Drug Addiction Archives

What are the Symptoms of Opioid Addiction?

Written by Jacob on November 2, 2020. Posted in Drug Addiction.

You’ve probably heard of the opioid epidemic. It is the growing national concern that people in the United States are becoming addicted to and overdosing on opioid pain pills prescribed by doctors as part of a treatment program.

The National Institute on Drug Abuse found that in 2018, 128 people in the U.S. died of opioid misuse every day.

This shocking statistic should open everyone’s eyes to the realities of the opioid epidemic. If you use opioid painkillers or know someone who does, it is important to be aware of the symptoms of opioid addiction so you have an idea of when you or someone you care about needs help.

Recovery is possible. If you suspect you or someone you know has an opioid addiction, please contact a treatment center for help.

What are the Symptoms of Opioid Addiction?

If you use opioids, whether prescription or not, you are vulnerable to addiction after frequent use or abuse.

The symptoms of opioid addiction can include:

Muscle aches
Anxiety
Depression
Restlessness
Lack of sleep
Shaking
Sweating
Mood shifts
Making poor decisions in order to use or acquire opioids
Spending a significant amount of money or savings on acquiring opioids
Neglecting work, school, family and other responsibilities

There is a lasting stigma that opioids prescribed legally by a doctor are less harmful than opioids acquired illegally on the street, but ultimately the effects of any kind of opioid abuse are harmful. Different kinds of opioids can affect an individual in a variety of ways, but ultimately all opioid abuse can be detrimental to one’s life.

Either way, if you are misusing opioids or suspect you are suffering from addiction from opioids, you can visit a treatment center to find hope for a brighter future.

Take Your First Step to Recovery at Tulip Hill Recovery

At Tulip Hill Recovery, we work closely with clients to help them through a personally tailored treatment program to recover from opioid addiction in a safe manner. We take a holistic approach to treating the addiction itself as well as helping you build healthy coping mechanisms for any co-occurring mental health issues that might be fueling your use.

Are you ready to talk to someone about treatment for opioid addiction and building a better future for yourself? Please contact us online or call us at 877-845-8192 to get in touch with our team and start your recovery journey.

Five Symptoms of Opioid Addiction in Your Loved One

Written by Jacob on September 4, 2020. Posted in Drug Addiction, Substance Addiction.

Opioid addiction is one of the most serious drug epidemics in the United States. Roughly 21% to 29% of those prescribed with opioids for pain end up misusing them. The abuse of prescription opioids itself is already a problem, but it can sometimes lead to the use of heroin, which is even more debilitating and dangerous.

If you suspect someone you care about is struggling with opioids, you should pay attention to these five symptoms below to see if you should intervene to help them find treatment.

Five Symptoms of Opioid Addiction in Someone You Know

Before covering the symptoms of opioid addiction, it’s important to highlight that if the person you know has been prescribed opioids at any point, they may be more likely to struggle with addiction. The following symptoms of opioid addiction can be present in anyone who abuses opioids, but pay special attention if someone you know has recently been prescribed with opioids:

Stress — The person you care about may be dealing with more stress than usual. Perhaps they have lost a job, gotten out of a relationship or are struggling with debt. No matter the cause, if they are under a lot of stress and have access to opioids, they may turn to opioids as a coping mechanism.
Strained relationships — Abusing opioids can put a strain on families and friendships. The person you care about may take prescription opioids at inappropriate times or too frequently. They could get defensive when you confront them about it, and they may try to use opioids in secret to avoid conflict.
Neglected responsibilities — Dependency on opioids can quickly affect a person’s ability to keep up with personal and professional responsibilities. They may neglect their family, career or education. If you notice this pattern of neglected responsibility, you should talk to them about seeking help.
Legal issues — Someone who is struggling with opioid addiction may start doing things they would otherwise never do, such as stealing to get money to buy more opioids.
Mental health disorder — Does the person you care about struggle with a mental health disorder, such as depression or post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)? These disorders do not always lead to addiction, but someone who struggles with them may be more inclined to turn to substances like opioids as a coping mechanism.

Help Your Loved One Find Freedom From Addiction at Tulip Hill Recovery

It’s hard to watch someone you care about destroy themselves with opioids, which is why the time to take action is now. If you believe someone you know is struggling with opioids, you can contact Tulip Hill Recovery today to find out how we can treat them and how you can approach them about contacting us for treatment.

Please contact us online or call us at 877-845-8192 to get in touch with our team and help your loved one take back control of their life.

How to Help Someone You Know With Drug Addiction

Written by Jacob on August 4, 2020. Posted in Drug Addiction, Support.

It is difficult and painful to watch someone you care about struggle with an addiction to substance use. Substance abuse can affect their personal lives, professional lives, and relationships with you and other friends or family. When you witness this type of destructive behavior, one of the most difficult but important things you can do is to approach them about their addiction and offer to help.

It’s important to understand that no one expects you to have all the answers or know how to treat an addiction. That’s a task for professionals. The best thing you can do is to encourage them to acknowledge the issue, help them find treatment, and support them through their treatment and afterward.

Learn About Addiction

Before you can help someone get treatment for addiction, you should take a moment to learn about addiction first. The person you care about may be going through a hard time and substances happen to be involved in a moment of weakness, but this might not necessarily be the sign of an addiction.

Learn about the symptoms of substance use disorder so you can observe if any of them are affecting the person you care about. If they are, then it may be time to intervene.

Practice What You Want to Say

Talking to someone about addiction can be very difficult. Emotions are involved, which can lead to stumbling through your words, angry outbursts and negative speech. This can end up driving your loved one further away, rather than encouraging them to get help.

Think about what you want to say and practice it in your head or out loud before having the actual conversation. Reflect on the symptoms of addiction and what you see in them. Reflect on how their addiction is affecting their personal and professional lives and how it strains your relationship with them. They may need to hear this from you to help them recognize that there is a problem and that they need real help.

Additionally, be sure to use positive language from your perspective. Stating something like “You’re addicted to drugs” might sound aggressive or accusatory. Instead, something like “I love you and I am concerned about how your substance use is affecting your health” may be more appropriate.

Listen

After you say what you feel is important to say, you need to be prepared for their response. Listen patiently to what they have to say. Someone struggling with addiction is usually in denial of the problem and can be resistant to change, so they may respond angrily or refuse to agree with what you have said. This is not a time to argue or talk over one another. Let them speak their mind too. Affirm that you hear what they are saying and offer a response only after listening.

Help vs. Control

You cannot force someone you care about to get help for addiction, even if you think it’s the best thing for them. Even if you could force them into help, it wouldn’t work as well as it could if they come to admit they are struggling and make a decision to seek help themselves.

Your role is one of support. You can help them recognize the problem. You can help them find treatment. You can help them throughout their recovery journey. You can help support them afterward to stay sober. But you cannot help them by trying to force them to do something they don’t want to do. Be patient with them, keep talking to them about their addiction and be ready to help when they want it.

Start the Recovery Journey at Tulip Hill Recovery

No one can overcome substance addiction on their own. They need the help of professionals who can treat addiction and help them manage any co-occurring mental health disorders that fuel addiction. However, before all of that, they need you.

If someone you love or care about is struggling with substance addiction, the best time to help them is now. At Tulip Hill Recovery, we provide treatment for addiction and manage any co-occurring mental health disorders. We’re here to talk if you have any questions about the recovery process or how to talk to a loved one about getting treatment.

Please contact us to get in touch with our team and help the person you care about get the treatment they need.

Related Addiction Resources