Regardless of whether heroin is smoked, snorted, or injected, it is an incredibly addictive drug that destroys more lives than any other illicit substance. Heroin use has been steadily increasing over the last 20 years, and has shot up significantly over the last decade. If you have a friend or loved one that you think is currently addicted to heroin, than having them get help from a professional heroin addiction treatment agency is essential to prevent them from losing their life to the drug. If you’re questioning whether your loved one is addicted to heroin, then read the following sections to discover the truth:
Craving Heroin. If you find yourself thinking about heroin frequently, or feeling an intense pull or tug to use that continues throughout the day, then you’re probably addicted to heroin. If an addict does not get clean in a heroin addiction treatment program then they will find themselves losing interest in hobbies or activities that they used to appreciate, and replace them with other activities that allow them to use freely. As their addiction increases, finding and using heroin becomes more important than family and their career, and they often find themselves performing poorly at work and distancing themselves from their friends and faimly.
Developing a Tolerance. Using any substance over a period of time will cause someone to develop a tolerance. This is equally true with legal substances like caffeine or alcohol as it is with illicit substances like heroin. Continuing to use heroin with cause the individual to need larger amounts of the drug in order to achieve the same effects. This tolerance pushes the addict to increase their use, and causes them to use more and dive further into their addiction. If you find yourself doing this than you’re probably addicted, and should look into the various heroin addiction treatment avenues in your area.
Going Through Withdrawal. Withdrawal is the inevitable result of tolerance, and occurs when an individual addicted to heroin stops using the drug abruptly. The symptoms of withdrawal will vary depending on the intensity of the individual’s use, as well as the route of administration, but can be incredibly uncomfortable. Withdrawal can range from mild flu like symptoms, insomnia, and anxiety, to severe leg cramps, vomiting, and the complete inability to function. In order to reduce these symptoms, most heroin addiction treatment facilities have a medical detox, which provides various medications to curb the symptoms of withdrawal.
Overdosing. Having an overdose is a very definite sign of the need for heroin addiction treatment. Research has shown that individuals that experience an overdose are between 6-20 times more likely than the average person. Not all overdoses are fatal, and some addicts believe that by overdosing and surviving they are immune to the potentially fatal consequences of heroin use. This obviously is not true, and puts the addict at an even higher risk of accidental death.
Problems with Work or Finances. It isn’t uncommon to experience career or financial hardship when you are battling a drug addiction. Addictions are expensive, and those using heroin tend to spend an inordinate amount of money on their drugs. They also start putting getting and using heroin above their career performance, and their job suffers as a result. If you find yourself spending large amounts of money on heroin, which leaves unable to struggling to pay other important bills, then there’s a good chance that you are addicted.
Loss of Control. If you find yourself using heroin while with friends, at school, or during work hours, then you probably need to go into a heroin addiction treatment center. Heroin is incredibly addicting, and most people that use heroin will eventually become addicted. This addiction causes them to lose control of their use, and the find themselves using heroin despite anything else that they have going on in their lives. Stopping heroin use at this point is extremely difficult, but can be accomplished with the help of a professional treatment facility.
Catching a Disease. Research has shown that intravenous heroin users have an exponentially higher chance of catching a potentially fatal disease than the rest of the population. The most common disease in intravenous heroin users is Hepatitis C, but is closely followed by HIV and AIDS. If you have already contracted any of these, then we strongly suggest that you seek help from both a medical and addiction professional right away. Continuing to abuse drugs after contracting either of these diseases will only make your condition worse, and could prevent you from seeking help.
Anxiety or Depression. Drug users have a higher tendency to experience mental health problems than the average person, and having both substance abuse issues and mental health issues is known as a dual diagnosis or co-occurring disorder. It is unclear whether drug use brings on the mental health problems or that the individual uses drugs to cope with an already present mental health issue. What is clear is that using drugs to cope with any sort of problem is extremely unhealthy, and can exacerbate both issues.
Problems Coping With Stress. Regular drug use can decrease the amount of white matter in an addict’s brain, which is directly related to their ability to manage stress. If you are using heroin and find yourself having trouble managing stress in your life, than there is a good chance that it is a result of your heroin use. Getting help from a heroin addiction treatment program will not only help you to get clean, but promote overall healthy coping mechanisms and life skills that are useful in all areas of your life. Treatment centers do more than just teach people to stop drinking and using drugs, they show their clients how to be happy and healthy in all areas of their lives.
Not Feeling Normal Unless You’re Using. Once you are addicted to heroin, life without it seems boring and dull. Individuals don’t just use to get high, the use to feel a part of life and connected with everyone around them. Not being high causes them to lose this feeling of wholeness, and feel anxious and uncomfortable unless they are using drugs. If you are using heroin and feel like this when you aren’t high, then we strongly suggest that you get help from a heroin addiction treatment center.
