First-time heroin users might not think much about the risk of addiction or overdose. However, statistics show that approximately 30 percent of first-time users become dependent on heroin within the first year of use.

What signs and symptoms may indicate dependency on this highly addictive drug, and how might you address these issues early, before the worst consequences of addiction set in? You’ll find answers to these questions and others in the sections that follow.

Understanding Heroin Addiction

Heroin is an opioid drug with a high potential for addiction and abuse. Once taken, it enters the brain where it is converted to morphine and binds to opioid receptors.

Users report a range of effects. When asked what heroin feels like, they often describe it as a rush of euphoria. Once consumed, heroin acts quickly, triggering a release of dopamine (the brain’s “pleasure and reward” neurotransmitter) that creates a strong positive association with the drug.

Over time, heroin use can impact the brain’s decision-making and impulse control areas, making it difficult to stop. As the user consumes more, their brain’s reward pathways also change, making natural rewards less pleasurable and further increasing the urge to use heroin, reinforcing its addictiveness.

Heroin dependence happens quickly for many people. Physically, they might face uncomfortable withdrawal symptoms if they stop using heroin. Mentally, they may believe they need it to function.

Once an addiction has begun, it’s very difficult to stop using heroin on one’s own. However, treatment programs in rehab settings can help people overcome the initial withdrawal symptoms while they receive intensive therapy designed to address why they began using the substance in the first place. The goal of these treatment programs is to prepare those with addictions to break the cycle and learn new coping mechanisms that help them maintain their sobriety.

Physical Symptoms of Heroin Use

Heroin effects can be seen throughout the body shortly after use. Familiarizing yourself with common symptoms can help you tell if someone is on heroin. If you suspect someone has recently used this substance, they will likely exhibit physical symptoms such as:

  • Constricted pupils and glassy or red eyes
  • Shallow breathing
  • Watery eyes
  • Runny nose
  • Itchiness
  • Dry mouth
  • Constipation
  • Weight loss
  • Fatigue
  • Shakiness
  • Disrupted sleep patterns
  • Scabs, sores, or abscesses at injection sites

Behavioral and Emotional Warning Signs

Heroin use and addiction can cause significant behavioral and emotional symptoms. Learning to spot these can help you identify if a loved one may be struggling with heroin or another illegal substance. Common warning signs include:

  • Sleeping more frequently
  • Slurring words when speaking
  • A sudden failure to maintain responsibilities, such as missing work
  • Sudden bursts of hyperactivity
  • Wearing long sleeves or pants in warm weather to hide injection marks
  • Irritability or unpredictable moods
  • Periods of euphoria
  • No longer enjoying hobbies or activities they once did
  • Depressed or anxious behaviors
  • Making impulsive or dangerous decisions that convey a sense of impaired decision-making
  • Seeming disoriented or confused
  • Paranoia
  • Lying or deceptive behavior
  • Detachment from reality
  • Hallucinations, psychosis, or delusions

Health Risks of Long-Term Heroin Use

People who use heroin long-term put themselves at risk of several health problems, including:

  • Overdose: People who use heroin usually don’t know exactly how much they consume. As they develop a tolerance with repeated use, they may increase how much they take, increasing their risk of overdose. Overdose may result in shallow breathing or cause a person to stop breathing altogether. Other signs of a potential overdose can include extremely small pupils, a weak pulse, drowsiness or loss of consciousness, and bluish-colored nails and lips. A heroin overdose is considered a medical emergency. If you suspect someone has overdosed on heroin, call emergency medical responders immediately and, if possible, administer naloxone (Narcan).
  • Changes to the Brain: Long-term heroin use can damage white matter in the brain. This can affect decision-making capacity, behavior regulation, and how the user responds to stress.
  • Infections: The risk of infections is especially high for intravenous users. Using a non-sterile needle can introduce bacteria and pathogens into the bloodstream, potentially resulting in infections in localized soft tissue or the heart. Non-sterile needle use can also increase the risk of being infected with hepatitis B or C and HIV.
  • Increased Risk of Lung Issues: Heroin is a depressant and slows breathing. Over time, this can affect the health of the lungs, putting the user at increased risk of pneumonia and tuberculosis.
  • Circulatory Issues: Heroin often contains substances and additives that don’t dissolve. It can clog blood vessels leading to the lung, liver, kidneys, and brain. This can result in infection or death in patches of these organs.
  • Sexual Dysfunction and Infertility: Long-term heroin use can damage the reproductive system for men and women, resulting in infertility. In males, heroin use is associated with increased white blood cell counts in the semen and decreased sperm motility and survival. It can also lead to erectile dysfunction and hypoactive sexual desire disorder. Female heroin users may experience irregular menstrual cycles with regular consumption.

Steps to Recognize and Address Addiction

Eventually, repeated heroin use escalates into an addiction. At this point, the individual feels compelled to seek and take the substance, regardless of negative consequences. While some people think addiction stems from bad decisions or a lack of willpower, this isn’t the case. Addiction is a chronic condition and a disease caused by changes to brain chemistry.

Symptoms of heroin addiction vary based on the individual and how well they cope or hide its effects. However, common signs that an individual’s heroin use has become an addiction include:

  • Compulsive Use: Someone who is addicted to heroin can’t control themselves around it. They may feel unable to stop, even if they want to.
  • Withdrawal: When someone with a heroin addiction doesn’t get heroin, they experience withdrawal. This includes uncomfortable symptoms such as anxiety, nausea, chills, sweating, and stomach cramps.
  • Increased Use: Frequent heroin use results in the body developing a tolerance. As this happens, users must consume more to achieve the same effects. This can result in them using larger doses or taking heroin more frequently than they used to.
  • Secretive Behaviors: People with heroin addictions often recognize that they have a problem and may even be ashamed of their behaviors. This can result in them lying about or hiding their behaviors to avoid a confrontation.
  • Prioritizing Heroin Use: Addiction can lead some users to prioritize heroin use above other responsibilities. They may choose to use heroin instead of go to work or complete chores around the home. Any time a substance interferes with personal and professional responsibilities, it’s a sign that heroin has become a problem.
  • Neglecting Self-Care: People with addictions may focus more on consuming heroin over taking care of themselves. They may let their personal appearance, hygiene, and health slide.
  • Feeling Powerless: Addiction can leave those struggling with it feeling powerless. They may recognize how their addiction has impacted them but feel incapable of doing anything about it. In some cases, it may come with deep feelings of guilt and depression, which can fuel further use

Over time, addiction can cause serious problems in every aspect of life. It can strain relationships, make it difficult or impossible to hold a job, or result in the individual being unable to care for themselves. If you notice these signs in yourself or someone else, treatment is available.

Professional guidance is often necessary for heroin addiction, as it can be difficult to overcome triggers and cravings in the earliest days of ceasing use. Admission for detox in a rehab center helps those with addictions get sober and make it through withdrawal symptoms. Some medications may assist with this process to make withdrawal more bearable.

Whether inpatient or outpatient, rehab centers help those with addictions heal their minds and bodies. Through intensive therapies like cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and ensuring treatment for co-occurring disorders, people with heroin addictions can learn why they began taking the substance in the first place and how to make better decisions moving forward.

Treatment for heroin addiction doesn’t stop after completing a rehab program. From there, patients must maintain their sobriety, often through support groups and ongoing therapy.

Break Free From Addiction

With the right support and treatment, recovery from heroin addiction is possible. The compassionate team at Sunlight Recovery in South Florida is ready to guide your journey to successful sobriety. Reach out today to learn more about your options and start making plans for a lasting recovery.