Is there an illicit drug that isn’t dangerous? Of course not. However, heroin is particularly dangerous to use and is especially difficult for abusers to kick the habit. There are several reasons why heroin is so dangerous, and so addictive. But first, where does it come from?
Heroin, morphine, codeine, Vicodin, and Oxycontin are opiate drugs derived from the poppy flower. They are highly addictive because they mimic endorphin release in the body that block pain and induce pleasurable feelings. It was first made into the medicinal drug morphine in the early 1800s and used on the Civil War battlefields to kill pain. Addictions formed quickly thereafter and was dubbed the “soldier’s disease.”
It’s no wonder that opiates are so addictive. Chronic pain can greatly diminish quality of life for many, and if a form of an opiate can bring some relief, no doubt those affected will be at risk for abuse, particularly for those who have a tendency towards addictive behaviors.
Rarely does anyone seek out to become addicted to opiate drugs. Often it happens in small incremental steps until the addiction is so strong the user has a hard time finding a way to stop without extreme discomfort and withdrawal symptoms.
Imagine this scenario: You are a non-drug using person driving to work. Suddenly, someone runs a stop sign smashing into the driver’s side of your car and flees the scene, never to be caught. Hopefully you have uninsured motorists coverage on your auto insurance; but even then it may only cover a portion of your medical and rehab costs.
You now have chronic pain that is only relieved through strong painkillers. The post-traumatic emotional stress in addition to the chronic pain you deal with every second of the day causes your work performance to slip to unacceptable standards, so you lose your job. You no longer have health care coverage; you eventually run out of unemployment benefits and your pain is unbearable without your prescriptions.
Can you see how easy it might be to start seeking out ways to numb the emotional and physical pain that is now compounded by poor finances and plummeting self-esteem? Should this happen to someone who also has a predisposition to addictions, it could only be a matter of time before they find their way to a heroin user or dealer.
Heroin is sold on the street as a white or brown powder and also as a tar-like substance. For the dealer to make even more money on the street, it is very rare that a user will buy a pure form of heroin. It is often diluted, or “cut,” with other poisonous substances like strychnine or sometimes other ingredients like starch, sugar, or powdered milk.
Because there is no way to know the purity of the heroin, users are very susceptible to overdose and/or death. It matters little, however, to those users who deal with chronic, debilitating pain on a daily basis. They may continue their behavior even knowing the risks because death would be welcome over the pain they would endure without the drug. Because of this, treatment centers must have a well-planned approach to deal with opiate drug abusers for success, including intensive pain management techniques.
