Heroin and its Effects on the Brain

(By Joann Kim)


How the Brain is Affected by Heroin:
Heroin, which is an opiate drug, works in the brain stem to trigger and later, replace the body’s pleasure system known as endorphins. The system starts off with heroin altering into morphine molecules binding to the endorphin-receptor sites (known as opioid receptors) on the neurons after injected into the body’s blood vessels and begins to mimic the function of natural endorphins. The user will then feel a surge of euphoria (a rush) followed by dry mouth, flush skin, and fall into a drowsy state. After this rapid process, the brain is affected by slowing down the rate at which people think, slowing down reaction time, impairing memory, affecting the way people act and how they make decisions, and clouding mental functioning overall mostly affecting the hippocampus and amygdala regions. Because this process takes place in the brain stem, breathing, blood pressure, and arousal are also affected. Not only that, but once a user commences the use of Heroin, the person becomes reliant on the drug because Heroin soon takes the place of the body’s natural endorphins (used to produce relief after experiencing pain or reward) and it eventually arrives to the point where the body cannot function normally on a daily basis without consuming Heroin because brain cells soon recognizes the foreign opiate as its new endorphins thus becoming solely dependent on the drug.





How Consciousness in Affected by Heroin:
Heroin affects consciousness several different ways. One potential impairment on consciousness is that Heroin creates hallucinations to the user. Because Heroin distorts the brain's normal functioning, it is very likely that a person can see visions that really are not there. The user under the influence may also perform certain actions or say certain words/phrases not even knowing they are doing/saying such things thus affecting train of thought and judgement as well. The opiate may also cause people to pass out thus putting them into a temporary coma; their body is still living, but once passed out, that person is not aware of anything occurring around him/her almost as if she/he were in a deep sleep. Although a user of Heroin may be physically alive, the person loses their consciousness for as long as they are using the drug.





Facts about Heroin:
1) 76,000 individuals aged 12 to 17 have tried Heroin once
2) 474,000 individuals aged 18 to 25 have tried Heroin once
3) Heroin is either injected, snorted, or smoked
4) Some health conditions that could lead up following the use of Heroin includes abscesses, liver disease, collapsed veins, and infection of heart lining/valves
5) Some withdrawal conditions after using Heroin include insomnia, vomiting, diarrhea, and muscle/bone pain
6) Some treatments for Heroin addicts include the use of Methadone, Buprenorphine, Naloxone, Naltrexone, and behavior treatments




Works cited page:

Author Unknown. "NIDA InfoFacts: Heroin." National Institute on Drug Abuse. 04 Sept.
2008. NIDA. 24 Oct. 2008 .

Chudler, Eric H. "Heroin." Neuroscience for Kids. 1996-2008. 24 Oct. 2008 .

Author Unknown. "Basic Facts About Drugs: Heroin." American Council for Drug Education's. 1999. ACDE. 24 Oct. 2008 .

Author Unknown. "Heroin." Greater Dallas Council on Alcohol & Drug Abuse. 4 Mar. 2006. GDCADA. 24 Oct. 2008 .