Signs of Addiction

 

  • ‘Pinned’ eyes – very small pupils, the size of a pin head, droopy eyelids

  • Sleeping a lot, nodding off all the time - ‘gouching’

  • Slow, slurred speech

  • Loss of appetite and/or eating a lot of junk food (quick easy meals)

  • Weight loss

  • Deterioration in appearance. Not washing their hair or changing clothes, looking dirty

  • Itching, scratch marks on their skin especially their arms (mainly when people first start using)

  • Changes in overall attitude

  • Watching TV a lot, not as interested in music

  • Secretive behaviour, very sneaky

  • Generally ‘can't be bothered’ with anything

  • Lack of money and nothing to show for it

  • Telling a lot of lies

  • Borrowing money, very bad at paying it back

  • Asking to lend money (always the same sort of amount i.e. £10/£20)

  • Stealing, selling things or things missing from their home/room

  • Staying at home a lot, especially when they previously went out all the time

  • Or if living at home with parents, staying out all the time (although most kids do this)

  • Lack of interest in many things

  • Not wanting to be away from home for any length of time

  • If you have been away for a few hours, going straight to their room for a while when you get back

  • Spending a lot of time in the bathroom or bedroom

  • Abrupt changes in work/school attendance

  • Outbreaks of temper, bad attitude, argumentative

  • Not wanting to go out anymore to the pub or other places they used to enjoy

  • Wearing long-sleeves all the time, even in hot weather

  • Wearing sunglasses at inappropriate times

  • Association with known users

  • Lack of interest in sex or in the opposite sex

  • Brown residue on front teeth (some people don't check and walk about with gear on their teeth)

  • Itchy nose

  • Complaining of it being cold when the temperature is fine

  • Being covered in goosebumps when its warm

  • Complaining of sore legs, not sleeping, sneezing, running eyes, etc. (see info on Withdrawal)

  • Same mobile number listed on phone bill, only having been connected for a minute or less

  • Jekyll & Hyde personality - acting normal (friendly, talkative, etc) one day and then being the opposite the next, or even like that in the space of a few hours

 

 

 

PLEASE NOTE:

Many of these signs may not relate to a heroin addiction and could be something as simple as a normal teenager or adult!  I am just trying to give you an idea of what to look out for. If someone your worried about shows many of these signs I would be concerned but if only one or two relates to them, I very much doubt they have a problem. One or two of them can relate to most people, even people that have never used at all. 

 

Also, not all of these signs relate to all addicts. For example, not all addicts are dirty, sell all their stuff, steal, etc. The stereotypical image of a ‘junkie’ is someone who is unwashed, dirty, skinny, with rotten teeth, needle marks all over them, would sell their Granny for a bag of smack, tells lies all the time, mugs old ladies, breaks into houses, etc. Whilst I have met people who are like this, I haven’t met very many. A lot of addicts hold down jobs and are clean, honest and trustworthy – basically you would never know that they were an addict. Others might be unemployed, lend money and never pay it back, or rip you off, but that relates to all types of people in life – not everyone is the same. In my experience, the stereotypical ‘junkie’ is a minority.

 

I just wanted to point this out, as I didn’t want people looking over the list above and thinking that all addicts are like this. As I said, there are addicts that you wouldn't spot in a million years and there are also some that you would spot straight away but are kind, loyal and trustworthy people who go to work to get the money to support their habits, and of course finally you have the group that you would spot straight away and that would rip you off in a heartbeat.  

 

Don't blame all addicts for the bad actions of a few. Every addict has an identical problem in that they are addicted to heroin but this does not make them identical, each has different standards and morals, so please don't tar all addicts with the same brush, not everyone is the same. Addicts can be decent people!

 

Click here to read some tips on Encouraging a user to quit

 

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Last updated: 9 November 2003