Heroin Addiction - Counselling and Treatment
Heroin is an opiate derived from the opium poppy. The drug is smoked (usually in tin foil), snorted or injected. Physical effects include relaxation, slowing of the heart, pinprick-sized pupils rolling eyes, itchiness of the limbs and heavy sedation. Mental effects include euphoria, lack of emotion and mental relaxation. Opiates are painkillers and heroin is a highly addictive drug, not only mentally but physically. Regular users and those trapped in heroin addiction experience withdrawal symptoms including vomiting, nausea, constipation, muscle spasms, perspiration due to fever and intense discomfort.
The drug is composed from diacetylmorphine or diamorphine and is available in a white powder with the street name "Thai White" or a brown powder with the street name "Brown Sugar". Frequent use leads to increased tolerance of the drug, leaving users requiring a higher amount of the drug to have the desired effect. This increases physical dependence as well.
Often, heroin addiction begins with smoking or snorting the drug, then progresses to intravenous use. This has a much stronger reaction as the drug is injected straight into the bloodstream and relief from withdrawal is much quicker whilst the effects are much stronger. The drug is extremely taxing on the human body and many addicts die as overdose is common.
Heroin addiction treatment at Oasis, a rehab providing drug treatment facilities is a very helpful aid in the fight against overcoming dependency on this powerful drug. Detoxification is often required as withdrawal can be so severe that the intense pain drives the addict to using again to ease the discomfort. After detoxification it is necessary for the afflicted to undergo heroin addiction counselling with qualified addiction counsellors, to work a 12 Step recovery programme and adopt a healthy lifestyle as this can help addicts achieve long term sobriety.
Contact our drug rehabilitation facility in Plettenberg Bay, located at Oasis Counselling Centre, for more information about overcoming heroin addiction, and to learn about our therapy facilities in South Africa.
