What is A Heroin Addiction?: Heroin is a very powerful and addicting opiate.  It is also extremely dangerous. Not only are individuals at risk of overdosing but there are high rates of infectious disease transmissions when users share needles. Heroin is a depressant and so it slows down the central nervous system. It can be smoked, injected, snorted and inhaled.

Signs of Heroin Addiction: A person addicted to heroin will likely be high a great deal of the time.  They may be caught nodding off.   Tracks may begin on a user's arms if they are shooting up. Users may also disappear for days at a time while binging.
Individuals may also develop infectious diseases such as HIV or hepatitis if they have been sharing needles with other users.

Never having enough money, theft or participating in other illegal activities may occur when a person has developed an addiction heroin.  These activities are often done to support one's habit.  

Causes of Heroin Addiction: Heroin is addicting both physically and psychologically and so there is built in risk that a person assumes when they choose to use it. Some individuals enjoy the way heroin makes them feel and so continue to use it, even after understanding all of the negatives associated with the drug.  Some addicts simply succumb to peer pressure and begin using when people in their social circle start.

Effects of cocaine addiction:  Heroin is very damaging to the body. Individuals who take it chronically may develop heart or heart valve infections.  They may also lose weight, stop caring about their appearance. Overdose and death may occur.  Heroin has one of the highest death rates due to overdose, of all illegal drugs.

The breakup of one's family, strained and destroyed personal relationships are also potential effects of cocaine addiction. Heroin addicts may also often have a difficult time holding down a job.  This makes it impossible for them to care for themselves and those dependent on them.

Complications of heroin addiction: Heart disease, heart infection, liver and kidney damage are all potential complications of heroin addiction, so is overdose. A person may also experience collapsed veins, liver disease, pulmonary complications, pneumonia, respiratory depression and clogged blood vessels.  


Treatment of heroin addiction: it may be necessary for a person with an addiction to heroin drug to enter a detox program before entering rehab. It can be dangerous, even deadly, for persons to simply stop taking heroin.  It is likely that they will be given some type of medication while in detox to either gradually wean them off of the drug or to lessen the severity of their withdrawal symptoms.  After going through a detox program, an inpatient stay in drug rehab will likely be necessary.