Unexpected Consequences of Heroin Addiction

According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, heroin is one of the most addictive drugs available on the market today. People who are addicted to this drug suffer from a variety of expected effects such as loss of pleasure, withdrawal, and overdose. What people do not realize is that there are bunches of unexpected consequences to heroin addiction as well.

Secondary Infections

Since heroin is most often injected, secondary infections are a huge issue. When you inject a drug you cause damage to your veins. Sometimes this damage is just a scar on the vein, other times it can lead to pus filled sores that do not go away.

When you use dirty needles, you also open yourself up to infections like HIV and Hepatitis. These infections are very serious and sometimes untreatable. Heroin addiction and needle sharing is one of the few ways to contract these infections.

Legal Complications

Unexpected Consequences

Being caught with heroin can lead to jail time.

Heroin is highly illegal. Many people are caught with it on their person while they are making a buy or transporting it to another location. If you are caught with heroin, you face jail time. Most people who are charged with possession go to jail for a very long time. There really is no way to get out of going to jail when the police find heroin in your possession. Being caught with heroin causes a lot of financial complications. There are heavy fines, you will lose your job, and hiring a lawyer to defend you is extremely expensive.

Loss of Family

When you are addicted to heroin, you stop caring about anything but the drug. Your family stops mattering to you. You stop caring about your parents, your children, your spouse, you only care about the drugs. Most people stop wanting to be around you when you are high on heroin. They might encourage you to seek help but if your drug abuse continues, they eventually leave you.

Loss of Employment

Even if you start out doing heroin on the weekends, you will eventually need more. They build up a tolerance to the drug and find that weekends are not enough for them anymore. After a while they start using whenever they can. Unfortunately, they start to use at work. Many people who use at work either make a mistake or just stop going to work all together. Eventually most heroin addicts lose their jobs because of their addiction.

Forced Prostitution

When the addiction reaches a certain point, the addict will do anything to get the drug. They will even prostitute themselves in order to get high. It is an unfortunate fact of the addiction. Most people who get desperate enough for the high will sleep with their dealer or prostitute themselves in order to get the money for drugs.

How to Find Help for Your Heroin Addiction

If you have experienced any of these consequences of heroin addiction, call 800-994-1867Who Answers? . We can help you find the best treatment solution for you, before you experience any of these consequences of heroin addiction.

Call to Find a Methadone ClinicPhone icon800-780-9619 Info iconWho Answers?

Where do calls go?

Calls to numbers on a specific treatment center listing will be routed to that treatment center. Calls to any general helpline will be answered or returned by one of the treatment providers listed, each of which is a paid advertiser: ARK Behavioral Health, Recovery Helpline, Alli Addiction Services.

By calling the helpline you agree to the terms of use. We do not receive any commission or fee that is dependent upon which treatment provider a caller chooses. There is no obligation to enter treatment.