The Most Addictive Drugs
It’s estimated that more than 21 million Americans are currently in the process of fighting a substance use disorder of some sort. Not only that, but with new drugs hitting the market every year, and experimentation with different combinations of substances, a clear recovery method isn’t always clear. After all, drugs are often made imprecisely to begin with. Then you’re admitted to recovery, addicted to a very specific combination of cocaine, heroine, fentanyl or something else, and there are dozens of different factors at play.
But let’s keep it simple. What are the most addictive drugs out there? Join us, today, as we take a closer look.
Heroin
With a dependence rating or 2.89, Heroin is widely known as one of the most addictive drugs in the world. It has the ability to quickly reach the brain, producing surges euphoria in a flash. It’s because of this reason that it’s still as widely used as it is, despite its publicized health risks.
Heroin prompts the brain to halt production of reward feelings, instead rewarding the user itself with an intense dopamine rush. After a time, however, the user will feel like they can’t experience good feelings without the drug. This is where the addiction factor comes in. Throw in some pretty severe physical withdrawal symptoms, and there’s a reason for Heroin’s bad reputation.
Crack Cocaine
Following closely behind heroin, crack cocaine has a dependence rating of around 2.8. This is largely due to it being the purest and most potent form of cocaine available. It functions in a similar way to heroin, activating your reward systems, and flooding the body with dopamine. Crack is usually smoked, allowing it to reach the brain faster than being snorted like cocaine.
It also only lasts for about 15 minutes, leading many people to chase one hit with several more, in order to sustain their high. This leads to a rapid onset of addiction, often immediately following first-time use.
Nicotine
Any time anybody’s ever told you cigarettes are more addictive than hard drugs, this is the number they were talking about. With a dependence rating of 2.82, tobacco is extremely addictive. It actually tops out many other hard drugs in creating a dependency among those who use it. With over 30 million smokers trying to quit, every year, a staggering 85% of them will relapse.
Of course, nicotine withdrawal isn’t something many people go to rehabilitation for. It’s a habit with multiple far-reaching implications for your health, though. Combined with its extremely addictive design, it’s well worth considering before ever trying, and working hard to quit if you are already addicted.
Methadone
Our last entry into today’s list is methdadone, with its own dependency rate or 2.68. Methadone is interesting, when compared to other drugs, because it actually has a place in the treatment of various other drug addictions. A popular treatment for heroin or morphine addiction, it’s the user’s tolerance to this drug that makes it beneficial. The risk for addiction, here, is much lower, but it must be used as prescribed and under strict medical supervision. Otherwise, it’s fully realistic to assume that anybody using this medication recreationally could become addicted.
As a final note, Methadone withdrawal should be looked at before ever trying to use it recreationally. Painful and difficult, this process may well last for longer than a month at a time, which is extremely difficult for someone trying to clean up.
There Are Rehabilitation Options, Even With Addictive Drugs
Struggling with addiction and ready to make a change? Intensive programs like those on offer from Serenity Springs Recovery Center have a measurable impact on alcohol recovery, and are available to help you. Visit us today to find out more!
