Heroin is one of the most serious drugs you can be addicted to. Many heroin addicts end up overdosing. They also run the risk of contracting HIV or hepatitis from sharing needles.
If someone you love has a heroin addiction, you may not know what to do. This article will provide tips on how to deal with a heroin addict.
Signs Your Loved One Is Addicted to Heroin
Its important to familiarize yourself with the signs of heroin addiction. Here are some things you will want to look out for.
- Withdrawal from normal social activities
- Flushed, itchy skin
- Pinned or constricted pupils
- Nodding out
- Needing to take more of the drug to get the same high
- Weight loss
- Unreliability
- Mood swings
- Deceptive behavior
- Lack of self-care
- Loss of motivation
- Troubled relationships
- Legal issues
- Financial issues
How To Deal With a Heroin Addict
Heroin is a very serious addiction. If a loved one is addicted to heroin, it’s important to get them help right away. Here are the actions you must take.
Confront Them
Your first step will be to try to get your loved one into a rehab facility. In doing so, you must not be judgmental, condescending or unkind. Let them know how much you care about them. Tell them that you are worried about their wellbeing and make them understand that you don’t want to see them get hurt.
Listen to what they have to say to get a grasp on their perspective. Don’t interrupt them or criticize them. Believe what they say even if they may be looking at things with a distorted view.
Set Boundaries
While its important to be kind to a loved one dealing with a heroin addiction, it’s essential to set boundaries. For example, if they ask you for money, they may be using it to buy heroin. It’s important to cut them off in that sense.
Stage an Intervention
If your loved one is still not agreeing to get help, you may have to stage an intervention. This involves inviting them to a gathering of their close friends and family. You must not tell them it’s an intervention or they may not show up.
During the intervention, guests tell the person how much they mean to them and how much they want to get help. They must also warn them that if they don’t get help, they may cut them off. This may include no longer providing financial support, living quarters, or their friendship.
Before the intervention happens, arrangements should be made so the loved one can check directly into rehab if they agree to get help. If they don’t agree, friends and relatives must keep up their end of the bargain by limiting interactions with them. The hope is that they will hit rock bottom and have no other place to turn than a rehab facility.
How To Get Your Loved One Help With a Heroin Addiction
There are many rehab centers that offer help with heroin addiction, but Atlanta Recovery Place takes an approach that sets us apart.
We use therapeutic strategies that deal with addiction and its underlying cause for long-term recovery. We work out a customized plan that is suited to each patient’s individual needs. We offer partial hospitalization, intensive outpatient, and outpatient programs. We follow up with a sober living treatment to ensure our patients make a healthy adjustment to sobriety.
Heroin addiction is extremely dangerous, and it can even be fatal. If a loved one is having heroin dependency issues, do not hesitate to reach out to Atlanta Recovery Place. We will help them move forward to a healthier place in life.