Gaining The Courage To Quit Heroin

Using heroin by injection or snorting can lead to serious health problems in many different areas of the body, including the heart and lungs. Prolonged use of heroin has been linked to heart failure and breathing problems because of the lungs' involvement. It can also affect the body's immune system, making it more vulnerable to illnesses which can result in anything from minor sickness to death. As a person uses heroin more often, they develop a tolerance for it. This usually means that they have to use even more to experience the high or feeling of euphoria that they are looking for.

The increasingly high doses that a person injects themselves with to experience this rush can result in overdosing. Even those who are recreational non-hardcore users can overdose if they inject too much in a short period of time. Those who use heroin on a regular basis also run the risk of problems with pneumonia as well as liver disease, two very serious illnesses which can be fatal under certain circumstances. The problem with this is that the immune system in the person's body is so weak it has trouble fighting them off, which is why millions of people have died this way in the past.

Those who inject heroin using needles that are shared with other people who do the same thing can mean contracting hepatitis and even HIV. These are both infections which are spread through blood-to-blood contact as well as other bodily fluids. Using heroin for a long period of time can also result in collapsed veins, another common side-effect of this drug. Many people who use heroin inject themselves in the same spot over and over, leading to a collapse of the veins in this area.

When this happens addicts tend to move on to other areas of the body such as the feet for injection sites. Heroin is an extremely addictive drug and can easily control a person's life. While some people are more susceptible to addiction than others, its chemical properties are very addictive. It is considered to be one of the more dangerous elicit drugs because of the potential for damage to the heart, kidneys, and lungs. Much of this damage is irreversible if the person has been using for long enough and can eventually lead to death in those who have diminished immune systems. Each year thousands of people are rushed into emergency rooms because of problems relating to heroin abuse and overdose. The fact that it is so addictive creates a vicious cycle of self-destructive behavior that is difficult for many to break.