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Is Heroin an Opioid?

Man sits on bridge and texts friend, "is heroin an opioid?"

Many Americans misuse opioids like OxyContin. Misusing prescription opioids is a risk factor for heroin use. But is heroin an opioid?
If you or a loved one struggles with heroin, we can help. Look to NorthStar Clinical Services for guidance on the path to recovery. Our heroin addiction treatment program in North Carolina can provide the support and guidance needed to navigate early recovery. Call 888.373.8052 to get help for yourself or a loved one.

Is Heroin an Opioid?

Is heroin an opioid? Heroin is a semi-synthetic opioid made from morphine. It binds to opioid receptors throughout the body and can affect the centers of the brain that control your heart rate, breathing, and sleeping.

The most common ways of using heroin are injecting it into a vein, snorting the powder through the nose, and inhaling or smoking it.

Short-Term Effects of Heroin

Some of the short-term effects of heroin use are:

  • Dry mouth
  • Nausea
  • Warm flushing to the skin
  • Severe itching
  • Clouded mental functioning
  • Vomiting

The opioid high can also lead to “nodding off’—when someone goes in and out of consciousness.

Long-Term Effects of Heroin

The long-term effects of heroin use are:

  • Insomnia
  • Collapsed veins
  • Infection of the heart lining and valves
  • Abscesses
  • Constipation
  • Stomach cramping
  • Breathing complications
  • Sexual dysfunction

Using heroin for extended periods also increases your risk of overdose. Your tolerance will increase over time, forcing you to use higher doses of the drug to feel the same effects. It also provides more chances for you to be exposed to heroin additives like fentanyl, which is an extremely potent opioid that often leads to overdose.

Heroin Overdose Signs

One of the dangers of heroin abuse is the possibility of overdosing. Your body quickly gets used to functioning with heroin. You can start needing more of the drug to feel the effects you want. Taking too much heroin can quickly lead to an overdose, with symptoms like:

  • Shallow breathing
  • Weak pulse
  • Low blood pressure
  • Severe disorientation
  • Extreme drowsiness
  • Delirium
  • Coma

A heroin overdose can be fatal. Call 911 if you think someone is experiencing an overdose. If you have access to Narcan, a lifesaving opioid overdose reversal tool, you can administer it. You’ll still need to call for help as the person overdosing may need multiple doses of Narcan or other interventions to save their life.

Getting Treatment for Heroin Abuse

If you have an opioid use disorder involving heroin, getting help as soon as possible is vital.

Heroin Detox

You need to remove all traces of heroin from your body before you can really dive into what caused the addiction. This means going through the detox process, which you don’t want to do on your own because of the withdrawal symptoms you can experience.

During medical detox, you receive tapered doses of medications that mimic the effects of the drug so that your body can gradually adjust to being without heroin. You will be under constant monitoring to ensure you are safe. We do not offer detox at NorthStar, but we provide partial hospitalization, intensive outpatient, and other outpatient treatment options to those who have completed detox.

Addiction Treatment Programs

Our partial hospitalization program (PHP) is an intensive treatment program that provides clients with daily therapy, medical support, and supervision while allowing them to return home at the end of each day. This allows for a structured and supportive environment during the early stages of recovery without requiring a long-term residential stay.

After completing PHP, clients can transition to our intensive outpatient program (IOP), which offers flexible scheduling for individuals who need ongoing support while still maintaining other responsibilities such as work or school. Our skilled clinicians provide therapy and education on addiction, relapse prevention, and coping skills to help clients maintain their sobriety.

We also offer traditional outpatient treatment for those who have completed IOP or PHP and are ready to continue their recovery journey with less intensive support. Our outpatient program includes individual therapy, group therapy, and relapse prevention education to help clients maintain their progress and prevent relapse.

Individual Therapy Sessions

Individual therapy sessions can help you understand what caused the addiction. The majority of people can benefit from behavioral therapies like cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) and dialectical behavior therapy (DBT).

These options allow you to identify the negative thought patterns that can affect your moods and behaviors so that you can then start making changes.

Group Therapy Sessions

Group therapy helps you break free from the isolation that addiction can cause. You can start seeing that others also struggle with similar challenges. Group therapy can also help you start communicating with others more easily and in healthier ways.

You can apply the techniques you learn in individual therapy sessions in group sessions to gain confidence in your abilities to put them to use.

Family Therapy

Addiction will affect your entire family. By having family counseling sessions, you can relearn how to speak with one another and start building trust once again.

Look to NorthStar for Help and Call Today

Our team of addiction treatment experts knows that compassionate, evidence-based care can break the addiction cycle and guide you or a loved one to recovery. Call NorthStar at 888.373.8052 or contact us online now.