Heroin Addictions - 1873 Words

Ring, Ring, Ring†¦ every time I hear that sound in the middle of the night, I am terrified to answer my phone; I am waiting for the call where someone says â€Å"Andy has died from an overdose.† Andy is my stepbrother, he has been battling his heroin addiction since we were fifteen years old, and I have seen firsthand how this disease can rip a family apart. Andy’s addiction has inflicted such tremendous stress and hurt on my parents and watching them try to help him recover from this addiction is heartbreaking. It is heartbreaking because I am powerless to help heal our family; I would not wish this pain on my worst enemy, because my stepbrother’s addiction has been one of the greatest trials of my own life. Heroin has become one of the†¦show more content†¦Ã¢â‚¬Å"Buprenorphine and methadone, both being opioids, activate the opioid (mu) receptors on nerve cells. And both drugs have long half-life’s, meaning that they’re long-acting medications† (Reuter, Nicholas, and Reckitt Benckiser). The chief difference between the two detoxifiers is the idea of a partial agonist versus a full agonist; methadone and heroin are full agonist where as buprenorphine is only a partial agonist (Reuter, Nicholas, and Reckitt Benckiser). â€Å"Methadone, as a full mu opioid agonist, continues to produce effects on the receptors until either all receptors are fully activated, or the maximum effect is reached† (Reuter, Nicholas, and Reckitt Benckiser). Whereas â€Å"buprenorphine is a derivative of thebaine, an extract of opium. The drug is an opioid partial agonist and thus can produce euphoria, analgesia, and sedation associated with opiates† (US Department of Justi ce). Essentially methadone has been proven to be more dangerous and addictive than buprenorphine, but buprenorphine has also been proven to create dependency and death. â€Å"It is by their actions on opioid receptors that opioids achieve their analgesic (pain-killing) as well as their addictive effects† (Reuter, Nicholas, and Reckitt Benckiser). In layman’s terms the partial agonist of buprenorphine and the full agonist of methadone determine the effects and side effects of the drug, buprenorphine is deemed milder than methadoneShow MoreRelatedHeroin Addiction1345 Words   |  6 PagesHeroin According to The National Institute on Drug Abuse, heroin is an illegal, highly addictive drug. It is both the most abused and the most rapidly acting of the opiates. Heroin is processed from morphine, a naturally occurring substance extracted from the seed pod of certain varieties of poppy plants. It is typically sold as a white or brownish powder or as the black sticky substance known on the streets as â€Å"black tar heroin†. Although purer heroin is becoming more common, most streetRead MoreHeroin Addiction And Recovery Of Heroin1436 Words   |  6 PagesHeroin Facts About Heroin Addiction and Recovery Heroin addiction kills thousands of people across the United States each year. It was initially viewed as a low-income, inner city problem, but now has spread to Caucasian, suburban communities along with all other neighborhoods and demographics. Heroin addiction can affect anyone, and it is important for all people to understand the facts. What is Heroin? Heroin, originally developed by the Bayer Pharmaceutical Company as a cough suppressant inRead MoreThe Effects of Heroin Addiction770 Words   |  3 PagesHeroin is illegal and highly addictive. (Dupont, 1997). It remains as the most common drug among drug, among all the opiates (Lalander, 2003). The opiate is made from morphine. Morphine occurs naturally in seed pops of various poppy plants. In most cases, it is sold as a brown or black sticky powder. Currently, purer forms of heroin are becoming more common in the streets today (Research Council of Norway, 2013). Many heroin addicts usually inject or smoke it. On average, a heroin addict may injectRead MoreHeroin Addiction and Its Effects698 Words   |  3 PagesHeroin By paul brady INDEX * INTRODUCTION * HEROIN * WHAT ARE ITS SHORT-TERM EFFECTS? * WHAT ARE ITS LONG-TERM EFFECTS? * CONCLUSION * BIBLIOGRAPHY INTRODUCTION The aim of this assignment is to explain about the drug Heroin, its addiction, describing its short and long term effects. Which are illustrated in diagrams below and to give a better understanding of the drug. This topic of discussion has taken an interest as Heroin addiction is on theRead MoreHeroin Addiction Essay1377 Words   |  6 PagesHeroin Addiction Heroin addicts have the psychological dependence on heroin that leads them into the state of self-destruction and the possibility of leading to death by the extreme use of heroin. Never estimate the poppy flower for its power that withholds the fiends to their mentality enduring the euphoria enslavement of the mind that contained for many centuries. The heroin addiction nation is a self numbing injection and dry approach to have the mind under the state of the greatest feeling ofRead MoreDrug Addiction : Drugs And Heroin Addiction1130 Words   |  5 PagesThe arguments for whether or not to prescribe heroin to treat heroin addictions are controversial. Henden and Baeroe (2015) state both sides of the arguments being that some believe â€Å"it is in the nature of heroin addiction for individuals to lose their ability to resist their desire for heroin,† which knowing the nature of chemical dependency, heroin addicts would not refuse any heroin, so it still possibly an invalid c onsent to research participation as they did not have a free choice to reallyRead MoreHeroin Addiction : Contributing Factors1527 Words   |  7 PagesHeroin Addiction: Contributing Factors in a Global Issue Abstract This paper will examine the impact of heroin addiction on the family, the individual, the child, the adult, older adults, special populations, on minorities, while taking in consideration various approaches in assessments, treatment recommendations, and ethical concerns. Introduction The purpose of this paper is to identify heroin addiction’s impact on lifespan and family, while taking in consideration multiculturalRead MoreHeroin Addiction : The United States1743 Words   |  7 PagesHeroin Addiction in the United States Overview of Heroin Addiction in the U.S. Heroin addiction is one of the leading killers of adolescents and adults in the United States. In recent years, addiction has skyrocketed, and â€Å"the rate of heroin-related overdose deaths increased by 286 percent between 2002 and 2013.† In 2002, â€Å"100 people per 100,000 were addicted to heroin, and that number has doubled by 2013† (The National Institute on Drug Abuse 2013). The most affected populations include low incomeRead MoreThe Treatment Of Heroin And Opiate Addiction1657 Words   |  7 PagesToday, in society, there has been a huge rise in the amount of deaths due to heroin overdose and addiction. Heroin and opiate addiction is something that needs to be recognized within our society in order to help protect one another. In this essay, I will explore the different methods of treatment, health insurance issues, and how the addicts affect the society. Information involving treatment for heroin and opiate addicts needs to be more prevalent in society becau se we do not hear much about howRead MoreEssay on Heroin Addictions in Females1206 Words   |  5 Pages To look at the heroin addiction in females, we will first have to look at where it all began. A study done by Deborah L Rhoads shows that, in the early 19th century, â€Å"Society considered it a wealth or status symbol for most middle and upper middle-class women to need to have numerous home visits from their male doctors who often prescribed opiate medicine for â€Å"female† complaints. A lady was expected to need of chemical assistance, and Laudanum, a liquid opiate preparation, was the female medication