Heroin Addiction
Heroin is a highly addictive opiate class drug that with sustained use will lead to a Heroin addiction. The addiction to Heroin can begin as early as the first time, as those who use the drug come down from the “high.” Thise abusing heroin will crave the drug both physically and mentally, and the desire to get more and more of the drug will be very strong. Following repeated use of Heroin the person will develop a tolerance to it, which will make them require more and more of the drug in order to achieve the same effect as it used to.
Individuals who are addicted to Heroin will crave the drug and if they do not get more of the drug will experience withdrawal symptoms. Because heroin stimulates different parts of the brain chemically, it triggers the pleasure receptors of the brain. This chemical reaction will change the levels of dopamine, a natural mood altering chemical in the brain, and actually change the way the brain works. Individuals suffering from Heroin addiction usually require psychological therapy, as well as therapuetic rehabilitation therapies for the phycical elements of addiction.
According to recent studies on heroin and opiate addiction, an estimated 3 million Americans have used heroin at some point of their lives, and nearly 300,000 inviduals have reported using heroin within the previous month. These same studies show that heroin use and abuse in on the rise with many of the new users being under the age of 26, who either smoked or snorted the drug.
