According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), “In 2011, 4.2 million Americans aged 12 or older (or 1.6 percent) had used heroin at least once in their lives. It is estimated that about 23 percent of individuals who use heroin become dependent on it.” (NIDA: DrugFacts-Heroin) To help readers know the signs of heroin addiction, Bryan Sacks shares the following post. Bryan is in recovery from his own addiction and is the owner of the website YourFirstStep.org, which is a site that helps people directly or indirectly affected with addiction find help. He specializes in internet marketing in South Florida and Social Media marketing and writes content that helps people looking for resources for addiction help. Bryan can be reached at sacksbry@gmail.com.

Signs of Heroin Addiction by Bryan Sacks

If you notice that a family member or friend of yours is behaving strangely or experiencing some of the health problems I describe below, as a former heroin addict, myself, I want to share my own experiences in the event you see a fit with the behaviors your family member or friend is exhibiting. It may be they are using or dependent on heroin – either way, they need help.

Heroin is an opiate, which means it creates a feeling of euphoria, which occurs immediately when the drug is injected into the bloodstream. If the drug is taken in pill form, this “high” feeling may not occur as quickly. Dry mouth, flushed skin and dilated pupils are the result of heroin use, and these symptoms are usually noticeable right after the drug has been injected or ingested. I personally have lighter eyes so it was very obvious when I had been using.

An individual who is addicted to heroin will often experience severe mood swings. For instance, I would arrive home after getting high, obviously euphoric since i just got my fix. By the time the drugs wore off an hour or two later, I would be irritated, irrational, melancholy and unmotivated. People who are usually reserved or easygoing may become hostile and irritated while taking heroin. If you see your friend or loved one walking with a “droop”, as though his/her arms or legs are too heavy to carry, this could be a sign of heroin use as well.

When a person has been using heroin for a long time, there are a number of symptoms that will make it obvious that the individual needs assistance as soon as possible. For example, I would get caught in lies about where I’ve been/ where I’m going. I also never had money even though I was still employed full time. I spent a lot of time sleeping and wanted to mostly be alone. You will notice that they are spending more and more time sleeping, since heroin affects the immune system and expends considerable energy, while making a person feel lethargic and unmotivated.

Due to the heroin addict’s continued fatigue and lack of focus, he/she will stop performing well at school or work. It is not uncommon for a person addicted to heroin to get fired from a job or flunk out of school (I dropped out of college). An individual who was previously well-kept and had great hygiene will care less and less about his/her personal appearance and may go days without bathing or changing clothes.

Perhaps most importantly, heroin addicts will withdraw from friends and family and continually come up with excuses not to attend social gatherings or family outings. Your name it, I missed it: birthday parties, Thanksgiving, funerals, etc. Everyone gets busy from time to time, but when you see that your loved one is constantly backing out of plans the two of you have already made, it’s time to check for some other symptoms to see if you have a heroin addict on your hands.

Once you know that your relative or friend is a heroin addict, there are several ways to help the one you love get the help he/she needs. You can schedule an intervention with a qualified drug counselor and make sure the counselor is present at the intervention. Ask other close friends and family of the addict, including children and parents of the addict, to attend the intervention as well and to prepare a short speech for the addict to explain their concern for the addict’s health, well-being, future and life. You can try to talk to them personally if you feel that would make them less defensive. There are also meetings for loved ones of addicts that can help by hearing stories from people who have dealt with the same issues.

For me, I had hit my bottom on my own and sat down with my family to tell them I was going to treatment. Not every situation is that simple though. If my parents had read the symptoms it would have been obvious. Most addicts confronted will be in denial and jump into defense mode so be sure to have a back up plan, possibly some good solid evidence.

Find a treatment facility and ask about the programs available there. The treatment center will guide your relative through a detoxification program to ensure that all the heroin is out of the addict’s system. This process will include severe withdrawals, and the addict will likely have fits of rage and self-doubt while recovering from heroin addiction. However, with your love and support, along with professional assistance, your loved one can make a full recovery. I am living proof!