Heroin addiction is an ongoing, relapsing disease. It is typified by compulsive drug seeking and abuse, and by neurochemical and molecular distortions which take place in the brain. Heroin also produces great amounts of tolerance and physical dependence, which in turn strongly motivate compulsive heroin use and abuse. Heroin addicts gradually invest more and more time and effort obtaining and using the drug. Once addicted, the heroin addicts main goal in life becomes seeking and using drugs. The drugs literally change the mechanical, chemical functioning of their brains and also their behavior.
Heroin addiction includes physical dependence which develops as addicts increase the amounts of heroin used. Physical dependence means that the body adapts to the presence of the drug and if heroin is reduced suddenly withdrawal symptoms will appear. Symptoms of withdrawal include restlessness, muscle and bone pain, insomnia, diarrhea, vomiting, cold flashes with goose bumps ("cold turkey"), and leg movements.
Although withdrawal symptoms usually disappear after a week, some people have shown persistent withdrawal signs for many months.
Heroin addiction results from continuous heroin use. Some addicted individuals will be ready to suffer the withdrawal symptoms in order to reduce their tolerance for heroin so that they can re-experience the rush. Physical dependence and withdrawal symptoms were once considered to be the key features of heroin addiction.
Heroin addiction involves a larger picture than just physical dependence and withdrawal sysmptoms. this larger picture is based on the fact that craving and relapse happen weeks and months after withdrawal symptoms have finished. We also know that patients with ongoing pain who need opiates to function (sometimes for long time-spans) have few if any problems leaving opiates after their pain is gone. This may be because the patient in pain is just seeking pain relief and not seeking the rush which the addict wants.
