Heroin Addiction

Heroin Addiction

How to Help Someone with a Heroin Addiction

Heroin addiction is a serious health concern that can cause devastating effects not only for the person who uses heroin, but also for their friends and loved ones. It can be overwhelming to figure out how to support someone in your life who is using heroin. You’re not alone. We’re here to help.

What is Heroin Addiction?

Heroin is a drug made from morphine, a prescription opioid. People who use heroin often inject, sniff, snort, or smoke heroin. It is usually a white or brown powder and can also be a black sticky substance—commonly known as black tar heroin.

Heroin gives people a euphoric dopamine rush that, when people come down from the high, leaves them wanting more. If someone uses heroin repeatedly, they will not produce dopamine as quickly, leading to heavier and more frequent usage in order to achieve the same high. This cycle is what leads to addiction.

Short term, people who use heroin may experience nausea and vomiting, dry mouth, flushed skin, severe itching, and a clouded mental state. Long term, heroin use can cause lasting physical and mental effects including damaged veins, abscesses, liver and kidney disease, and lung complications like pneumonia.

Though not always, oftentimes heroin use is preceded by opioid use. According to the National Institute of Drug Abuse, there is strong research to indicate that opioid use may be a gateway to heroin use; about 80 percent of people who use heroin misused prescription opioids first.

What are the Signs of Heroin Addiction?

It may be hard to nail down exactly what is going on with your loved one if they are using substances. If you think someone in your life may be struggling with heroin addiction, here are a few key signs to keep top of mind.

Signs of heroin use include:

• Needle marks on their skin from injecting the drug
• Slurred speech
• Memory problems
• Agitation and drowsiness
• Social challenges like changes in appearance, poor hygiene, financial problems, and difficulty at work and/or school

How Can I Help Someone who is Addicted to Heroin?

If someone in your life is using heroin, it’s critical for them to connect with recovery resources as soon as possible considering the long-term impacts of heroin use can be life threatening. But, you don’t have to have all the answers for how to handle the situation alone. If you’re ready to talk to your loved one about finding support and recovery, here are a few tips to help you through the conversation.

1. Make a plan for what you’re going to say. Conversations like these may be understandably nerve wracking. It will be helpful to go in as prepared as possible. Before you plan to have the conversation, spend some time preparing what exactly you want to say and how you want to say it. In these conversations, it’s important to reiterate that you’re talking about their drug use because you care about them and are here to support them.

2. Practice active listening. If someone is using heroin, they likely are not thinking or acting rationally. Still, it’s important to demonstrate that you are there to support them by actively listening to their perspective. Make sure you listen to what they say and reflect back what you hear. This will demonstrate that you are invested in collaborating with them to help them get healthy.

3. Offer to help them identify a resource. It may take a few (or many) conversations until they are ready to seek help. Still, it’s important to elevate that there are resources available to help recover. If you think they would benefit from a personalized coach, DynamiCare could be a good place to start.

Ultimately, remember that it is not your sole responsibility to help the person who is using heroin. They need to be in a place where they are ready to seek help too. The path will not be linear, but know that there is hope for recovery. You’re making a difference just by being there for someone. You are not alone.