Opioid Addiction

Opioid Addiction

How to Help Someone with an Opioid Addiction

It can be hard to spot opioid addiction in your friends and family. While opioid addiction is a hot button issue in the news these days, if you’ve never encountered someone first hand who is struggling with addiction, it’s understandable to not know what to look for or where to begin.

You don’t have to have all the answers. Read on for a few things to keep in mind if you think someone in your life might be struggling.

What is Opioid Addiction?

Opioids are medications often used for pain relief. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, they are chemically similar to endorphins. They are oral pills that are often used after surgeries or other serious injuries to help with pain management. Some common opioids include oxycodone, morphine, codeine, fentanyl, and methadone.

While opioids prescribed by a doctor and administered over a relatively short period of time are generally considered safe, sometimes people who are predisposed to addictive tendencies can become dependent on the medications.

Technically, Opioid Use Disorder includes both addiction to and dependence on opioids, and in both cases involves the inability to stop taking them. Opioid addiction can lead to lasting psychosocial and physical effects that interfere with one’s overall health and ability to maintain important parts of their life.

What are the signs of Opioid Addiction?

The signs of opioid addiction and dependency may be hard to spot in your friends and family in part because it is a behavior that escalates over time and often in private. If you’re concerned about someone in your life, here are a few things to look for:

• The inability to control or regulate opioid use.
• Isolation from friends and family.
• Weight Loss.
• Frequent Flu-like symptoms.
• Sudden financial problems.
• Performance changes at work and/or school.
• Changes in sleep habits and drowsiness.

It is also possible to overdose on opioids. Overdosing on prescription opioids can lead to passing out, vomiting, shaking, and slow breathing. If you think someone has overdosed, it is important to find medical help immediately. Call 911 to get them urgent help if someone demonstrates any symptoms of overdose.

How do I help someone who is addicted to opioids?

If you suspect your friend or family member is struggling, it can be hard to know how to help them find the support they need. After you’ve learned a bit about opioid misuse and addiction, it’s time to have a conversation with them about the support available to help them recover.

Here are a few steps to help you navigate having the conversation about support treatment and recovery:

1. Make a plan for what you’re going to say. In conversations like this it’s important to go in with an outline of the major points you want to make. In the conversation it’s important to lead with an affirmation acknowledging that you care about the person and then follow up with what you’ve noticed in their behavior. For example, “I care about your health and wellbeing and I want to talk to you about some behaviors I’ve noticed recently.”

2. Practice Active Listening. These conversations can bring up a lot of stress and anxiety for everyone involved. In these conversations, it’s just as important to put as much intention into listening as you do into what specifically you want to say. If you can listen to what your loved one is saying and reflect back what you hear, it will go a long way to build trust and will demonstrate that you care.

3. Offer to help them identify a resource. It could be a good idea to go into this conversation with a few ideas about resources you think might be a good fit. If you think a personal health coach could be helpful, consider connecting them to DynamiCare to get the personalized support they need, all on their smartphone.

Finally, remember that the path to recovery isn’t linear and it will take time. The first conversation may not lead to your loved one seeking support/treatment. Though it is easy to feel discouraged when you feel like you’re not seeing immediate progress, know that recovery is possible. You’re not alone.