When laying out life plans and dreaming about the future, people don’t usually include drug addiction in their vision.

Sometimes, a person gets entangled in addiction because of peer pressure, depression, or stress. Once he starts, he will likely have great difficulty overcoming the addiction alone, especially in the case of heroin addiction. This suffering person needs the help of friends and family for support and encouragement.

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Essentially, heroin is an opioid made from morphine. It comes in the form of a white powder or black sticky substance, and users will often snort the powder or inject it with needles. Although illegal, heroin grips people with a high addiction factor, keeping its users coming back at any cost.

The reason for the high addiction is due to heroin’s rapid absorption into the brain. Once absorbed, it changes back into morphine and binds to opioid receptors that influence pain and pleasure.

This process gives users the characteristic high that they’re looking for, but what they don’t realize is that their addiction will affect many areas of their lives.

The signs to watch for in loved ones. Because heroin is so addicting, you can recognize it in a loved one right away if you know the signs. You must identify the problem and get help quickly in these cases.

Look for the following signs if you suspect heroin addiction in a loved one.

1.) Unnatural happiness/euphoria. Heroin users like the drug due to its ability to invoke feelings of pleasure and euphoria. If a person is high from heroin, you will likely notice a flushed appearance along with an unnatural happiness. Once the effects wear off, however, the person may sink into depression or anxiety, or go through mood swings.

2.) Chronic sleepiness. Due to heroin’s sedative effects, a user will want to fall asleep often. If you notice a loved one falling asleep all the time or in unusual circumstances, you should watch for other signs of heroin use.

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3.) Neglect of responsibilities. Exacerbated by the drug’s sedative effects, an addict will often shirk important responsibilities. He may lose his job, disregard personal hygiene, forget dates, and lose interest in family or children.

4.) Covering up. If your loved one is using needles to get the heroin, he may cover up his arms and legs to hide the needle marks. While this sign might go undetected for a while, watch for moments when people normally wouldn’t cover up. Your loved one may also avoid social situations where he might need to uncover, such as going to the beach.

5.) Habitual lying and stealing. Finally, you might notice that money goes missing around the house frequently. Your loved one will need to fund his behavior and may steal or borrow money often to do so. In addition, you may catch him lying about his whereabouts or financial spending to cover up his addiction. (go to page 2 to continue reading) [lz_pagination]