What Are the Signs of Heroin Use?

If you or someone close to you is struggling with addiction, it’s essential to recognize the signs of heroin use. Signs of a heroin addict in your home can help you know when it’s time to get help.

Centric Behavioral Health is a group of top-rated addiction treatment centers. To learn more about our addiction treatment services in Florida, contact Centric today.

What is Heroin?

Heroin is an illegal drug derived from morphine. Morphine comes from the seed pod of the poppy plant. 

Heroin addiction signs start to manifest early because heroin is one of the most highly addictive opiate narcotics. Heroin can be taken in many methods, such as smoking heroin, snorting heroin, or injecting heroin. Because of the way it crosses the blood-brain barrier, it increases the addictive nature, leads to complex health risks, and increases the potential for overdose. 

What Are the Signs of Heroin Use?

Heroin use signs might look different depending on an individual’s genetics, how long they have abused heroin, whether they use other substances, and how much heroin they use. However, there are some common signs of heroin use.

Behavioral

Someone struggling with addiction will start to show changes to their mood and behavior that don’t have any other explanation. For example, you might notice heroin addiction signs like:

• An individual spending a lot of time alone without any other reason
• Lying about drug use
• A sudden need for money
• Wearing long clothing even in the summer
• No longer performing work, school, or personal responsibilities
• Problems with relationships
• Increased sleeping
• Participation in illegal activities

Physical

Someone showing heroin use symptoms will also show some common physical symptoms, especially when they are using or recovering from heroin:

• Dry mouth
• Track marks
• Constant runny nose
• Slurred speech
• Bruises or abscesses at injection sites
• Decreased breathing or heart rate

Cognitive

Some common signs of heroin use are cognitive, like disorientation, an inability to focus or solve problems, and appears to be in a drowsy state at all times. 

Psychological

Other signs are psychological, like increases in depressive disorders and sudden feelings of euphoria. You might notice a lot of mood swings and a lot of anxiety or paranoia.

The signs of heroin addict might manifest in yourself or a loved one, and when they do, recovery starts with detox. 

What is a Heroin Addiction Program Like?

If you are showing heroin addiction signs, you might wonder what a treatment program is like. The signs of heroin use are not to be taken lightly; successful recovery begins with a legitimate medication-assisted treatment (MAT) program and ongoing residential and outpatient programs. 

MAT

Treatment for signs of heroin use begins with medication-assisted detox. With a medication-assisted treatment plan, the facility you choose will utilize one of several FDA-approved drugs for your treatment. 

Each FDA-approved drug is designed to alleviate cravings and reduce withdrawal symptoms during detox. Medication might be used in the short-term, only applicable to the detox process for the first few days or weeks of treatment. In other cases, medication can be used long-term for several months of ongoing treatment.

Buprenorphine

Buprenorphine helps reduce heroin cravings but doesn’t give you a high. So if you are showing heroin use symptoms, this medication can be used short-term to reduce the severity of Cravings while you undergo drug rehab.

Suboxone

Heroin use signs can also be treated with Suboxone. This is a mixture of naloxone and buprenorphine, and it’s used to reverse opioid overdoses. It’s not as strong as naloxone, methadone, naltrexone, or buprenorphine alone.

Methadone

Methadone diminishes any high you might experience, so your treatment for heroin addiction signs could include methadone as you wean yourself off of heroin.

Naltrexone

Naltrexone interferes with your ability to experience any pleasurable symptoms when you use heroin. Naltrexone is non-addictive, and it can be used long-term to treat signs of heroin use and the risk of relapse because it renders your body unable to feel high when you use again. 

Therapy

After your initial MAT detox, your heroin addiction program will include therapy in your residential or outpatient program. In most cases, it’s recommended that you transition into a residential program with 24-hour supervision after completing your medication-assisted detox. Once you have completed a residential program, you might be able to transition into an outpatient program.

In either case, behavioral therapies can help you cultivate new behaviors and habits to prevent heroin relapse. 

Heroin has a very high relapse rate, so it’s imperative that the treatment you receive once you show heroin use signs include therapy. Medication alone is insufficient. However, the effectiveness of the medication can be increased with ongoing therapy. Group and individual therapy can help you:

• Address any underlying trauma
• Deal with mental health issues
• Recognize triggers
• Cope with stressful situations without using heroin 

How to Find Heroin Addiction Treatment Near You

If you or someone you love is showing heroin use signs, it is time to get help. Centric Behavioral Health can help you find an appropriate heroin treatment program in your area. Only at a dedicated treatment facility can you find a drug rehab that includes medication-assisted detoxification for heroin. 
Contact Centric Behavioral Health today to learn more about what we treat, our levels of care, and our locations.