Opiate addiction is a terrible and rising tragedy. More and more people are choosing to take heroin, morphine, codeine, and other prescription painkillers in an attempt to get a cheap high. There is no way to say why this is happening, but the consequences to both society and the individual are quite clear.

There are a number of different ways that a person can start as an opiate addict. Typically, people suspect, a person who becomes an addict was genetically inclined to do so. They just had to get a little push for the addiction to start. Had they never been introduced to opiates, there likely would have been no problem, but once introduced, there genetically is no way for a person to get out of the trap. For example, this may start due to a simple injury. Perhaps a doctor prescribes some codeine to help a person kill the pain of a broken leg. Whatever it is, once a person takes the first drug, an addict will want more and more, and stuff that is stronger and stronger, until they are actively searching for other drugs, including heroin.

Once a person is an addict, it is not hard to identify them as such. The most common symptom is a constant preoccupation with getting the drug, especially in an illegal fashion. Withdrawal symptoms, for somebody who is already addicted, can include being irritability when not on the drug, lying to get a prescription (for prescription drugs), and a general obsession with the drug. And, therefore, the only way to combat an addiction is to withhold the drugs. This can create horrible withdrawal symptoms, but once a person is over the drug, if they never, ever, touch the drugs again, there may be some potential for long-term recovery.