How Can You Tell If Someone Is Addicted to Opioids?
The opioid crisis has ravaged the country for many years now, and it’s still affecting millions of people and claiming more lives today. Still, many aren’t sure about the red flags that could indicate there’s a problem, and what are the signs of opioid addiction? If you’re wondering how to help a loved one with addiction, you can help by learning what to watch out for and what to do if you think your friend or family member has a problem.
Table of contents
» What Types of Drugs Are Considered Opioids?
» What’s the Difference Between Opioid Use, Dependence, and Addiction?
» What Behavioral Changes May Indicate Opioid Addiction?
» When Should You Be Concerned About a Loved One’s Opioid Use?
» Key Takeaways on What Are the Signs of Opioid Addiction
» Resources
What Types of Drugs Are Considered Opioids?
Opioids are a specific class of drugs that include illegal substances, such as heroin, and prescription medications that are mainly used to manage pain, such as hydrocodone or fentanyl. Unfortunately, all opioids have a high risk of potential misuse and addiction, and some can be extremely potent to the point that just a tiny amount can represent a potentially life-threatening dose.
There are three kinds of opioids:
- Natural Opioids: These substances are made from the opium poppy plant seed pods and are known as opiates. Natural opioids include morphine, opium, thebaine, and codeine.
- Semi-Synthetic Opioids: These substances are made in labs by chemically processing natural opioids, with examples including heroin, hydrocodone, oxymorphone, and oxycodone.
- Synthetic Opioids: The most significant driver of fatal drug overdoses in the United States, synthetic opioids are made entirely in labs and have no natural ingredients. Fentanyl is the most well-known example of a synthetic opioid.
While all opioids can cause pain relief and feelings of euphoria in users, and all have the potential for misuse, dependence, and addiction, they greatly vary in terms of potency. Fentanyl, for example, is thought to be 50 to 100 times stronger than morphine, and another kind of synthetic opioid known as nitazenes can be as much as 43 times stronger than even fentanyl.
What’s the Difference Between Opioid Use, Dependence, and Addiction?
If you’re wondering things like what are the signs of opioid addiction or when rehab is needed for addiction, it’s helpful first to learn to differentiate three related but distinct phrases: Opioid use, opioid dependence, and opioid addiction. The Florida Department of Health defines these three terms as follows:
- Opioid Tolerance: This happens when someone using opioids starts to have a reduced response to the medication and now requires more of the drug to feel the same feelings.
- Opioid Dependence: This happens as a regular opioid user’s body adjusts its normal functioning as a response to the frequent presence of this drug.
- Opioid Addiction: Also known as opioid use disorder, this happens when someone is experiencing ongoing problems due to their use of the drug, such as trying and failing to cut back or stop using the drug, or having difficulty keeping up with responsibilities at work, home, or school.
Opioid use disorder can happen to anyone—even people who start taking the drug as prescribed by a doctor for pain—but several risk factors can put someone at an even higher risk of developing an opioid addiction:
- They’re younger (in their teens or 20s).
- They have a family history or history themselves of misusing alcohol or other drugs.
- They have a stressful life, such as struggling with money or employment.
- They did poorly in school.
- They’ve had problems at work or home, or they have had legal issues.
- They have mental health struggles, such as depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, or anxiety.
- They heavily use tobacco or cigarettes.
- They’ve suffered physical or sexual abuse in the past.
What Behavioral Changes May Indicate Opioid Addiction?
If you’re still wondering what are the signs of opioid addiction, many potential warning flags can be spotted in their behavior or physical appearance. Potential behavioral symptoms of opioid use disorder include:
- Attitude or personality changes
- Isolating or withdrawing from friends and family
- They are no longer doing activities or hobbies they once enjoyed
- Declining performance at work or school
- Secretive behavior
- They always seem moody, irritated, or nervous
- The friends they hang out with have suddenly changed
There are other potential warning signs, including their appearance. They might seem to lose their appetite, or you’ve noticed drastic weight loss or weight gain. If they’re injecting drugs, they might always wear long-sleeved shirts or hide their arms from view. They could also look different, such as appearing drowsy, having small pupils, or suffering from flu-like symptoms that could indicate withdrawal, like nausea, vomiting, sweating, and tremors.
Like other addictions, one tell-tale sign of possible opioid addiction is that the person’s life now seems to revolve around the drug. They might take more than they intended, or constantly talk about wanting to cut down or stop their drug use, but fail to do so. They’ll likely have intense cravings and urges to use more of the drug to feel better.
They’ll probably start to perform worse at school or work, and their home life could become strained as the addiction takes over. Even if they realize their drug use is causing significant problems, they’ll keep using it, and they spend more and more of their time each day either thinking about, getting, using, or recovering from the drug.
What our customers are saying
When Should You Be Concerned About a Loved One’s Opioid Use?
So, what are the signs of opioid addiction? Behavioral changes, changes to the physical appearance, and a preoccupation with getting and using more of the drug, even though it’s obviously causing harm to the user. If you notice these warning signs in your loved one’s actions, it’s important to try to help them get the professional treatment they need to get better.
Reaching out to addiction experts can help you determine how to guide your loved one to get the help they need. It can also help you get assistance to deal with the ways that the addiction has affected you personally, such as finding support groups for families of addicts.
Key Takeaways on What Are the Signs of Opioid Addiction
- The opioid crisis continues to claim lives across America.
- Opioids are a class of drugs that can be natural, semi-synthetic, or fully synthetic.
- All opioids have the risk for misuse and addiction, though they vary significantly in terms of potency.
- Warning signs of addiction include behavioral and appearance changes, as well as declining performance at work or school.
- Drug rehab programs can help people address their addictions and learn to live a better life without these dangerous drugs.
The answers are clear if you’re wondering what are the signs of opioid addiction, but you might not be sure what to do about it if you think your loved one is struggling. The team at WhiteSands Alcohol and Drug Rehab is here to help answer your questions and provide guidance on getting your loved one the professional treatment they need to get better. Call us at 877-855-3470 today to learn how to get started.
Resources
- National Institute on Drug Abuse – Opioids
- New York State Department of Health – Opioids: Recognizing the Signs
- Florida Department of Health – The Difference Between Opioid Tolerance, Dependence, and Addiction
- Mayo Clinic – How to Tell If a Loved One Is Abusing Opioids
If you or a loved one needs help with abuse and/or treatment, please call the WhiteSands Treatment at (877) 855-3470. Our addiction specialists can assess your recovery needs and help you get the addiction treatment that provides the best chance for your long-term recovery.
About the Author
Jackie has been involved in the substance abuse and addiction treatment sector for over five years and this is something that she is truly eager about. She has a passion for writing and continuously works to create informative pieces that not only educate and inform the public about the disease of addiction but also provide solutions for those who struggle with drug and alcohol abuse.
