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Heroin addiction can be one of the most difficult addictions to overcome for most people. All forms of addiction are hard to give up, that is why they are an addiction. With a heroin addiction the drug itself actually perpetuates the cycle of use, and the same is true for opiate prescription drugs that are commonly abused as well. A group of Dutch scientists actually created a scale that ranges from 1-3 for addictiveness for a study and heroin rated as a 2.89, the highest number given in the study. Opiate prescription drugs also received a very high rating. The actual opiate base of heroin and opiate prescription drugs is very highly addiction, and addiction starts within a very short time and can even occur on the first use.

When heroin addiction starts the physical and mental changes are very quick to occur. Heroin causes a physical dependence as well as a mental addiction. When the user starts to come down they feel sick, and this is the term that they use to describe the withdrawal period. Withdrawal symptoms can mimic the symptoms of a severe flu or other illness, but the user knows that heroin can stop these symptoms and often goes back to the drug in order to feel better. Withdrawal for someone who has a heroin addiction can include:

• Sweating
• Muscle and body aches
• Runny nose
• Agitation and anxiety
• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Diarrhea
• Cramping in the abdomen
• Goose bumps or a feverish feeling
• Anxiety
• Insomnia

A heroin addiction can be treated successfully, with the right programs and treatment methods. The withdrawal symptoms for heroin can be managed and eliminated with the right substance abuse treatment, but only if the user is willing to seek help for their heroin addiction.