Heroin often causes devastating consequences, even after a single use of the substance. Although there are short-term effects of heroin use, the long-term effects of heroin use are potentially more devastating, even deadly.
The Ranch Treatment Centers professional staff knows the effects of heroin use on the body, the brain, and your overall well-being. Learn about the long-term effects of heroin, and get the help that you need for your heroin addiction.
The Heroin Epidemic
Many people that use heroin likely feel that they are alone. You are not alone, whether you use heroin occasionally, or whether you use it every day. Heroin use recently increased across the U.S., particularly after people started having increased difficulty getting prescription opioids.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently reported on the ‘heroin epidemic,’ which means that you are not alone. In fact, when the CDC revealed statistics regarding heroin use, the agency indicated that heroin use increased across most demographic groups over the past several years. The use among some demographic groups increased by more than 100 percent. Similarly, heroin-related deaths increased by 286 percent from 2002 through 2013 and continue to increase.
The short-term effects of heroin are possibly ignored, and some people are either not aware, or so addicted to heroin that they cannot stop using on their own when the long-term effects of heroin use begin to emerge. You can get the heroin treatment that you need from the caring, empathetic staff at The Ranch Treatment Centers, where you receive treatment that heals your body, mind, and spirit.
The Complications of Heroin Use
When you use heroin, you experience medical complications. The complications that you experience potentially include:
- Bacterial infections
- Damage to nasal tissues or perforated nasal septum
- Bloodborne viruses
- Chronic illnesses
- Co-occurring mental health disorders
The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) explains that other medical complications of heroin use potentially include sexual dysfunction, constipation, insomnia, and immune system responses. Additional symptoms often occur because of the long-term effects of heroin use.
Long Term Effects of Heroin
Heroin often contains additives that can clog your blood vessels, particularly when you use heroin over time. This potentially leads to permanent damage when the additives clog the vessels leading to the brain, liver, lungs, or kidneys. The National Institute on Drug Abuse indicates that other long-term effects of heroin include:
- Lung complications
- Liver and kidney disease
- Infection of the lining and valves of the heart
- Collapsed veins
- Mental disorders
There are several other effects of using heroin over a long time, including increased risk of contracting HIV, physical dependence, and deterioration of the white matter in the brain. The white matter deterioration likely affects decision-making abilities.
Treatment for the Long-Term Effects of Heroin
When you need a heroin addiction treatment center that focuses on understanding the long-term effects of heroin and any other treatment needs that you have, turn to The Ranch Treatment Centers, which offers a safe, healing environment that includes traditional and alternative therapies.
Your treatment, based on your specific long-term effects of heroin treatment needs, begins with detox. The caring, compassionate staff helps you through your withdrawal and detox.
Once you complete the process of withdrawal and detox, you enter your heroin treatment program. Your treatment program is not exactly the same as the treatment program of another person. The treatment is based on your specific addiction and treatment needs.
People that use heroin often abuse other substances. When you have co-occurring mental health disorders, you receive the treatment that you need to help you through the recovery process.
When you enter treatment, you receive the assistance that you need to work through the pain or trauma that initially led to your heroin use. You learn to adjust to your new life without the heroin that caused your addiction, and devastating effects on your quality of life.
Do not let heroin control your life any longer. Contact us today at 1.844.876.7680 and we will help you get started on your path to recovery.
