This addiction is caused by
Vampire Venom. The primary purpose of the addiction is to ensure that victims of vampire bites come back for more, giving the vampire a steady supply of fresh blood.
A secondary effect is that addicts have an odour which is recognized by vampires. This odour links the addict to a specific vampire as each vampires venom is unique.
Before the fall, addicts were generally left alone by the
Hunter's Guild, when on the hunt for vampires. However, some addicts would actively try to protect the source of their drugs and end up dead as collateral damage.
Since the fall, human governments have become active to fight this addiction, by sending addicts to rehab centres or prison. But differences between countries are vast as in some
Vampirism itself is persecuted, while in others only the feeding directly from humans is illegal.
Addicts usually have a single source for their fix and always return to that one vampire.
Symptoms
Vampire venom is injected when a vampire bites their victim to drink their blood. The venom assists the vampire by causing the victim to get a feeling of euphoria, suppressing pain and keeping them calm. Furthermore vampire venom accelerates the victims natural regeneration from wounds and other physical issues. The substance usually creates an immediate and strong chemical dependence within the victims body.
The symptoms of withdrawal are brutal right from the beginning and get worse the longer a victim was using vampire venom. The victims may experience shaking, cravings, nausea, headaches, migraines, vomiting, diarrhoea, heart pains, sweating, aching joints and much more. Addicts who used the substance for more than a few months are likely to die before from the symptoms before they start to recover without medical or supernatural assistance.
Treatment
A treatment for vampire addiction is not known. The best an addict can hope for is to survive the withdrawal process and then manage their cravings for the rest of their life. There are various programs and institutions that can help with both. Only a small number of people actually manage to stay clean as it is a very powerful addiction.
Cultural Reception
In New York City vampire venom addicts are not viewed favourably.
Before the fall of
the Veil this addiction would present itself similarly to a heroin addiction. As a result, these addicts would be treated similarly.
Since the fall, the perception has not changed much. Even though now more people know that the original cause of the addiction is not the fault of the victims at all since only a few of the victims consented to be bitten the first time.
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