Common Signs Of Opiate Addiction
There are many potential warning signs of opiate addiction that friends and family members of an addict mistakenly overlook or fail to recognize. In some cases, recognizing the early warning signs of an addiction to opiates can help you find proper treatment early on and prevent the need for lifelong medications or extreme intervention methods in order to stop the dangerous addiction in its tracks. These are some of the most common, and often overlooked signs of opiate addiction that anyone who is taking opiates or who knows someone who is taking opiates should be on the lookout for.
Signs Someone Is High On Opioids
There are some marked clues of opioid use, Andrew Tatarsky, PhD, psychotherapist and founder of the Center for Optimal Living in New York City, tells WebMD Connect to Care.
âOne of the hallmark characteristics is pinned pupils. Thatâs one of the very specific effects heroin has,â Tatarsky says. âYou might find somebody being oddly activated in some way, or in higher doses, certainly having trouble staying straight or nodding, which is sort of the traditional way to talk about it.â
In other words, if someone is high on opioids, you may notice symptoms like:
- Pinpointed pupils
The person whoâs high might have physical symptoms including:
- Low blood pressure
Physical Signs Of Heroin Abuse
Once youre able to see the physical signs of heroin abuse, the person has become well addicted. The skin has lost its luster due to lack of oxygen. Heroin addicts will often go through long periods of time not eating. They dont eat nutrient rich foods when they do eat and that causes changes in the addicts appearance. Heroin recovery will require treatment at this point because the dependency is too high to try to manage it alone. Here are some of the physical signs that are connected to heroin abuse and addiction:
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What Does Opioid Addiction Look Like
Opioid addiction can affect anyone. In fact, in 2017, more than 70,200 Americans died from drug overdoses, and the numbers continue to grow with the opioid crisis. The misuse of opioids may simply begin with the prescription of opioid pain relievers for a medical condition, with almost a third of patients who are prescribed opioids for pain misusing them.
Although opioid addiction can affect anyone, at any point of their life, people with a family history, depression, anxiety, or history of drug use are more at risk. If you are worried that a loved one is becoming addicted to opioids, it can be hard to be sure. However, there are signs that you can be aware of and look out for.
What is Opioid Addiction?
Opioids addiction can be in the form of misuse of illegal opioids such as heroin or illegally made/distributed fentanyl, or prescription opioids such as:
- hydrocodone
- codeine
- fentanyl
Physicians usually prescribe opioid medication to relieve pain, but they can be highly addictive. When a person allows the use of opioids to interfere with their daily life and cannot stop taking them, it is known as opioid addiction or opioid use disorder. Dependence can interfere with all aspects of life, including work, daily routines, relationships, finances, and health.
What are the signs of Opioid Addiction?
How can you find Opioid Addiction Support?
Achieve Whole Recovery in Colorado Springs
Common Questions About Pill Addiction Answered
Prescription drug addiction is a complex topic, and there are a lot of questions about many aspects of the issue. Here are some of the most frequently asked questions about prescription pill addiction.
Q: Where do people get the prescription pills they abuse?A: The majority of people who abuse pills start with a legitimate prescription from their doctor. Once their tolerance grows and addiction sets in, they may buy more pills off the street or attempt to shop around for new doctors who will write them more prescriptions.
Q: Is mixing prescription pills dangerous?A: Yes. The majority of fatal overdoses result from the use of multiple drugs, such as mixing benzodiazepines with opioids.
Q: Can I avoid the side effects and risks of opioid use?A: No. Even legitimate prescription opioid use is a risk to any patient. Anyone can experience side effects, and anyone can get addicted.
Q: Are some prescription pills safer than others?A: While opioid painkillers cause the most deaths, all three of the drug classes mentioned here have certain aspects that make them uniquely dangerous in terms of the potential for overdose or addiction. There are no better or worse options when it comes to drug abuse.
Q: What increases the risk of prescription pill addiction?A: Generally speaking, your risk of addiction increases the longer you take a medication. Underlying factors such as depression or mental illness and genetic predispositions may also increase your propensity toward addiction.
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Common Prescription Depressant Pills
Central nervous system depressants are a group of medications that slow down the brains activity. Health care professionals prescribe them to treat panic, anxiety, sleep disorders and help people deal with acute stress reactions. CNS depressants include drugs that fall into the tranquilizer, sedative and hypnotic categories. Benzodiazepines are some of the most common CNS depressants, including:
- Alprazolam
- Estazolam
- Triazolam
Primary care physicians are increasingly prescribing benzodiazepines, also known as benzos. The percentage of outpatient medical appointments in which a provider wrote a benzodiazepine prescription doubled between 2003 and 2015, and about half of the prescriptions came from primary care physicians.
Other CNS depressants include the sedative hypnotics zolpidem , eszopiclone and zaleplon , which are sleep aids. Barbiturates, which doctors prescribed extensively during the 1960s and 70s, are also under the depressant umbrella. These drugs have names ending in -ital, like phenobarbital, which controls seizures and relieves anxiety.
Take Care Of Yourself
Supporting someone through recovery from prescription pill addiction can be emotionally draining. If youre not careful, you may end up giving too much of yourself and neglecting your needs. One essential action is to set clear boundaries. Ask yourself: How much communication am I willing to do? When do I need to be unavailable? How do I know when the emotional toll is becoming too much?
Enlisting professional help from a counselor or therapist is a good idea for people who are trying to help a loved one achieve or keep sobriety. They can provide you with strategies and scripts to use to make sure your boundaries are appropriate for maintaining your mental health through the process of helping with a pain pill addiction.
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How Can Catalyst Help
As we mentioned above, one of the best ways to help an addict is by building a support network around the individual struggling with alcohol or substance use. While family members and close friends are a great place to start, you also need a team of professionals with the experience and skills to help individuals achieve long-term sobrietyyou need people who have been there before and are committed to helping as many people as possible.
At Catalyst Recovery, we take a unique approach to treating addiction. We move the point of care to the place where people feel comfortable and safe: their own home. Our approach not only gives participants unparalleled personalization and privacyit also enables them to learn the skills and tools they need to achieve sobriety even after they complete treatment. And our support team remains on the sidelines for as long as were needed, even after formal treatment is complete.
The Addict May Lie Because They Want The Lie To Be The Truth
The addict may lie because they believe they are telling the truth or desperately want the lie to be the truth. They may tell you they are doing OK, but they have not progressed in recovery enough for them to be able to recognize the tell-tell signs of a pending relapse. The addict may completely believe it is entirely truthful when they tell you, âI will NEVER use again.â They may genuinely think they are doing OK because they have not developed an internal self-awareness to see the relapse warning signs. They may tell you, âI promise, it will be different this time,â and they genuinely want that to be the truth for them and you.
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Its 201: This Is What Opiate Addiction Looks Like
Home // Its 2018: This Is What Opiate Addiction Looks Like
Everyone knows the stereotype of a heroin addict. A slumped over white guy, with little aspiration or hope. But as the opioid epidemic continues to grow, a lot of us are reckoning with an increasingly undeniable truth- that is not actually what opiate addicts look like. Or not most of them, anyways.
When my addiction was the worst, I was doing the best in my career I had ever done. I was only 22 years old, making 70,000 dollars a year. To a lot of people, I looked totally fine, says ex heroin addict Mitch.
But I wasnt. I never had less than two bundles on me at all times. Id spend all night blowing up my dealers phone and then spend hours driving to buy a brick , which would only last me two days max. I was so physically addicted. I did whatever I could to ward off withdrawal, but it happened so often. I would get so sick and need so much suboxone and xanax and weed to even begin to feel okay.
All this was happening while Mitch was an account manager at a major software sales company.
I went to work everyday, unless I was withdrawing too bad. I paid my rent for my beautiful apartment. I socialized. I dated and had sex. I talked with my family. Just during all of it I had a terrible fucking secret- I was injecting heroin into my arm every day, all the time.
Mitch had a good upbringing- loving parents, private schools, college, opportunity- but he said something was always missing.
Effects Of Opiate Addiction On The Family
Opiate addiction impacts more than just the user family members and close friends can be deeply impacted by the addiction that their loved one is suffering from. Studies show that the impact of opiate addiction the family may include an array of side effects and consequences including:
- Added stress
- Co-dependency
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What Drugs Cause Sores On The Face And Body
Home / Articles / What Drugs Cause Sores on the Face and Body?
Drug abuse can harm users in many ways. We often think about the long-term psychological damage that addiction can cause, but rarely do we consider the effects that drugs can have on our bodies and appearance.
One particularly nasty consequence that drug users may have to deal with is sores on the face, arms, legs, and other areas of the body. Certain drugs are more likely to cause these sores, and they can happen in a number of ways.
You might know someone who has peculiar sores on their face or body. If this is the case, you should know what drugs can cause these sores, and why they appear. In this article, we will cover everything you need to know about skin issues and drug addicts. Keep reading to find out more.
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Withdrawing From Loved Ones
A heroin addict is a shell of the person they once were. This is what the drug does to people. If you notice that a family member has completely withdrawn from you, its possible they are using heroin. Heroin is the only thing that an addict thinks or cares about. The person in your life that is a heroin addict wont want to be near you and will avoid making eye contact. It will be hard to get through to them if you want to help them get addiction treatment.
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How To Tell If Someone Has An Opioid Use Disorder
Addiction doesnt discriminate. Those suffering from opioid use disorder may still hold full-time jobs and fulfill family and social responsibilities. However, over time, chronic use can lead to serious problems and pose dangerous health risks. If you believe that your loved one is suffering with an opioid use disorder, there are signs to look for. These can include include:
- Lifestyle changes like being secretive, neglecting school, work, or other responsibilities
- Unexplained mood swings
- Cravings
- Increased use or drugs or alcohol
- Using another persons prescription drugs
Reasons That Addicts Lie
It is excruciatingly painful when someone you love and care about lies to you. We may feel an array of emotions, such as hurt, angry, betrayed, insulted, shocked, afraid, or confused. If you love someone who struggles with addiction, you most likely have experienced various emotions due to lies. You may be left wondering why do addicts lie?
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Dangers Of Opioid Addiction
When someones tolerance for an opioid increases, it can lead the person to take larger amounts of the opioid to get the same effect or high. Taking larger doses can be incredibly dangerous and lead to an accidental overdose, which can be fatal. Overdoses suppress respiration which leads to a lack of oxygen in the brain, thus damaging vital organs. If caught in time, overdoses can be quickly and easily reversed with Naloxone or Narcan. Narcan is extremely safe and has no side effects besides reversing an opioid overdose. It can be obtained easily from most pharmacies. Anyone can administer Narcan.
One of the biggest risks for accidental overdose is if the opioids are unknowingly laced with Fentanyl. Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid that is 50-100 times stronger than morphine. In recent years there has been an increase in fake pressed opioid pills that are laced with Fentanyl. Buying opioid painkillers with unknown origins increases risk of getting fake pills that look identical to real pills. If they are laced with Fentanyl, overdose risk is extremely high. Knowing the signs of an overdose can help save a life.
If you or someone you know are currently experiencing signs and symptoms of a drug overdose, call 911 immediately.
Signs Of Opioid Abuse
Taking a substance in larger or longer amounts than intended: Prescription painkillers are meant to be a short-term fix extended use can signal trouble. Typically, people dont need opioids for more than three days, Morrow says. Only in rare cases should use exceed a week, he adds.
Unsuccessful efforts to curb or control substance use: Even if a person wants to quit, this can be harder for some individuals. Thats because genetic, environmental and psychological factors put some opioid users at an elevated risk for addiction.
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How Can You Tell If You Or A Loved One Is Struggling With Opioid Abuse
Opioids are a class of drug that includes both prescription pain medicines and illegal drugs such as heroin. Though opioids can be prescribed by a doctor to treat pain, their misuse may lead to a dependency or addiction . Anyone prescribed an opioid should follow their doctors orders carefully, making sure to only take the medication as prescribed.
Opioid use disorder is a medical condition defined by not being able to abstain from using opioids, and behaviors centered around opioid use that interfere with daily life. Being physically dependent on an opioid can occur when someone has an opioid use disorder, and is characterized by withdrawal symptoms such as cravings and sweating. However, people can misuse opioids and not have physical dependence. When a person has physical dependence, it can be particularly hard to stop taking opioids, and that dependence can interfere with daily routines, including personal relationships or finances.
Opioid use disorder may be diagnosed by a doctor. Someone struggling with opioid use disorder may not display symptoms right away. However, over time, there may be some signs that they need help.
Common Signs Of Opioid Addiction
There are some common physical signs and behaviors that someone addicted to opioids may display. These include:
- Changes in sleep patterns: Sleeping more or less than usual, and/or at odd hours or intervals.
- Extreme mood/energy swings: Being very tired or very energetic.
- Poor decision-making: People with an opioid addiction may get in trouble or disregard responsibilities.
- Eating more or less than usual: Leading to noticeable weight gain or loss.
- Loss of interest in activities: A person may show little or no interest in activities they liked to do in the past.
- Easily agitated: The person has a short temper, and they seem to get bothered by smaller things than they used to.
- Lack of hygiene: Regular personal hygiene, such as brushing teeth and washing your face, may no longer be a priority.
These changes may look subtle at first, but over time they will become more obvious. The person may also start to withdraw from friends and family and resort to extreme measures to get the opioids.
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Have You Been Chopping Capsicum Wrong
The day that my then 15-year-old daughter, Natalie, got caught with heroin at school was the day that my simple, comfortable world changed and came crashing down around me.
I was overwhelmed with confusion. I had found myself in a place that I never dreamed I would be not even in my worst nightmares.
Where was I in all of this? Where was I when all of this was happening? What kind of mother doesnt notice that her child is using drugs? What kind of family do drug addicts come from?
The answers to these questions were right there. I was right there. Later I would learn that plenty of mothers dont notice, and that people with addiction can come from normal families just like mine.
Every year we dutifully went to the pumpkin farm, sat on Santas lap. My daughter took dance lessons, played soccer and went to church. I thought I had checked all of the boxes.
The shame and the guilt that I felt after I realized that my daughter was addicted to heroin were overwhelming. I was drowning in a sea of stigma. I knew how people talked about kids who used drugs, how they judged their families.
Overnight we went from being a normal family to being that family. Natalie was now that girl. And I was that mother.
I had heard someone once say, Most drug addicts are desperate, selfish, dishonest people.
