In June of last year, I lost my brother, Jimmy, to a heroin overdose. He struggled with addiction for eight years before losing his life. Jimmy's senior year of high school marked his introduction to drug use. While trying to perfect the ski trick that had occupied all his time that winter, he overshot his landing and fractured his pelvis and sacrum. To relieve this undeniable pain, his orthopedic surgeon prescribed a high dose of oxytocin. Jimmy was no match for the addictive nature of opiates, and by the time his prescription expired, getting his next dose was all that occupied his time. It didn't take long for my parents to realize his addiction and seek help. Over the next seven years, Jimmy was in and out of treatment centers more times than I care to count, always returning home sober and full of hope for his future. The circumstances leading to his relapses were varied, but could be summed up as simply being in the wrong place, at the wrong time, with access to his crutch. Finding him appropriate help came at a high cost: detox centers, rehabilitation centers, and halfway houses cost the same as most college tuition today. In my parents' minds, there was no alternative. Each choice made the difference between their child's life or death. They sought out the best treatment in the country and were very involved in his recovery process. I attended several family weekends at treatment centers where I met their counselors and became familiar with the topic of addiction and this brutal illness. He tried every drug treatment, only to eventually withdraw because “he didn’t feel like himself.” I wish I could slap him right now for giving up so easily. All I'm left with are questions of "What if?" »...... middle of paper ......withdrawal syndrome which indicates the state of dependence of the subject). (Maremmani, p. 6) The effect of addictions on the body is quickly established. As it adapts to the presence of the drug, the body will begin to exhibit withdrawal symptoms once the effects of the opiates subside. Withdrawal symptoms include restlessness, muscle and bone pain, insomnia, diarrhea, vomiting, cold flashes with goosebumps, and leg twitching (Volkow, p. 2). Although the demand for heroin remains significantly lower than that of other drugs such as cocaine, methamphetamine and marijuana, the consequences of heroin abuse are such that it poses a significant drug threat ( Gruber, p. Although a variety of effective treatments are available for heroin addiction, methadone maintenance (MM) remains the most common and current treatment of choice for opioid addiction in the United States (Gruber ,p.. 157)