syndrome", which accompanies the treated drug addict all his life, acquires a paroxysmal character over the years, weakens somewhat, but never completely disappears. "Pathological drive syndrome" occurs immediately after stopping drug use, is an overvalued structure dominant type and is characterized by profound disorders of sleep mechanisms, attacks of unprovoked depression, mood swings, aggressiveness and a flattening of the emotional profile. "

"... his death at the end of the needle ..."

Narcotic substances that are produced from opium are called opiates. They have a relaxing effect on the nervous system and also dull the feeling of pain. One such product derived from raw opium is heroin. An interesting fact is that this Chemical substance is synthesized from waste morphine, and that, respectively, from the milk juice of the opium poppy.

Heroin is an illegal narcotic substance that causes the strongest drug addiction, however, despite this, millions of people use it different countries... Unfortunately, many of them simply cannot give up their daily heroin use, knowing that withdrawal will be terrible.

Heroin injections are also dangerous because there is a risk of contracting HIV, hepatitis, sepsis or other infectious diseases.

Heroin story

V early XIX century, there was such a pain reliever as morphine. Prescribing the drug by military doctors to wounded soldiers showed that patients showed addiction to it. During the period Civil war in America, morphine was considered "medicine" for soldiers. Over time, the need arose to relieve those suffering from ailments from addiction to this pain reliever. And then in 1874 Alder Wright, a chemist from Britain, produced diacetylmorphine from morphine waste - a new chemical substance. However, Wright's discovery remained unnoticed, and only in 1898 the famous pharmacologist from Germany Heinrich Dreiser re-revealed this drug to the world and noted that it is much stronger than morphine. Since that time, heroin has been used as a pain reliever and even as an antitussive agent. Yes, heroin was originally widely used in medicinal purposes as a cough suppressant.

Already by the beginning of the XX century. morphine has been completely replaced by heroin. However, doctors became more and more convinced that the heroin addiction of the patients was much stronger than the morphine addiction.

Thus, in 1914, by the Harrison Pact in the United States, the use of heroin was taboo. America became the first country to ban the use of this drug, and later Russia (1924) and many European countries followed its example.

In the 30s of the twentieth century, German developers of drugs for pain relief for the first time did not produce heroin, but synthesized it. After export to the United States (1947), it became known as "Dolofin", then the name was changed to "methadone". The action of this narcotic substance was to be directed towards curing heroin addiction.

Today, the purpose of methadone used by narcologists is not at all to cure a person from drug addiction, but in bringing him into a state where he could "function".

Also worth noting: despite the fact that heroin sold on the streets is used much more often than methadone, methadone dies more people than heroin.

How drugs work. Heroin. BBC film "Afghan Heroin. National Geographic 2007".

What does heroin look like? The appearance of heroin.

The pure form of heroin is white powdery substance... However, this drug can also have a grayish pink or brown color. Sometimes the powder is black. It all depends on how pure the drug is and what ingredients (caffeine, sugar, etc.) were added to pure heroin.

Street vendors (small drug dealers, or in the language of drug addicts - "hucksters") heroin is often diluted ("badyazhat") poisonous substances, in particular strychnine. Such impurities in most cases are not absorbed by heroin, therefore, penetrating into the blood vessels, they clog them. This leads to the destruction of the internal organs of a person. Drug addicts who buy heroin on the street are at risk of overdose, as the concentration of the drug in each packet may be different. By the way, street heroin is called differently: garik, pepper, hi, white, gera, etc.

Ways of using heroin for drug addicts

The drug is injected (injections) into a vein, and it is inhaled through the nose or smoked, even chewed.

It seems to novice addicts that inhaling heroin through the nasal passages is not harmful. Many people burn it on foil, and inhale the smoke through their nose or roll the powder on a piece of paper into a tube and "smoke".

Over time, this begins to be lacking, so more experienced "brothers" recommend "get high" to the fullest, applying the most effective method- injections into a vein (in the jargon of drug addiction, to inject into a vein - "shoot"). Such a direct introduction is very dangerous. Frequent injections destroy the veins.

Today, many drug addicts use small insulin syringes designed to - subcutaneous injections... Their use is far from safe. Powdered narcotic solution does not always pass through the thin hole of the needle, so it begins to foam. If the formed bubbles enter the heart, the addict has no chance of survival.

Another terrible problem with the intravenous method of taking this drug is fatal viral infections transmitted through contaminated blood.

The action of heroin

Immediately after taking heroin, the feeling is simply euphoric. A certain emancipation is felt, a person easily contacts with others, sometimes libido (sexual desire, attraction) increases. In rare cases, the primary effect of the drug may be dry mouth, itching, and vomiting. However, this condition is short-lived. After the burst of "high", the addict stays in a state of apathy for some time. Breathing slows down, the heart begins to beat less frequently.

When the effect of heroin comes to an end over time, the body of the addict needs a narcotic substance. If the heroin dose is not taken on time, withdrawal begins, which lasts until next appointment... During withdrawal, something terrible happens to a person: bones ache, diarrhea and a gag reflex appear, a feeling of anxiety arises, mental capacity dull. Another symptom of heroin intoxication is constricted pupils that do not respond to light. To identify drug addicts, even before drug tests, which show, among other things, heroin, doctors and police officers often use a small flashlight, which they shine in the eyes, observing the reaction of the pupil.

Famous, but slightly quirky, American writer William Burroughs, author literary work"Addict", while writing the novel, used materials collected from own experience... Having experienced the effect of the drug on himself, he writes that heroin strikes first of all "on the legs from behind", after - "on the back of the neck", from where the "wave of relaxation" spreads, a feeling is created that you "spread out", appears the feeling that a person dissolves in warm water.

Such a lightning-fast effect of heroin on the central nervous system is due to the fact that it is an easily penetrating drug. Nature took care of the human brain, protecting it with a special barrier that restricts access to nerve cells for all kinds of chemicals. However, the special structure of the heroin molecule gives the drug the opportunity to seep through the barrier and, accumulating in the brain, penetrate into the nerve cells, causing an excess of excitement.

Long-term use of heroin has a devastating effect on the entire body. If it is administered intravenously, the veins become hardened and the blood vessels become clogged. Also, against the background of frequent heroin use, arthritis or tuberculosis can develop.

When using one syringe for all while injecting an opium drug, you can contract infections that are transmitted through the blood, including HIV and hepatitis C.

Another one distinctive feature heroin lies in the fact that it does not provoke the development of some an individual disease, but strongly depletes the entire body and ages the nervous system, because the cells simply die prematurely.

Heroin accumulates not only in the brain, but also in other organs. He gradually poisons them. This is manifested by frequent malaise with gag reflexes and headache. Those who use the drug for periods have stomach pains, diarrhea, loss of appetite and muscle cramps... Almost all drug addicts have a weakened immune system, so they often catch colds and suffer from various diseases.

After a few tricks, the addict needs heroin like in the air. And none of the drug addicts thinks about the fact that drug use for everyone has its own consequences:

• the immune system is weakening;
• teeth crumbling;
• the gums become inflamed;
• stool is disturbed;
• pours out cold sweat;
• itching appears;
• diseases of the respiratory system develop;
• loss of appetite;
• in women, the menstrual cycle is disturbed;
• decreased libido in women, and in men impotence manifests itself;
• orgasmic sensations disappear;
• memory loss occurs;
• the person becomes withdrawn and depressed;
• a rash appears on the face;
• sleep is disturbed or sleepwalking is manifested;
• motor functions are lost;
• an exhausted body is in a state between life and death.

Physical dependence on heroin

After taking heroin for the first time, the person has a desire to experience the euphoric sensations again. In biochemistry, this is explained by the fact that when heroin is taken, artificial endorphins enter the nervous system, so the body synthesizes these substances less, and gradually adapts to their influx.

Addiction to the drug occurs. In order to return pleasant sensations, the dose has to be increased. After a week or two of constant use, there is a complete dependence on the drug. V individual cases the first signs of withdrawal appear after two or three uses of heroin. This occurs most often in people who are hypersensitive to heroin powder.

Those who are "tightly addicted" begin to notice that heroin does not bring them the desired pleasure, but continue to use it. They are afraid with withdrawal symptoms, that is, "withdrawal", which brings terrible anguish.

All this happens because nerve cell she cannot synthesize endorphins on her own, since she is used to working in conditions of an excess of them from taking the drug.

The longer the continuous use of the drug lasts, the harder the withdrawal is tolerated.

The sensations are so painful that the pain seems unbearable. During withdrawal, the addict cannot sleep without a potent sleeping pill. And the body is greatly depleted, since it becomes impossible to drink and eat.

After 5-6 years of taking heroin "withdrawal" is really life threatening. Through such a gap, the body of a 20-year-old boy who takes drugs is akin to the senile body of an 80-year-old person.

The influence of heroin on the human psyche and psychological dependence

Opium narcotic substance on physical level simply leads the body into a numbness, human feelings are paralyzed.

Concerning mental state, then drugs are a chemical escape from the difficult realities of life. A certain key to the "quick buzz", which allows you to relax, but takes health and even life. Drugs allow you to perceive the world in a different way, but this does not last long. Such an escape is false, because in fact nothing changes, and a person, having come to his senses, begins to understand that everything is in its place, only got old nervous system... Often, after meeting heroin, it becomes much more difficult to live in society.

The main intellectual center of a person is the brain. The isocortex - the new cortex - is a kind of processor. This is the area that distinguishes human brain from the brain of animals. The main difference is that a person has the ability to perceive himself as a person. Animals have no sense of their own existence.

It is for self-perception, according to neurophysiologists, that the parts of the brain located in the forehead are responsible. This allows a person to distinguish himself from the crowd and control his activities.

When using heroin, this part of the brain suffers first.

Those who abuse drugs lose self-control and no longer adequately assess their behavior.

Drug addicts often begin to lie and at the same time it seems to them that no one notices it. They lose their sense of tact when communicating with other people, they can behave familiarly, create conflict situations, however, they are always confident that they are right.

Gradually, the addict turns into an egoist, for whom other people are only a means of finding money, their personal problems do not interest him at all. A person begins to believe that everyone around him owes something, and he is always right, a feeling of resentment arises.

Outside of withdrawal, drug addicts do not admit that they are sick. Any persuasion to undergo a course of treatment seems ridiculous to him. The inability to evaluate one's own actions leads to a misunderstanding that such a temporary pleasure will have to pay a lot.

Drug addicts can use the help of relatives and doctors only in order to temporarily remove "withdrawal symptoms", reduce the dose, that is, "rejuvenate" and start using heroin in a new way.

Another change in the psyche of a drug addict is the inability to control their emotions and feelings. Young people become too irritable, they are pursued by feelings of anger. They can yell at any little thing, wave their arms and laugh for no reason. The mood changes for no reason, and changes with lightning speed. Closure alternates with obsessive sociability. With time Bad mood appears more and more often, and the good replaces it quite rarely.

In the branch of psychiatry, this kind of emotional imbalance is called weak-heartedness. Often elderly patients with cerebrovascular diseases suffer from it. After about two or three years of using heroin, the faintheartedness of the addict manifests itself more and more, mental disorders, in particular hallucinations, epilepsy, delirium.

Often heroin addiction ends in high-grade dementia - dementia. At this time, the nervous system does not work without a dose of heroin, but very few survive to this stage.

How to get off heroin? Heroin and overcoming cravings.

What is heroin addiction? During the withdrawal period, the desire to take the drug becomes obsessive. Thoughts are so filled with how to inject or sniff the powder faster that the addict is simply not interested in anything else.
When the exacerbation passes, the "craving" weakens. In this state, the addict copes with it on his own.
To completely get rid of drug addiction, you need to force yourself to face the difficulties of life that initially led to your acquaintance with heroin. The person who uses drugs must respect themselves and begin preparing for a drug-free life. If this is not done, all efforts are doomed to failure. Changing a drug is not a solution to the problem; drugs must be completely abandoned. Only then can a person live happily.

After a while, a meeting with heroin becomes only unpleasant memory... It is not necessary to treat a person from what is left in the past. After the end of the depression state of withdrawal, he must gather his strength and move forward without fear of difficulties.

Disguise of "craving" for narcotic drugs

There is practically no conscious dependence on heroin. If a person has undergone detoxification, he stops constantly thinking about the drug. But despite such indifference to heroin, the former drug addict for some reason "breaks down". This indicates that, at the unconscious level, the attraction to narcotic substances was preserved. Such a painful "craving" puts on a mask, so it is necessary to recognize it in time and fight the manifestations of addiction.

Most often, the masks of the appeared attraction are as follows:

• the conviction that heroin can be injected once, and one "ukolchik" will not do any harm;
• unreasonable touchiness;
• frequent laziness and the belief that there is no ability for anything;
• sudden outbursts of anger and irritability;
• good memories of the effects of the drug and the memory of withdrawal;
• distrust of people trying to provide help in overcoming addiction;
• search for those responsible for their troubles;
• sympathy for drug dealers and groups of drug addicts, which persists even after these people have betrayed or done some nasty thing.
• The "craving" mask should be recognized immediately so that abuse does not start.

Possible heroin relapse

Statistical data of narcological institutions and rehabilitation centers around the world confirm that only one tenth of drug addicts are ready to forget about heroin forever, and 90% of them, even after detoxification, return to using drugs. Bitter but true.

Why are young people returning to heroin addiction? This happens for several reasons, often depending on the mental state of the addict himself:

1. Decrease in the level of energy.

The addict is used to being in conditions of heightened tension. For him, carelessness and a sudden burst of energy are the norm. When a person returns to ordinary life, it seems to him that he is somehow loose and inhibited. He wants energy drive.

2. Memories.

Our memory is designed in such a way that the bad is forgotten very quickly. The human psyche pushes the unpleasant moments of life beyond the line of consciousness, transferring them into the unconscious sphere.

Thus vile memories of "breaking" through certain time move away, but the feeling of enjoying heroin in the memory remains forever.

3. Loneliness.

If a person stops taking the drug, he is left alone with himself. It is impossible to contact those who remained in the heroin get-together, others simply do not exist. Old friends had their own interests: study, family, work. Therefore, a former drug addict, who has even ceased to think with his head, has to rebuild his life in a new way.

Society, to put it mildly, does not quite trust him, and this isolation can cause a relapse.

4. Offended pride.

Loving yourself is not wickedness at all. This is just a desire not to let the personality self-destruct.

It is hard for a former drug addict to realize that he has lost so much time, and now no one needs communication with him. Many people face such situations.

So they lock themselves off outside world, any moralizing is perceived as an insult to their pride. Then a return to the heroin crowd can occur. In the company of drug addicts, he begins to feel like a fish in water.

5. "Just once."

The fact that you can take heroin from time to time without becoming addicted is a myth.

Many drug addicts want to get rid of the systematic use of heroin, but are thinking about a "break".

Drug dealers insist that a one-time intake of the substance is possible. However, you need to forget about the heroine forever. Thoughts that "just one can" can become the main reason return to drugs.

6. Communication with drug addicts.

Contact with drug addicts is often the cause of breakdown. There are no friends in such a company. Here, some want to sell the drug, while others want to get another dose at the expense of someone.

Heroin and sex are incompatible

Double pleasure is impossible. Either the person prefers sex or takes the drug. In female drug addicts, sexual desire completely disappears, the genitals lose sensitivity. In men, after taking such drugs, impotence is possible. More experienced drug addicts sex life not even at a psychological level.

After a group drug intake, sexual games are possible, but they do not cause any feelings, but resemble the process of imitation. If during such "sex" fertilization occurs, it is fraught with congenital anomalies in newborns.

Can ex-addicts plan to have children?

It is possible to give birth to children to former drug addicts. However, for this, the future father must stop taking heroin no less than 8 months before conception, and the future mother - 14 months before. This is done in order to avoid congenital abnormalities of the fetus and to prevent nervous disorders in the child. Throughout the pregnancy, a former drug addict should be under the supervision of a gynecologist-endocrinologist - a specialist who monitors the course of pregnancy with specific problems.

Recommendations for parents to help protect a child from drugs

If a child learns about the dangers of drugs from family members, this will significantly reduce the likelihood of taking them. Tell your children the truth about drugs and try to do the following:

• spend as much time with your children as possible doing something useful;
• show your children your love for them;
• show concern and assure that they can always count on you;
• give them some leeway in making decisions about their personal life;
• talk a lot with children, listen to them, create trusting relationships;
• try to be an example in everything;
• give children the opportunity to make their own choices about how best to act in a particular case.

Important statistics

1. According to UN research, in modern world heroin is used by more than 10 million people.
2. The largest percentage (85%) of opium drug production is in Afghanistan. Here one harvest is estimated at 600 million US dollars annually.
3. According to expert data, about 6 million people in Russia use opium drugs for other than medical reasons.
4. Heroin and morphine are the most commonly reported drug deaths.
5. HIV infections have been registered in 87 cities of the Russian Federation. Most of these cases in the capital - 15 805. Most of the patients contracted this serious disease through intravenous drug injection.

1. Be calm. Accept what happened without screaming or panicking. You, as an adult, weighed person, need to understand: you can still fix it. However, the problem must be resolved without conflict.
2. Change your attitude towards your child. You will have to understand that your child has already grown up. However, out of stupidity, this matured person began to use the drug, clearly realizing what it was fraught with. He did not ask your permission for this, did not seek advice. Therefore, from the moment you become aware that your child is taking heroin, you must stop patronizing him. Motivate the deprivation of guardianship by the fact that if he has the right to make decisions on his own, then he himself bears responsibility for them.
3. Don't make concessions. Unfortunately, you can be blackmailed: "But if you ...". You must answer “No” to all queries. Don't be afraid that the blackmailer will commit suicide. He loves himself a lot. True, he can go to "demonstration performances", doing something in front of you. This is only so that you save him, and he gets what he wants.
4. Don't be boring. It so happens that drug addicts, even after twenty, behave like mischievous boys. They want to do everything the other way around. Therefore, do not make long exhortations about narcotic substances, do not blame for anything. This will not be beneficial, but the situation can worsen.
5. Less words, more actions. To a young man it’s no longer getting used to the fact that you don’t carry out your threats. Therefore, 80% of what you say, he simply does not hear. He is sure that you are not capable of decisive actions. Find the strength to do what you used to scare him, and he will immediately become more controlled.
6. Help yourself make decisions about stopping the drug. When a child reports that he has tried heroin, but does not want to go to the doctor, help him make sure that it is impossible to fight drug addiction alone.
7. Find a good doctor. Sincerely support the decision to visit the doctor and go to the appointment together. Serve as support for your child, help to follow the doctor's recommendations.
8. Start believing in your child. After heroin use has stopped, the issue should not be brought up to discussion. You can talk about everything except drugs. If the child himself wants to talk about such topics, go to contact.
9. Do not throw yourself at the child if it seems to you that a relapse has occurred. Many ex-drug users experience symptoms similar to heroin use. So stay calm and just watch what happens for a few days. If your suspicions are subsoil, see your doctor. You should not find out the relationship, you can only offer to donate a blood test.
10. Do not look for narcological drugs on the recommendations of friends. Any psychiatric medicine should only be appointed by a specialist. You can not buy drugs for "withdrawal" on the advice of friends, because they can further deplete the nervous system.
11. Help your child find spiritual interest. Bring the "lost child" to the parish. Here you can always find spiritual support and good advice... In addition, there are churches that help former drug addicts to rehabilitate, so they will always provide the necessary assistance.

Useful information

A narcotic drug is actually a poisonous substance, the manifestations of which depend only on the dosage. As for heroin, in small doses it stimulates activity, in more- suppresses, and at high doses is poison, which can cause death.

The only correct decision is never to use heroin. Remember, all drugs are extremely dangerous for your health, lead to addiction, and the consequences of their use are often irreversible!

Drug heroin - what is it? You will learn more by watching this video.

It is a highly addictive illegal drug. Millions of people around the world are suffering heroin addiction... These people are unable to overcome the life-destroying urge to take heroin every day. They also know that if they stop taking it, they will have terrible withdrawal symptoms.

Heroin (like morphine and opium) is made from plants in the poppy family. A juice similar to milk is taken from the poppy seed pods. Further, such opium is purified from impurities and converted into morphine, and during the next purification - into different shapes heroin.

Most heroin use occurs through injection, which puts heroin addicts at risk of contracting infections such as HIV, hepatitis, etc.

“Heroin pulled me away from the rest of the world. My parents threw me out. Brothers and friends did not want to see me again. I was left completely alone. "
Svetlana

What does heroin addiction look like?

In its pure form, the drug looks like a completely white powder, but most of it is brown, pink-gray and even black. It mainly depends on the impurities that are added to it. The composition may include caffeine, sugar and other substances. Street heroin can be “diluted” with strychnine and other toxic substances. Various impurities do not completely dissolve, and once in the body, they usually clog the blood vessels leading to the kidneys, lungs and brain. This alone is enough to cause infection or destruction of vital organs.

When purchasing heroin on the street, it is impossible to know exactly its real concentration in a single dose. Thus, heroin addicts are at risk of overdose all the time. They receive their dose through smoking, injection, and nasal inhalation. When used for the first time, heroin creates the strongest euphoria. The individual becomes liberated, communicates easily with other people, and sexual activity can also increase. But all this is short-lived. Heroin is highly addictive, and withdrawal from it is incredibly painful. This substance quickly destroys the human immune system, inevitably leads to an unhealthy, depleted state, and, ultimately, death.

“From the first day, having tried heroin, I never managed to stop. I started sniffing it, but within a week I got to the point where I started using drugs. It took one month for me to become an inveterate drug addict and spend all my money. I sold all the valuables that belonged to me and all that belonged to my mother to buy drugs. In one year I lost everything. Heroin took possession of me. I sold my car, lost my job, my mother threw me out of the house, and I also owed 25 thousand dollars. She lived on the street. I was looking for heroin all the time. I lied, I cheated, I stole. I was beaten, raped, arrested, robbed, robbed, I was sick and completely desperate. More than once there was an overdose of heroin. I realized that it was impossible to live like this, and I understood that death was already close. In any case, it would be better death than to live like that.»
A.S.

“Heroin is death. You will die if you do nothing to get out of it all. To be a drug addict is to go to jail. The drug will ruin your life. At first, you think heroin is your friend (it creates the appearance that it helps you avoid problems or feelings that give you anxiety). And soon you will find that as soon as you wake up, the first thought will be about drugs. It takes you a whole day to find and use drugs. You and heroin are high all day. At night, you try to sleep with a drug. And you live exclusively for him. He takes power, and you are a prisoner. You keep banging your head against the wall without stopping, but you don't come anywhere. As a result, the drug becomes your prison and then your grave. "
Svetlana

The deadly and devastating effects of heroin addiction

Immediate side effects heroin:

1. The very first sign of heroin use is a surge of feelings - "high". Most often, this is accompanied by a dry mouth and a warming sensation of the skin. The initial reaction may include severe itching or vomiting.
2. Once the first effect wears off, the addict experiences apathy for several hours. Basic body functions such as heart rate and breathing slow down.
3. Some time after the effect of drug use weakens, the addict's body begins to feel the strongest need for the drug. The withdrawal symptom of heroin use occurs if the person does not take another dose.
4. During withdrawal, bone pain and aches, anxiety, vomiting, diarrhea and severe discomfort appear.
5. When the impact occurs, the buzz lasts only a few minutes. And then, in order for the heroin addict to feel "normal", he has to increase the dose.

The consequences of using heroin:

• Long-term use causes severe consequences of heroin use, has a destructive effect on the body;
• If given intravenously, it causes destruction of the veins and can contribute to infection of the blood vessels;
• Tuberculosis may also develop due to the poor condition of the body;
• Due to long-term addiction, heroin use leads to arthritis.

By injecting the drug intravenously and sharing syringes, the addict can contract HIV and other blood-borne infections. Each year, it is estimated that of the 35,000 hepatitis C cases in the United States, more than 70% are among heroin addicts who share syringes and needles.

“Someone thinks heroin is great, but they lose everything: parents, job, home, trust and friends. Stealing and lying is part of your habit. You no longer respect anything or anyone. This is what heroin does to you.»
Peter

Side effects of heroin addiction

Effects:

• Inflammation of the gums;
• Tooth decay;
• Weakening immune system;
• Constipation;
• Cold sweat;
• Coma;
• Paralysis;
• Loss of appetite;
• Diseases respiratory tract;
• Decreased sexual performance and continued impotence in men;
• Menstrual irregularities among women;
• Inability to reach orgasm (in women and men);
• Insomnia or sleepwalking;
• Loss of memory and intellectual ability;
• Acne on the face;
• Depression;
• Closure.

How long do heroin addicts live? Judging by the above symptoms, consequences and the constant risk of overdose - not for long. On average, statistics say about 3-5 years of life, if you're lucky. And it's hard to call it life.

A warning: Even one dose of heroin can cause drug addiction!

Treatment and rehabilitation of heroin addicts

It is possible to overcome drug addiction, but the addict first of all needs to learn to look in the face life problems which initially contributed to the onset of heroin use. He needs to regain self-esteem, self-esteem and prepare for a drug-free life. Without this basic first step, all efforts to break free from addiction are likely to fail. Replacing the drug will not be the solution. The real way out is absolute independence from all drugs. Only after this can a person begin to live happily. Rehabilitation of drug addicts in rehabilitation centers contributes to this.

Heroin is not the answer. No matter how difficult the problems you want to solve, the consequences of taking drugs are always the worst problem.

Heroin is nothing more than a relentless and long slide into hell.

The Narconon-Dimitrovgrad rehabilitation center has been successfully helping people cope with heroin addiction for many years. The sooner you start rehabilitation, the easier it is to go through it, the less harm will be caused by heroin. Call our consultant and he will answer all your questions.

ASK FOR HELP AT THE NARCONON CENTER, AND WE WILL DO EVERYTHING POSSIBLE TO SAVE YOUR LOVE FROM DRUGS