Heroin Addiction: What it is Really Like

Heroin is one of the most destructive and addictive illicit drugs in the world today. The drug is produced from the poppy and made into synthetic forms of painkillers and morphine, which is used in managing forms of chronic pain. When someone uses heroin the drug causes feelings of intense euphoria and the effects will vary depending upon the area of the body injected. When injected, heroin effects are experienced within 5-7 seconds and the full effects appear after 5-8 minutes.

Heroin addiction is something that is on the rise in North America, each day a countless number of people use the drug and become instantly hooked. The world’s largest heroin producers are Pakistan, Columbia, Mexico, Laos, Vietnam, Myanmar, Thailand and Afghanistan. The drug is transported to locations all over the world and finds its way into the hands of millions of people, making the problem an epidemic.

The feeling a person experiences while under the influence of heroin is what makes the drug so enticing. However, the bliss is temporary and when withdrawal symptoms set in a person is driven to use heroin again to avoid the pain and discomfort. Heroin addiction is a serious problem and without treatment can lead to many complicated health issues and cause death in a person.

Despite the fact that heroin has been around for decades, today it is more potent, pure and easier to obtain. However, the drug still exacts a high price on addicts and those who love them. The risk of accidental overdose is extremely high because heroin is commonly used in combination with cocaine in the form of a “speed ball.” The duo is particularly dangerous because of the chances for cardiac arrest, respiratory depression and coma which can lead to death.

The world of heroin addiction causes many dangerous health complications such as hepatitis B, AIDS, secondary infections, collapsed veins, abscesses, arthritis and heart and mitral valve problems. Addiction to heroin also causes pain and undue hardship on those who love them. Drug addiction is devastating and the stakes are high.

In spite of the fact that an addiction to heroin causes so many health and family problems, the cravings and allure are too much and a person is unable to resist. Drug addicts must continue to use higher and higher doses of heroin to experience the same feelings and eventually using the drug turn into a genuine problem which takes over every area of life.

Treatment for heroin addiction can be facilitated in many forms, however to achieve the ultimate goal a person must stop using the drug completely. Quitting heroin is never an easy endeavor and experts agree it is one of the hardest forms of addiction to break. Most drug rehabilitation facilities treat the addiction and not the person, which is not effective for breaking the cycle. Anyone who has ever been addicted will agree, heroin is not a drug to play around with and requires professional intervention to be completely cured.