Morphine and heroin are both opioids, but the former is a Schedule 2 drug while the latter is a Schedule 1 narcotic. Morphine is used in medical settings but has a potential for physical or psychological dependence. Heroin isn’t acceptable for medical use, has high abuse potential, and possesses severe safety concerns.
If you are using one or both drugs, it’s important for you to recognize their long-term side effects, which include:
- Impaired immune function
- Confusion
- Infection of the heart lining
- Lung, liver and kidney disease
- Collapsed veins from injecting the drug
- Sexual dysfunction
- Severe constipation
The short-term high from both drugs can trap you in an unhealthy dependency, affecting all spheres of your life.
Morphine and Heroin Abuse Statistics
According to a study from Columbia University, the proportion of adults with heroin dependence has tripled over the past decade. Adults under the age of 45 are more likely to develop a heroin use disorder than older adults. The number of casual heroin users has also increased.
Morphine has one of the highest addiction rates among drugs used to treat severe and chronic pain. It’s also the third most common cause of emergency room admissions after alcohol and heroin abuse.
Although you may not grow dependent on either drug after your first experience, it creates the risk of frequent abuse sooner or later. The National Institute on Drug Abuse reports that a quarter of first-time heroin users get addicted to the drug. Often, the mentality becomes that using morphine and heroin occasionally won’t hurt you. However, in reality, it’s the occasional uses that develop into a substance use disorder.
Intense Withdrawal Symptoms
Morphine and heroin withdrawal occurs six to twelve hours after the last dose and peaks within a day or two. You may experience chills, sweating, nausea, muscle aches, headaches, and a runny nose. You will also enter a stressful mental state marked by anxiety, irritability, confusion, and agitation.
Since you can build a tolerance to both drugs pretty quickly, these unpleasant symptoms will set in even if you are not a habitual user. In fact, the intense withdrawal symptoms of morphine and heroin deter some people against continued use.
By detoxing under medical supervision, you can mitigate some of the unpleasantness and overwhelming feeling.
Morphine and Heroin Addiction Treatment
If you have a dependency on morphine or heroin, you need morphine and heroin addiction treatment as soon as possible. Crestview Recovery offers evidence-based treatment to address the root cause of morphine and heroin dependency. The experts at Crestview Recovery promote holistic rehab through a range of therapies and activities including art therapy, mindfulness meditation therapy, white water rafting, life skills rehab, and snowboarding.
You don’t have to live with a dependence on addictive substances. Call 866.262.0531 to end the influence of drugs from your life and achieve the healthy, happy future you deserve.
Since 2016, Dr. Merle Williamson, a graduate of Oregon Health Sciences University, has been the Medical Director at Crestview Recovery, bringing a rich background in addiction medicine from his time at Hazelden Treatment Center. He oversees outpatient drug and alcohol treatments, providing medical care, setting policies, detox protocols, and quality assurance measures. Before specializing in addiction medicine, he spent 25 years in anesthesiology, serving as Chair of Hospital Pharmacy and Therapeutics Committee and Chief of Anesthesia at Kaiser Permanente. This experience gives him a unique perspective on treating prescription drug addiction.
