Signs of Opioid Abuse You Should Never Ignore

The opioid crisis has dominated American life for the better part of 3 decades now.

In 2020 alone, it was estimated that nearly 10 million Americans were using opioids, such as heroin, synthetic opioids, and common opioids. Synthetic opioids, in particular, are responsible for a huge number of drug-related deaths in this country. If you have a loved one that you think might have an opioid addiction, you need to act fast.

In this post, we’re going to tell you some of the signs of opioid abuse. The faster you can recognize these signs, the faster you can get your loved ones the help they need to prevent a catastrophe. Keep reading and learn all you can about opioid warning signs.

Behavioral Changes

There are two areas where you’ll be able to find signs of opioid abuse – behavioral and physical changes. In terms of your loved one’s behavior, it’s important to understand just how addictive opiates can be.

As with other types of addiction, opioids can create many behavioral problems that weren’t there before. If you find someone has begun to withdraw from family, friends, and social situations, it could be due to opioid dependency.

Mood swings are another common sign of opioid addiction. They may also have trouble remembering and concentrating on things. If they start to have financial trouble and issues with employment, there should be cause for concern as well.

Often, opioid addictions hit a breaking point with family and friends because of these drastic behavioral shifts. If your loved one has displayed any of these traits, combined with some of the physical changes we’ll discuss next, then it’s probably time to have that difficult conversation about their opioid addiction.

Physical Signs

The physical signs of opioid dependence can range from extremely subtle to fairly obvious. Depending on how your loved one is getting their opioid fix, you may notice anything from weight loss to needle marks on their arms.

When abused, these drugs take a toll on your system. This can lead to a rapid deterioration in someone’s physique and ability to function in everyday society. In the direst situations, they’ll start getting sick more often, their breathing may slow down, and they’ll always have a sweaty appearance.

Many opioid abusers experience withdrawal symptoms when they can’t get their fix. This comes with nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, increased heart rate, and blood pressure changes. Once someone is addicted to them, opioid withdrawal can actually be deadly, which is why it’s important to get your loved one checked in at a detox center as soon as you can.

Acting On Signs of Opioid Abuse

When someone is addicted to these drugs, you’ll likely notice a combination of these signs. The key to saving someone from the perils of opioid addiction is to act on the signs of opioid abuse. There are facilities all over the country with highly trained professionals that can help your loved one turn things around.

If you found this helpful, check out our other articles for more on health and fitness.