Risks of Heroin Addiction

Heroin addiction comes with a lot of risks!

Heroin addiction comes with many risks including damage to the body and associated mental illness as a result of long term addiction to heroin. Heroin is one of the most dangerous and destructive drugs on the street today. Even casually using heroin just one time can result in a heroin addiction that destroys one’s life. The risks of heroin addiction begin with the very first use of the drug, making this one of the most dangerous drugs anyone could ever try.

Physical Risks of Heroin Addiction

Physically, the body begins to become addiction to heroin from the very first hit off the pipe or injection into the body. Instantly, all the body wants is more heroin. Unlike other drugs, the withdrawal symptoms associated with heroin use begin almost instantly and are stronger than with nearly any other street drug there is.

The physical rush associated with heroin use is difficult for even the most strong minded individual to ignore and this makes the likelihood of becoming addicted to heroin after the first use even stronger. Chemical messengers in the brain respond to heroin use by sending messages back and forth between the nerve endings creating feeling of intense euphoria and extreme pleasure…at least at first. Over time, the body’s natural ability to send messages back and forth through neurotransmitters is affected and without more heroin the individual begins to become depressed.

Heroin Addiction Risks | The End of Normal Body Function

People who continue to use heroin are at an increased risk of having their normal body processes shut down. In fact, after just one use of heroin the body wants and craves more in order to feel those euphoric feelings once again. If the person goes to long without using heroin then the body responds by being in pain, uncomfortable and jittery. The only way an addict sees fit to control these feelings and pains is to use more heroin and when they do the body responds by feeling “better” again. Clearly, the neurotransmitters have begun to dysfunction and the body is responding to the heroin addiction in a way that promotes further use of the drug.

Long term use of heroin results in increased risks associated with body function. Over time, the neurotransmitters will not respond appropriately unless they have heroin. The result is an addict that seeks out heroin in order to prevent terrible withdrawal side effects including pain, sickness, vomiting, nausea, trembles, seizure and even death. Long term addiction to heroin causes an individual to have no other way to feel pleasure or motivation than to have heroin so all they do is constantly seek out more heroin.

Overdose Risks of Heroin Addiction

Heroin addiction is very dangerous. Not only are the withdrawal symptoms associated with heroin severe, the risks associated with overdose from heroin are also very high. Too much heroin is deadly and the risk of taking too much is very likely as the drug is not regulated in any way. Heroin overdose will cause the body to shut down, breathing becomes labored and death is very likely. People who use heroin are at increased risk of overdose because they cannot remember when they last used, they forget how much they took and the also don’t have proper perception of what they are doing. Additionally, there’s always a risk of “being served a bad batch” in which the addict could be sold “bad” heroin that causes death almost immediately after taking the drug as a result of other chemicals being mixed in with the drug.

Social Risks of Heroin Addiction

Socially, heroin kills! If an addict holds a job it’s most likely going to suffer as a result of their heroin addiction. People who are addicted to heroin miss work, leave early, show up late and are also likely to have accidents or problems on the job. People who have children and are addicted to heroin are likely to expose the children to their drug use, they may abuse their children physically or mentally as a result of their own addiction to heroin and they may also cause undue physical harm to their own children unknowingly or while they are high on heroin.

Heroin addiction causes the addict to refrain from normal social events. Most people who are addicted to heroin only want to hang around others who are also addicted to heroin. Socially, heroin ruins everything in it’s path…work relationships, family relationships, friendships, etc.

Help for Heroin Addiction

There is home for people who are addicted to heroin. While help may seem impossible on their own, heroin rehab centers can provide a safe environment for detoxification from heroin and a way to recover from the addiction. Without help, heroin addiction is deadly. The life of a heroin addict hangs in the balance unless they seek the treatment that can be provided at heroin rehab centers. If you or someone you know is addicted to heroin you are not alone and do not have to live a life full of regret for your addiction. There is help for heroin addiction at local drug rehab centers.