Heroin Addiction

Heroin Addiction

When you confront a person about their heroin addiction, you will probably be given a big long speech about how the addict is not actually addicted, how he can quit using his drug of choice whenever he wants, how his heroin addiction is no big deal and, eventually, the speech will end up by saying “it’s not like I’m a heroin addict”.

Why Heroin Addiction vs other drugs?

Addicts use heroin because, as it takes effect, it causes the addict to feel a sense of intense euphoria. As the heroin takes hold, this euphoria scales down until the user feels deeply relaxed. After a while, the heroin user loses his ability to function mentally because the drug depresses his central nervous system. The effects of heroin include slower movements, impaired vision, slurred speech, small pupils, vomiting and even constipation. The “coming down” is the reason that people get so easily addicted to the drug. They will take a second dose of heroin to stop the “coming down effects” and the longer a person does this, the worse the effects of coming down become.

Heroin addiction- What does it look like?
A person who has a heroin addiction will have collapsed veins (due to the regular injections of the drug), heart and valve infections, liver disease, problems breathing, and can easily develop pneumonia and organ disease. When an addict tries to stop using heroin, he will experience bone pain, vomiting, constipation or diarrhea, insomnia, intense cravings for the drug and intense restlessness. Most withdrawal symptoms can start to take hold in as little as two days after the person finishes coming down from his last heroin injection and can last as long as a week.

Heroin addiction- Why is it so dangerous?

It is important to note that any type of drug addiction is dangerous and heroin addiction can be more harrowing than other types of addictions drug users develop. Because the drug affects a heroin addict’s ability to breathe and fight infection, the heroin addict has a harder time fighting off illnesses that would normally not be a big deal; the common cold can spell disaster for a heroin addict. If you are afraid that someone you know has a heroin addiction it is important to find a way to get the person to enter a drug treatment program.