Heroin is found in various forms. Before learning more about what this drug looks like, our team would like to go over a few things with you. For one thing, heroin addiction can impact anyone, so don’t let the thought of a stereotypical addict color your opinion. Secondly, if you suspect someone is using heroin but you aren’t sure, the things noted below will be signs they may be abusing this drug.Â
If your loved one or friend is abusing heroin, the Midwood Addiction Treatment Center team is here to help them overcome the addiction and begin a life of recovery.Â
What Forms Can Heroin Take
As noted above, heroin can come in numerous forms. Someone might use pure, powder, black tar, liquid or synthetic heroin. It can be helpful to know what the drug looks like in various forms, so you can spot if your loved one is using it.
Powder Heroin
Powder heroin is one type of this drug. The color of the powder ranges from dark brown to white. People who abuse heroin in powder form generally snort it. However, they may also boil the drug until it is a liquid and then smoke or inject it into their skin.
Some other things you may want to know about powder heroin include:
- Often called hell dust
- Powder heroin is hardly ever pure (usually mixed with other things, including fentanyl)
- Addiction can be deadly after just one use
If you suspect or know that your loved one is abusing powdered versions of this drug, it may be time to hold an intervention.
Black Tar Heroin
Black tar heroin is callled what it is due to the apperance of it. This is one of the most common types of heroin found throughout the western United States. People often smuggle it into the U.S. from Mexico.
Some other things you may want to know about black tar heroin and how it looks include:
- Sticky substance
- Dark brown or black substance
- Usually boiled down and then smoked or injected
- If smoked, the user will generally inhale the smoke off a aluminum wrapper or through a pipe
Have someone in your life been doing this version of heroin? If so, reach out to our Midwood Addiction treatment team for assistance right away.
Liquid Heroin
When someone heats up heroin so they can inject or smoke it, the tar turns into liquid. Then, they take a needle or syringe to draw up the liquid version of the drug. There may be some specks of other chemicals mixed in this liquid. It could look translucent, as well. If the liquid heroin becomes too hot, it will smoke and steam, which allows the user and others to inhale the drug.
Synthetic Heroin
There is such as thing as synthetic heroin. Many drug dealers or drug manufacturers will cut heroin with prescription opioids, fentanyl and other drugs. Fentanyl is one of the strongest drugs and when mixed with heroin, it can be a lethal dose with just one use.
Generally, the opioids or other drugs are crushed up and mixed in with the liquid heroin and then injected into the body. This makes those drugs far more potent than they are intended to be. Any kind of heroin that is cut with fentanyl or another drug could be deadly.
If you or someone you know is using synthetic heroin, don’t let it take your life. You can change things around by getting yourself into an addiction treatment program right away. Start by calling our Midwood Addiction Treatment Center team at (704) 741-0771 for help.
Health Problems Associated with a Heroin Use Disorder
If you or someone you know is abusing heroin, there are some health problems that can occur when using this drug you might want to know about, including:
- Lung issues
- Anxiety
- Depression
- Mental fogginess
- Drowsiness
- Increased risk of HIV
- Reduced heart rate
- Bacterial infections
- Overdose
These are just a few of the many health issues that often arise from heroin addiction. If you or someone you know is using this drug, don’t keep waiting for it to take parts of your life away. You have the power to get your life back on track and our Midwood Addiction Treatment Center wants to help you do that.
Treatment Options for Heroin Addiction
As just noted, our Midwood Addiction treatment center team wants to help anyone who is struggling with heroin abuse to get the help and treatment they need. We offer many professional, beneficial services that can kickstart your recovery and help you to navigate life better clean and sober. Some of the treatment options we have available to our residents include:
- Medication-assisted treatment
- Substance abuse intensive outpatient
- Substance abuse partial hospitalization
- Outpatient/aftercare
- Mental health intensive outpatient
- Mental health partial hospitalization
Whenever we bring a new patient into our facility, we create them an individualized treatment plan. The treatment plan can consist of things that are going to help them physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually.
As an addict or someone who knows a person with a heroin addiction, you may be wondering how these treatment programs even work. If you give us a call, a member of our team would be happy to go over specific details with you. For now, the most important thing to know is that we will work one-on-one with you as an individual to ensure you are getting the right amount and type of treatment you need.
Overcome Heroin Addiction Today
Do you know someone who is using heroin? If so, and you have recognized the addiction or issues present in their life, it is time to hold an intervention or some sort of meeting to encourage them to get treatment.
There is hope out there for them that things can get better. Have them contact us today, here at Midwood Addiction Treatment Center, to get the heroin addiction treatment they need. Our team would gladly discuss any concerns they have and help them to feel comfortable on this next step to their recovery journey.