Teen Heroin Addiction

Table of Contents
How Heroin Works
The Body’s Natural Opiates
Definition of “Heroin Addiction”
Recognizing the Signs
Heroin Addiction Among Teens
Dual Diagnosis Concerns
Long-Term Medical Effects
Getting Help for Your Teen

Heroin is a highly addictive opiate that can cause both short- and long-term harm to the individual who engages in its use and abuse. The fact that teens are using heroin is a frightening proposition for any parent, as well as for teachers, clergy or anyone who works with youth. Learning about heroin addiction, especially how it relates to teens can be a powerful tool in the fight against teen addiction.

How Heroin Works

Heroin is an opiate. Opiates are used in medical treatment in a variety of ways, including pain relief, control of severe diarrhea, and suppressing coughs. When used properly, opiates like Vicodin or Lortab can be very effective. Heroin is never used for medical purposes, however. It is an illicit drug that is created solely for the purpose of getting ‘high.’

Opiates target the opiate receptors in the brain. There are three of these receptors that heroin will target: mu, delta and kappa. For the use of heroin, the abuser is interested only in the effects of the heroin on the Mu receptor, which controls the pleasure and pain-relieving aspects of the drug.

Once the opiate receptors have been introduced to heroin, the drug will also affect several brain centers. They are:

• The spinal cord. This is the reason that opiates can deaden pain after a serious injury when used correctly. The spinal cord can no longer transmit pain effectively.
• The limbic system. This is the part of the brain that controls pleasure, enjoyment and happiness. When it is stimulated by heroin, the brain is convinced that it is content, regardless of outside circumstances.
• The brainstem. This is the part of the brain that controls automatic systems and functions, like breathing or coughing. Heroin suppresses these functions, which is why legally prescribed opiates are often found in cough medicines.

The Body’s Natural Opiates

Each of the systems in the brain that is affected by heroin has a distinct, legitimate purpose in the human body. The human body needs to feel pain to let us know that something is wrong, and it needs to feel joy to let us know that something is right. The natural forms of opiates in the human body are known as endorphins. Endorphins are released by the body in specific circumstances to tell the opiate receptors in the brain that something good has happened. They can also be released in times of high stress or pain, such as labor and child birth, in order to make the process tolerable.

When an individual has developed a physical dependence upon heroin, the body’s ability to manufacture and release endorphins is compromised. Under normal circumstances, the body released the correct amount of chemicals and hormones for any situation. Drug users will inject or otherwise ingest the artificial equivalent in amounts they deem appropriate, rather than the smaller amounts the body would produce. This creates the ‘high’ that heroin addicts need to feel better. As their bodies develop a tolerance to the drug, they will need to ingest more of the drug to even feel normal and increasing amounts to obtain the euphoric effects. Because of the rapid influx of opiates into the system, the opiate receptors ‘short circuit’ and look for the higher doses in order to do their jobs.

Once the body has become dependent upon the introduction of heroin to obtain any kind of pleasure, the addiction process has begun in earnest. If the teen likes the effects of the heroin on their mind and body the first time they use the drug, the emotional addiction may have started much earlier.

What Does Heroin Addiction Mean?

The term addiction indicates a diagnosis based upon certain elements. These elements include:

• The inability to stop using a drug
• Craving the drug constantly
• Use of a drug despite the harmful effects and consequences
• Use of the drug is more important than social, family or employment/school obligations

Heroin is one of the more powerfully addictive illicit drugs in use by teens today and addiction follows abuse rather quickly (See Related: Heroin Abuse).

Recognizing the Signs of Addiction in Your Teen

Based upon the definition of addiction, there are certain aspects of behavior that parents or others who work with youth can look for in a teen they suspect of drug addiction. Each teen is different and not all of the symptoms will apply to all individuals. It is likely that some of the warning signs will appear if a teen is using drugs to deal with their problems.

• Falling grades. Was the student dedicated to his or her education? Have their grades fallen either sharply or gradually for no apparent reason, like an increased difficulty in classes? Is their education suddenly not important to them?
• New friends. Does the teen suddenly have a new set of friends, or do their friends change often? Are they unwilling to let you meet their friends or their friends’ parents?
• Breaking the rules. Is your teen seemingly unable to abide by the house rules, like curfew or school attendance?
• Physical appearance. Does your teen’s skin have a yellow, sallow or waxy appearance with frequent breakouts that were not a problem in the past?
• Frequent illness. Withdrawal symptoms can often appear as a severe cold or flu. Is your teen ‘sick’ on a regular basis, especially during the school week when they are often home more frequently? Do they insist they are fine and don’t need a doctor?
• Personality changes. Is your teen disrespectful or irritable when this has not been an issue in the past? Are they easily angered or even violent for no valid reason?

Not all of these signs indicate heroine abuse or drug use as there may be other, underlying causes for the behaviors or physical symptoms. Talking to your child and insisting they see your medical provider is the best way to ensure your child is healthy and whole, and not abusing dangerous drugs like heroin (Read More at Heroin Addiction FAQ).

Heroin Addiction Among Teens

Addiction among teens is a growing problem. While the numbers of teen heroin uses fell in the mid-2000s, they are still much higher than they were in the 1970s. The reason for this is simple – heroin is becoming more available and less expensive. This makes it an attractive drug for teens that are often on a limited budget. Because the early stereotypes concerning heroin addiction have been replaced with glamorization in music and media, the drug has become more acceptable and ‘cool’ in some teen circles. Teens have access to heroin through their classmates, friends and adults in their lives.

Dual Diagnosis and Teens Heroin Use

There are many reasons why an individual may choose drugs. Sometimes, the answer is as simple as wanting or needing to fit in with their peers; although even this reason may have underlying emotional or psychological issues attached. For instance, a teen who is pressured into using in order to make others ‘like’ them may be suffering from low self-esteem issues or other self-destructive patterns.

Other reasons that a teen may choose to use drugs like heroin can stem from deeper psychological conditions, such as:

• Anxiety disorders including post-traumatic stress disorder brought on by early childhood abuse
• Personality disorders such as borderline personality disorder
• Major depression such as bipolar disorder (often marked by periods of manic euphoria)
• Schizophrenia

When a teen becomes involved in drugs, including heroin, there is generally a reason. Finding out the reason and treating the underlying issues can help drastically when the teen seeks recovery and wants to learn how to make better choices for himself and his family.

Long-Term Medical Effects in Teens

When a teen chooses heroin as their drug of choice, they are setting themselves up for some fairly significant, life-changing medical issues later on. Some of the medical problems faced by former heroin users include:

• Bacterial infections of the heart and blood vessels
• Collapsed veins and scarred veins
• Lung complications including chronic pneumonia and tuberculosis
• Kidney disease
• Liver disease
• Arthritis
• Increased risk of HIV/AIDS from shared injection equipment or irresponsible sexual activity

For girls, there is another inherent long-term risk of heroin addiction. If the female drug user becomes pregnant and is unable to stop using the drug during her pregnancy, the child can be born addicted to heroin as well. The withdrawal effects of heroin can be brutal for the addict, who knows and understands why they are feeling so much pain or illness. For an infant who has no cognitive ability to reason why they are so miserable, the effects are multiplied. Additionally, the child may suffer from brain damage or other complications for their entire lives (See: Dangers of Going Untreated).

Getting Help for Your Teen

The treatment process for heroin addiction is not easy for anyone. The process begins with the detox period which can last from a few days to as long as a week in severe cases. During this period, the teen addict will metabolize the drugs out of their bodies and experience extreme flu-like symptoms including nausea, vomiting, fever, chills, trembling and other symptoms.

After that process has been completed, they may need to enter a residential treatment facility (See: Heroin Rehab). Teens that face addiction recovery do not have the same life experiences, understanding or skill sets that adults have, therefore their recovery plans should be tailored to their specific needs. Finding a qualified residential facility to help your teen through this process is important for the entire family, of course. It’s best to find a facility that specializes in teen and youth concepts that can apply their vast experience with youth and heroin addiction to help your child.