As drugs become more prevalent in American culture, families everywhere finds themselves concerned about a loved one who might be abusing narcotics.
Opioids are a widely consumed recreational drug. As a result, loved ones ask how they can be better informed in order to intercede when necessary.
Below are seven common signs of opioid addiction, according to the Mayo Clinic.
- Regularly taking an opioid in a way not intended by the doctor who prescribed it, including taking more than the prescribed dose or taking the drug for the way it makes a person feel.
- Taking opioids “just in case,” even when not in pain.
- Mood changes, including excessive swings from elation to hostility.
- Changes in sleep patterns.
- Borrowing medication from other people or “losing” medications so that more prescriptions must be written.
- Seeking the same prescription from multiple doctors, in order to have a “backup” supply.
- Poor decision-making, including putting himself or herself and others in danger.
There are other symptoms commonly associated with opioid use that police officers look for when they try to determine if a person is under the influence. Some of the side effects include:
- Feelings of euphoria
- Drowsiness
- The absence of pain
- Dry mouth
- Itching
- Cold flashes
- Vomiting
- Nausea
- Heavy limbs
- Nodding off
- Skin that appears flushed or warm to the touch
- Decreased heart rate and respiration
- Hepatitis (with chronic users who share needles)
- Unexplained injection sites
- Collapsed veins
- Mental disorders
If a friend or family member is addicted to opioids, loved ones also experience changes in thoughts and behaviors, such as:
- Worrying about your loved one’s drug use, ranging from persistent anxiety to full-blown fear that your loved one is going to die.
- Lying or making excuses for your loved one’s behavior.
- Withdrawing from your loved one to avoid mood swings and confrontations.
- Thinking about or acting on the urge to call the police when your loved one uses drugs or uses illegal means to obtain them.
Moreover, another key fact present in the life of most abusers is that personal property around the house disappears without explanation since the drug user will hawk valuable items to obtain money for their next fix.
It’s not uncommon for family members to avoid addressing the drug abuse due to fear the relationship will deteriorate. Actually, that occurs more often than not. People convince themselves that they’d know when it’s time to act, so observations get set aside and rationalized.
In reality, if a loved one is a chronic user or addict, the relationship has likely deteriorated already, and will only get worse. And when most people finally decide to intervene, it’s due to a crisis.
Meanwhile, there are more people who die of a drug overdose death every day in the United States than victims killed in school shootings over the past 22 years…and almost no one is paying attention, Law Officer reported in 2022.
Why do we tolerate it? Why have so many people given up the fight against drugs when lethal narcotics are killing young Americans in record numbers?
Statistics from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) show 275 people die EVERYDAY from a drug overdose death in America—201,255 deaths in 2020 and 2021.
We encourage family members to take action, so your loved one will not become another CDC statistic.
