Regardless of how long you use it, heroin will have a profound effect on your body and your mind. Even in the short-term, users are going to experience strong effects.

Most people use this drug because it helps them feel good. Some may use it because it helps to relieve their pain. Some of the physical and mental short-term effects of heroin include:

• A surge of euphoria
• Warm flushing of the skin
• A feeling of heaviness in the extremities
• A dry mouth
• Severe itching
• Nausea and/or vomiting
• Severe drowsiness
• Brain fog
• Slower heart function than normal
• Slower breathing function than normal

As with any drug, the longer you use it, the more dangerous it becomes. The long-term effects of heroin may be reversible, in some cases. If you've been a user for a long time, you could be doing serious damage to your brain and your body.

Some of the potential long-term effects of heroin include:

• Deterioration of the white matter of the brain
• Impaired decision-making abilities
• Problems regulating behavior
• Problems responding to stress
• Quick symptoms of withdrawal if a dose is missed
• Track marks on the arms
• Collapsed veins if the drug is injected
• The risk of tuberculosis
• The risk of arthritis
• The risk of AIDS and other infectious diseases
• Bad teeth
• A weakened immune system
• Loss of memory
• Pustules on the face
• Chronic insomnia
• Loss of appetite and weight loss

Many people get curious about heroin, and they tell themselves, "I'll just try it one time." What they don't realize is that this drug is highly addictive. Even one use of it could begin a downward spiral into addiction and dependence.

The euphoria you experience when you use is the result of the surge of dopamine in your brain. Dopamine is the chemical that makes you feel good. Heroin forces the release of excess amounts, which can make you feel better than you ever felt before.

As time goes on, your brain will begin to "need" heroin in order to experience any type of dopamine surge. Eventually, you may be using just to feel more like yourself. This is why people become addicts. They don't know how to stop because when they do, they no longer feel normal.

Most experts agree that anyone who is addicted to this drug should go through a heroin detox program. That should be the very first step in the recovery process.

Using this drug causes toxins to be deposited into the body. Those toxins are difficult for your liver and kidneys to remove. Detoxing is a way of helping that process along more efficiently. It will also serve a couple of other purposes.

When you go through detox, your body is more equipped to handle your physical recovery. You may be able to avoid potentially dangerous complications that can occur when people stop using. It will also help to keep you more comfortable by minimizing your withdrawal symptoms.

Many heroin addicts are afraid of going through withdrawal, and rightly so. It can be very hard to manage your symptoms on your own. This is why people who attempt to recover by themselves are so prone to relapsing.

It's important to understand the various heroin withdrawal symptoms you're likely to experience. They include:

• Having intense cravings
• Quick mood changes
• Body aches and pains
• Teary eyes, runny nose and sweating
• Stomach pain and digestion problems
• Nausea and vomiting
• A high body temperature
• Feelings of restlessness
• Symptoms of anxiety
• Bouts of insomnia

Typically, symptoms will begin around 12 to 24 hours after your last dose. They are usually progressive, and at first, you may only experience mild withdrawal. As time goes on, you'll begin to feel worse, and you'll begin having symptoms you didn't have at first.

The process will continue until you're about 72 hours into your detox. After you have reached that point, you'll begin to feel a bit better. Your symptoms should continue to resolve until they go away. However, you should know that people have experienced rebound heroin withdrawal. That means that your symptoms could return again at any time for several months.

Your doctor will talk with you about the different ways to detox from heroin. You'll find that there is a medical approach and a holistic one. Both are very good, and many people end up having a combination of the two.

Medication assisted treatment (MAT) is the newest way to treat this type of addiction. It works by giving patients medications to help ease their symptoms. Sometimes these prescription drugs are opiates, which provides almost immediate relief.

Some of the more common forms of MAT include:

• Suboxone
• Subutex
• Buprenorphine
• Methadone
• Vivitrol

All of these can be effective, but some are also highly addictive. It's important to discuss the risks of your medication with your doctor. They will be able to help you make the right decision.

Non-medicated forms of detoxification can also be very effective for heroin addicts. You may be required to speak with a nutritionist about making some changes in your diet. It's possible that you currently aren't getting the right vitamins and nutrients to facilitate an efficient drug detox. Eating a healthy diet can help with this, as can adding in regular exercise.

It's generally not safe to detox from opioid drugs at home. This is probably something you should avoid attempting. You can find a lot of information online about different products and detox kits that all claim to help. However, they can actually be very dangerous.

You don't want to put yourself in a situation where you start to have seizures and can't get medical help. This is what can happen if you attempt an at-home detox. It's best to leave recovery to the professionals. At least in a medical setting you can be certain that your needs will be met.

There are other ways that you can recover from this addiction as well. While going to detox and rehab might be the best way, you should at least get some form of help. If you're not ready to go to treatment, you may want to consider one of the following:

• Narcotics Anonymous – These meetings are held all over the country, and there are probably several in your area. NA meetings are run by other addicts, and they provide a peer support system. You'll be able to listen to others as they share their stories, and you can share your own when you're ready.
• Free Clinics – Your area may have either free or low cost clinics available to help with your recovery. Some may offer detox services, but many will provide counseling.
• Outpatient Heroin Rehabs – Maybe you can see the value in professional help, but you're not ready to commit to an inpatient setting. If that's the case, you may want to consider going to an outpatient rehab. Intensive outpatient treatment programs are actually very beneficial. Their success rates are similar to those of inpatient treatment centers.
• Counseling with an Addiction Therapist – It might help you to simply sit down with a therapist and talk about your dependence on heroin. Many of them are trained in this area specifically. They can help you determine what caused your addiction and aid in the recovery process.
• Your Medical Doctor – Your doctor should know about your addiction and your plans for recovery. They can also be a great resource for you. Be sure to discuss your intentions with them. Many may offer to prescribe medications to help you through your withdrawals.

You may need to consider obtaining intervention services if your loved one refuses to get help. Remember, this is a dangerous addiction. You shouldn't wait around hoping that they will change their mind or hit rock bottom. If you're met with complete defiance, you may need to consider taking further action.

If at all possible, you should refrain from doing an intervention on your own. You will need the help of an interventionist. This is a professional who is trained in this area specifically. They'll be able to guide you through the entire process and offer you much-needed support.

What's even better is that if you're successful, the interventionist can facilitate a quick transfer to rehab. It's definitely something to keep in mind. You don't want to give your loved one an opportunity to decide not to go later on.