Can Heroin Cause Memory Loss?

Does Heroin Cause Memory Loss?

Yes, heroin causes memory loss by overstimulating the hippocampus and causing brain cells in this region to die prematurely. As this area of the brain is damaged, users’ memory may start to worsen. While these problems don’t usually occur all at once, memory problems like gaps in memory, blackouts, and issues with short-term memory may gradually worsen over time.

For this reason, it’s easy for heroin users to write off these issues or ignore heroin memory problems until it’s severe enough to interfere with their day-to-day living. This is especially true among high-functioning heroin addicts, as they’re often in denial about the drug’s dangers and believe they can “pull off” their drug use and quit whenever they want without the help of heroin rehab.

Possible effects of heroin on memory include:

• Difficulty making new memories
• Loss of short-term memory competence
• The loss of long-term memories
• Trouble remembering basic facts about oneself (address, phone number, etc.)
• Inability to recognize faces
• Decreased memory scores, based on the results of a Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE)
• Blackouts and memory gaps

Because opioids are difficult drugs to recover from, our Texas recovery center recommends that those with heroin addictions start their treatment with heroin detox. Medical detoxification offers 24-hour care and medicated support to alleviate clients’ withdrawals and drug cravings, making their experience in recovery less intimidating and more effective.

Verbal Memory Problems

Heroin’s effects on memory can also impact users’ verbal memory. Verbal memory refers to the connection your brain has made between sounds and objects. For instance, your brain may have the verbal memory for the word “bell” stored. So, whenever you hear that sound or something that resembles it, you’ll automatically connect the sound to the word.

A recent study found that long-term heroin uses degraded verbal memory and made it more difficult for users to recall sounds and words. Some reached a point where they could no longer translate sounds into proper words or couldn’t say words properly.¹

Inhibited verbal memory then leads to two additional problems: trouble understanding and trouble speaking. People who struggle to understand have lost some ability to connect sounds to words. As a result, they may struggle to recognize what someone else is saying and think they’re speaking gibberish.

People with trouble speaking may understand what you’re saying but struggle to string up a coherent sentence. They may substitute words with others that don’t make sense, such as saying “car” when they mean “apple.” They might also say unusual sentences with conviction, confident that they’re saying something that makes sense.

Mental Health Problems Beyond Memory

Not only can heroin cause memory loss and problems, but it can also affect other portions of your brain, contributing to decreased cognitive and cognitive abilities. These abilities are centered on learning, reasoning, impulsiveness, and personal ambition.

The deterioration of one’s cognitive ability can be devastating. After a while, heroin users often find it difficult to perform even the simplest of tasks or prioritize important things like their loved ones or jobs. Reasoning and logic may also be impacted, making it more likely that the user will make poor decisions.

What’s more, when one’s cognitive areas are debilitated, you’ll begin to become more impulsive and lack personal ambition. At this point, your life may revolve around heroin abuse. It can also contribute to physical changes like impotence, both in men and women. These side effects may not be reversible if heroin abuse is sustained for years.