Get Smart About Heroin
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Get Smart About Heroin - Publishing Hazelden
Get Smart About Heroin
A Hazelden Quick Guide
Hazelden Publishing
Center City, Minnesota 55012
800-328-9000
hazelden.org/bookstore
© 2013 by Hazelden Foundation
All rights reserved. Published 2013.
No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form or by any means without the express written permission of the publisher. Failure to comply with these terms may expose you to legal action and damages for copyright infringement.
eISBN : 978-1-61649-520-6
Editor’s notes:
The names, details, and circumstances may have been changed to protect the privacy of those mentioned in this publication.
This publication is not intended as a substitute for the advice of health care professionals.
Alcoholics Anonymous is a registered trademark of Alcoholics Anonymous World Services, Inc.
17 16 15 14 13 1 2 3 4 5 6
Cover design by Theresa Jaeger Gedig
Interior design and typesetting by BookMobile Design & Digital Publisher Services
Developmental editor: Peter Schletty
Production editor: Mindy Keskinen
About Hazelden Quick Guides
Hazelden Quick Guides are short, accessible e-books that draw on the original work and best practices of leading experts to help readers address common addiction recovery and emotional health issues. The Get Smart collection describes each of the major drugs its historical, cultural, and legal context, its addictive qualities, and information on prevention and treatment.
Contents
Introduction
History
Heroin Basics
How Heroin Is Produced
How Heroin Is Used
Addicted to Heroin
Heroin and the Brain
Effects of Heroin Use
Ben’s Story
Heroin Overdose
Costs to Society
Treatment for Heroin Addiction
Treatment Options
Principles of Effective Treatment
Treatment Programs
Ben’s Story, Continued
Relapse Prevention
Support for Family Members
Prevention Practices
Comprehensive Prevention Programs
Education and Awareness
Tips for Parents
Notes
Introduction
Heroin. Fast-acting, powerful, and stronger than ever, it is considered a societal problem of epidemic proportions, as use of the drug has seeped into every conceivable corner of society—with deadly results. Whatever your preconceptions or prejudices about this illegal drug may be, it is difficult and dangerous to ignore reality as more and more people cross a once-unthinkable threshold and become heroin users. Many of these accidental
drug users began with prescription painkillers, whether legitimately prescribed or not. In time, when these pills became too expensive or more difficult to procure, heroin served as a substitute. As one addict puts it, No one chooses to use heroin. Everyone who uses it uses it out of desperation.
That same young man, now in recovery, advises loved ones to become informed about heroin, to pull up the shades of denial and seek help before it’s too late. He says, If you’re a parent with a kid who has drug problems, become educated about addiction. If you’re going to be a help to your kid, then you have a lot to learn.
This e-booklet will provide an overview of heroin, including the drug’s history (beginning with the cultivation of the first opium poppy plant), how it works on the body and brain to produce a high, and why users become dependent on it. We’ll explain how recent restrictions and formulary changes in prescription painkillers has led to an increase in heroin use and describe the most common methods of use today.
The routes to recovery from heroin addiction are varied and numerous; in this guide, we’ll also explore treatment options and discuss prevention measures.
Heroin Addiction or Disorder?
In 2013, the American Psychiatric Association released the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th edition (DSM-5). Behavioral health professionals, such as psychiatrists and psychologists, use this manual as a guide to diagnose people with substance use and mental health disorders. In the latest edition, the terminology used for addiction disorders has changed. Instead of separating such problems into categories such as substance abuse, chemical dependency, or addiction, the guide now uses one term—substance use disorder—to include the full range of problematic drug use. To be officially diagnosed with a heroin problem, someone would be classified as having an opioid use disorder. Opioids include any natural or pharmacological substance derived from the opium poppy, such as heroin, but also drugs that synthetically re-create the effects of these drugs. The diagnostic manual includes a list of criteria to help behavioral health professionals determine whether a person has a mild, moderate, or severe form of the disorder. In this book, we have continued to use the terms abuse, dependence, and addiction as a convenience to readers, since these are the terms