Are there any signs when some one uses heroin?
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I am a recovering heroin addict. I have 15 years clean and sober. The most obvious sign is nodding off. Other signs are:
* Pin-point pupils
* Scratching
* Slurring words or not making too much sense.
But, being a recovering addict and having a drug and alcohol counselor for a husband (who is also recovering), I can more often than not tell when a person has used any drug and pretty much which drug they used.
The thing is, if a person is addicted, the first thing that they will do is "get well". After that, then they try to get loaded and that is when the signs will appear. If they have good dope, they will get well and loaded at the same time. I usually wasn't that fortunate.
If you suspect that somebody is using, maybe you could try to talk to them about it. There is help out there for people who want it.
fatuige
Yes, Black lines under eyes and track marks.
Dry mouth
Droopy appearance, as if extremities are "heavy"
Alternately wakeful and drowsy
Disorientation, poor mental functioning
Signs of injection; infections
Shallow breathing
Euphoria
Drowsiness
Constricted pupils
Nausea
Unkempt appearance/hygiene issues
Missing cash/valuables, stealing/borrowing money
Change in performance, academic or otherwise
Drug paraphernalia
Apathy and/or lethargy
Possession of unexplained valuables
Runny nose
Lying/deception
Change in friends
Little or no motivation
Ignores consequences of chosen behaviors
Withdrawal from usual friends, activities, or interests
Eyes appear "lost" or have faraway look
Slurred speech
Loss of interest in usual, healthy activities
No interest in future plans
Broken commitments
Hostility towards others
Unexplained absences at work, school or family events
Poor self-image
Running away
Difficulty in maintaining employment
red lines in their eyes, depression,there nose keeps on flairing, and especially where they cant keep still for a minute
If they smoke it - seems to be much more common to smoke than inject in the UK, perhaps different in the US ?
Foil in the kitchen goes missing / has ripped ends - too hurried to take it off cleanly.
Bathroom / bedroom has a strange "slightly sweet" cloying type of smell - residual smoke.
Lies become more clumsy and more easily "found out"
Will ask to borrow money - and have an excuse when it is time to pay back - as to why they cannot - but could you lend them another £10 "just until tomorrow - Promise!"
Avoiding family / close friends more as time goes by -especially if the habit is growing - and most heroin habits do exactly that.
Unreliable
Untidy
Unwashed
There are some BIG generalisations here - and not all of these apply to everyone who uses heroin. Some folks DO manage to hid it very well - and if they have good incomes, may even be able to hide pretty much every symptom.
It is MUCH harder for a low-income person to hide their addiction however.
If someone is serious about coming off heroin, there are treatment options open to them, some of which can be assisted to some degree by things like valium to help with the first few days of reduced dosage / abstinence, then when all the heroin is out of the system, products like subutex can be used - which not only give the user a mild buzz but also BLOCKS the users ability to get a "hit" from heroin. It simply does nothing for them.
An implant (naltrexone) can almost guarantee that an ex-user will remain clean (at least with heroin) for months at a time - after which they either need to have a new implant - or need to have chosen to lead a different lifestlye.
One of the hardest things seems to be people needing to "move on" from old friends and contracts.
Mark
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