Heroin Addicts: Methadone & Heroin Facts

Question: How do you tell if someone's a heroin addict?

(Posted by: malw on 2009-09-20 16:47:49)

Is there even a way to tell? Besides witnessing? Won't they let off like, some kind of symptom or change in there personalities? (Doing this to prove a point... if you're wondering) lol

Posted by: pondlifepoo on 2009-09-22, 18:11:39

Of course there are signs that someone is an addict but different people may exhibit different signs and some people can actually hide them very well (I mean it is a bit of a myth that all heroin addicts are skinny, gaunt with bad teeth - there have been many cases of professional people getting hooked to heroin, including of course doctors who have access to these medicines - you can hold it together on heroin but it depends how hard you want to and how much you fight the negative effects of the drug). One of the negative effects of taking heroin over time is that it reduces your motivation and desire to carry out simple tasks that we all do and take for granted: for example heroin addicts often stop caring about their appearance so it's not uncommon for an addict to forget to wash or change their clothes: a sudden lack of interest in ones appearance could be a tell-tale sign that someone is addicted to heroin. Of course 'rotten teeth' is a visual effect that is associated with heroin, although this isn't something that happens overnight: sustained use of the drug is what makes an addicts teeth rot. Also I think it is caused more by smoking the drug than injecting it. One of the side effects of heroin though is it can cause the user to crave sweet food (a bit like cannabis users getting 'the munchies'). For some reason heroin makes users crave sweet, sugary substances (obviously not good for your teeth). This, combined with a tendency to not look after yourself (so forgetting to clean your teeth for example) will rot a persons teeth in no time. I was addicted to heroin for three years and after a few months of sustained use I started having really big urges to eat sweets, chocolate bars and cakes (I even started dreaming about chocolate cake!). I didn't know why at first but then it clicked - it was the heroin. Some mornings I would wake up and go straight down to the bakery at the bottom of the road and come back with a box of cream cakes which I would then consume for breakfast. It makes me feel sick now just thinking about it! Fortunately I had a boyfriend, so that meant a reason to look after myself properly (including brushing my teeth!), and I don't have any physical signs of my addiction (i've been clean now for 3 months btw). Another outward sign of addiction is for the user to lose weight, sometimes rapidly. Apart from the odd craving for sugary comestibles in general drugs will kill your appetite so users rarely feed themselves properly and when they do it's not a healthy nutritious diet they adopt (when I did ordain to feed myself it was either junkfood or a ready meal - something that took no time or effort to prepare). I stopped eating fruit and veg completely for the three years I was on smack. Another reason an addict might not eat is because they might not have the money to eat (if it comes down to a choice between feeding oneself or having a fix the latter wins every time). Another outward sign might be that the person looks pale and withdrawn (like they haven't seen daylight for some time), and that's probably because they haven't - addicts usually take drugs in their home with the blinds or curtains shut (that is if they've got a home of course!). Drug-users often don't want to go out either - the world outside becomes a scary place so apart from going out to score addicts often retreat to the safety of their bedrooms. Heroin isn't good for your hair or complexion either - my skin was always dry and my hair lank and limp when I was on drugs. Heroin causes the eyes to constrict so a user will often have 'pin-dot' eyes whilst they are under the influence. They may also go 'on the nod' or 'gauch out' when on heroin which means they have trouble to concentrate on an activity, or even keep their eyes open and often fall asleep intermittedly. It is not unheard of for a heroin addict to fall asleep in their dinner for example. Of course the personality changes too - generally a person will become withdrawn - often cutting themselves off from friends or family. As mentioned before the desire to go out and socialise is greatly reduced. I felt ashamed of my addiction too so I was reluctant to speak to old friends or family members when I was using. An obvious sign that someone is heavily involved with drug use is if they start getting in trouble with the police (committing crime to fund their habit), accumulating debts, or asking to borrow money from everyone. The need for a fix becomes so great that it overshadows everything: I would feel no shame in borrowing £50 off my mum one day and phoning her back a few days later with some story made up that I needed some more (something I would never have the nerve to do if I was straight). I once resorted to making my elderly grandmother go down the bank to put £100 in my account, telling her my boyfriend had been mugged the night before, that he was in hospital now and I needed cab fare to get down there to see him and also that h

Posted by: gazeygoo on 2009-09-20, 16:52:56

For a lot of addicts they will have "track " marks, often infected, and a lot of them have very rotten teeth.

Posted by: Marianna on 2009-09-20, 17:02:59

Weight loss, profuse sweating, track marks in inner elbows if they shoot up, erratic and irritable behavior when not high, stealing and begging for money. it's hard to tell the progression because addicts are often good at hiding it, but when they become full blown addicts the symptoms become very obvious.

Posted by: xo379 on 2009-09-20, 18:30:06

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

Posted by: Jessica on 2009-09-23, 16:39:44

Track marks. Sunken in face. Skinny. Ill looking. Blood shot eyes. As for personality, when my friend was on heroin he would have a lot of freak outs and just get angry and fight people/ punch walls for no reason. But I think it depends on the person since I know people who's personalities didn't change at all.