The Relationship between Heroin Abuse and Depression

April 5, 2015

The Relationship between Heroin Abuse and Depression: Exposing the Health complication they represent

The Relationship between Heroin Abuse and Depression is very evident with various kinds of addiction like heroin and other drugs

It is without any doubt that all drug users and not necessarily heroin addicts are all suffering from depression and addiction. These two elements are of the same characteristic when it comes to substance abuse. Our focus in this article is going to be looking at the relationship between heroin abuse and depression. This drug heroin is a very powerful opiate capable of making alterations to the user’s brain chemistry and thereby causing mood changes, suicidal behavior, psychological dependence and addiction. It is currently estimated that up to half of all opiate users have at one time experienced depression in their lives. Anyone suffering from any kind of addiction heroin included will be going through what is known as dual diagnosis should it be discovered that they are also suffering from depression. With this condition, doctor Akoury says that chances of long term recovery would be very slim.

From her over two decades of experience doctor Akoury says that not unless the user is treated for both conditions, it is likely that he or she will relapse soon after rehab. It is important to note that in numerous instances, majority of depressed heroin user fail to get treatment. Nonetheless, according to findings from the clinical studies depression and substance abuse are treated simultaneously and when this is done, the depressive symptoms often improve. This has further been confirmed by Biological Psychiatry registering that opiate addicts who go through residential rehab or methadone maintenance treatment have significant improvement in their depression.

Therefore the key to treating heroin abuse and depression successfully is to identify both conditions early in the recovery process. Intensive neuropsychological assessment can reveal the signs of co-occurring psychiatric disorders like depression. Once mental illness has been identified, treatment must address both depression and heroin addiction to be successful.

The Relationship between Heroin Abuse and Depression: How Heroin Affects the Psyche

You must have known that heroin is a synthetic drug produced from morphine, a potent analgesic that comes from the opium poppy. Heroin exerts its effects by binding with receptor cells in the brain that respond to opiates. When injected, snorted or smoked heroin can converts into morphine in the brain, where it slows down neurological activity and induces a state of sedation.

For many users, a heroin high produces a rush of euphoria and a sense of profound relaxation. But the National Alliance on Mental Illness states that in people with psychiatric disorders, the side effects of heroin are more likely to be negative. For someone with depression, heroin may seem like an antidote to hopelessness, sadness and guilt.

The psychosocial effects of heroin can also contribute to depression. Heroin is highly debilitating, and users often experience job loss, relationship conflicts, legal problems and financial troubles.

The physical consequences of heroin use including respiratory illness, blood-borne diseases, muscular weakness and vascular damage can also cause severe emotional distress.

Because the brain adjusts quickly to the effects of heroin, physical and psychological dependence develop rapidly. The National Institute on Drug Abuse states that nearly one-fourth (23 percent) of individuals who use heroin will eventually reach the point of addiction. Once addiction sets in, use of the drug becomes compulsive and uncontrollable in spite of the devastating effects of abuse. All of these factors can intensify feelings of hopelessness, despair and self-loathing: the hallmarks of depression.

The Relationship between Heroin Abuse and Depression: Factors Associated with Depression

Uncovering the causes of depression is one of the most challenging aspects of recovery for heroin users. Depression is much more than a low mood. It is a incapacitating mental illness that can lead to isolation, job loss, broken relationships, poor physical health and an increased risk of suicide. Depression can arise from a number of sources, including:

Genetic factors
Imbalances in brain chemistry
A stressful social environment
Psychological trauma
Physical disability
Drug or alcohol abuse

Treating a Dual Diagnosis of heroin addiction and depression is especially difficult if the individual is still under the influence of the drug. Many of the symptoms of opiate addiction fatigue, self-isolation, poor concentration and weight loss can resemble the symptoms of major depressive disorder.

According to a study published in Drug and Alcohol Dependence followed 615 heroin users in various stages of treatment or non-treatment. In the study it was established that a quarter of the subjects were currently experiencing a major depressive episode. While about twenty-six percent of the individuals in treatment had a lifetime history of depression and 16 percent of those who weren’t in treatment had been depressed. In the treatment group, a significant number of clients were also diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD. Others were living with a life-altering physical disability. In many of these cases, heroin was used as a maladaptive way to numb physical or psychological pain.

In long-term heroin users, it can be nearly impossible to determine whether depression led to addiction or the other way round. A comprehensive treatment plan must give equal attention to both conditions.

The Relationship between Heroin Abuse and Depression: Depression and Heroin Withdrawal

In the journey to recovery among many addicts, relapse is often very common among many heroin users who try to quit this highly addictive drug. The unpleasant side effects of heroin withdrawal can drive even the most determined individuals back to the drug. Heroin withdrawal usually isn’t life-threatening, however, heavy users may have dangerous seizures if they try to quit without medical supervision.

Finally physical symptoms of heroin withdrawal can feel like a severe case of the flu, but for many users, the psychological side effects are even harder to tolerate. In the first few days, weeks or even months after quitting heroin, users may feel extremely depressed. Once the brain comes to rely on the euphoric rush of a heroin high, the pleasures of everyday life may seem meaningless in comparison. A condition called anhedonia, or lack of pleasure, often develops in recovering heroin addicts. One of the primary goals of treatment is to help the addict find peace, hope and joy in a drug-free life.

The Relationship between Heroin Abuse and Depression: Exposing the Health complication they represent

Heroin Addiction, Creating Understanding for Treatment and Recovery

June 2, 2014

Exploring Heroin Addiction: Basic information and history

Victim of heroin addiction abusing the drug

Heroin addiction is on the rise. Heroin can be found as a white or brown powder, or as a black sticky substance. It is classified as an opiate, which stands for drugs that are naturally or synthetically derived from the flowers of the poppy plant. Heroin is synthetically extracted from Morphine, a naturally occurring substance derived from the seedpod of the Asian opium poppy plant.

The street heroin, also known as “black tar heroin”, appears black because of the impurities added to it during its production, known as “cuts”. These are mostly sugar, powdered milk and even poisons such as strychnine. Most of these do not fully dissolve and can cause a clogging of the blood vessels that supply blood to the vital body organs when injected.

Heroin was synthesized to assist the addicts recovering from Morphine, it being a “non-addictive” substance. Unfortunately, it proved to be even more addictive than Morphine.

Heroin has various street names which include; H, Horse, Smack, Brown Sugar, Dope, Skunk, Skag, White Horse, China White, Mexican Black Tar, White Horse, Nose Drops, Hell Dust, Thunder and Junk.

What is Heroin addiction? How Heroin is consumed?

Heroin is normally injected, inhaled by sniffing or snorting and smoked. All of these methods ensure that the Heroin is absorbed into the brain at a very high rate. It is this high rate of absorption by the brain that causes Heroin to make changes in the brain that later result in addiction. The Mexican Black Tar kind of Heroin is mostly injected because of its consistency.

How Heroin addiction affects the Brain

In its independent state, Heroin is a harmless drug. But when it reaches the brain, it is converted back to Morphine. It is then bonded to the molecules in the brain known as opioid receptors. These receptors are normally located in the part of the body involved with pain. This, combined with its analgesic nature, result in the user feeling emotional and physical pain and aches reducing. Also because it is sedative in nature, the users have reported experiencing feeling a warmth, relaxing feeling of detachment and less anxiety. These effects appear very quickly and that is why the users describe feeling a “rush” of euphoria suddenly engulfing them, making them feel “high” and relaxed.

After these initial feelings, the users feel drowsy and experience a clouded brain. These feelings can last for a very long time. Also because opioid receptors are located in the brain stem, which controls the critical processes of life like blood pressure and respiration, users experience a slowing down of the basic body functions like breathing and heartbeat.

Heroin Effects and Heroin Addiction

After the user has experienced the initial surge of emotions, there follows a wide range of body reactions. These include; shortness of breath, constricted of pupils, dry mouth, sudden changes in behavior or actions, droopy appearance, hyperthermia, vomiting, nausea and sedation.

Within hours of these effects fading, the user will crave for more Heroin and if they fail to administer it into their system, they will enter a state known as withdrawal. This state is characterized by symptoms such as restlessness, muscle and bone pain, diarrhea and vomiting, cold flashes with goose bumps known as “cold turkey” and kicking movements known also as “kicking the habit”.

Pregnant Heroin users risk spontaneous abortion, low birth weight and eventually the infant may be born with physically dependent on heroine, suffering from neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS). This is a disease that infants get infected with, making them withdraw from medicine. Though recent studies have shown treating opioid addicted expectant mothers with buprenorphine which is a medication for opiod dependence can reduce NAS symptoms.

As a result of heroin addiction, a state in which the body cannot function without the drug in its system, and tolerance- a state in which the body requires a higher dosage of the drug in order to function, heroin addicts may develop certain behavioral and physical changes. These include; infection of the heat valve and heart lining, disease of the kidneys, abscesses and skin infections, liver disease, a risk of contracting HIV, constant runny nose, lying among others.

Treatment of a heroin addiction

Heroin addiction can be treated through various ways including therapy and medicinal. In medicinal use, the inpatient program is recommended compared to the outpatient program which should be applied after a patient has completed the inpatient program. Example of medicinal is by use of buprenorphine and methadone. These work by binding to the receptors as heroin though weakly, so a user can slowly reduce dependence on the drug. There is also the use of naltrexone. This blocks the opioid receptors so the drug cannot reach, though patients normally have a hard time using this drug. There is also the use of naloxone albeit during emergency treatment of heroin use.

Where therapy is applied, contingency management is often encouraged and patients can earn voucher points for each negative drug test. These points can be later exchanged for goods.

In cognitive-behavior therapy, the patients are taught stress coping skills and learn to modify addiction.

Getting the right Treatment through experts: Dr. Dalal Akroury

Best Addiction Treatment Education – Helping Addicts Recover

Due to the seriousness of heroin addiction cases as a threat to life, it’s of great essence to only choose qualified addiction experts and professionals like Dr, Dalal Akoury of Awaremed Wellness and Resource Center. When all the aspects of addiction is addressed and proper treatment employed, success is eminent. Dr, Dalal’s treatment focuses on the restoration of the body, the mind and the spirit to bring a wholesome transformation of life of the addiction victims.

If you need addiction training that touches on all the genetics and epigenetics of addiction, then Dr. Dalal is the right expert to offer this. Their addiction training also focuses on physicians wanting to become addiction experts.

Exploring Heroin Addiction: Basic information and history

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