Are They or Aren’t They? Part 2

This is part two of my blog entitled ‘Are They or Aren’t They?’ which is a self-help guide for the families of suspected drug addicts/users and for users themselves to empower them to find and engage with the services they require to help them quit.

So how do we finally determine that our loved one is abusing heroin? The answers could come quickly especially in a case where the suspected person is not functioning in the same way they have always done. This could be evident in their work attendances, the persons general appearance (many addicts find it hard to concentrate on things such as personal hygiene) or in the paraphernalia they leave lying around (look out for scraps of tin foil, needles. empty citric acid bottles). Most addicts that I have known, myself included, find it hard to function normally when they have become addicted and usually give it away despite their efforts to keep their addiction under wraps. In such cases, it is easy to determine that your loved one is using drugs. But some users manage to function very well while addicted and so, it may prove much more of a task and take so much longer to finally get the direct evidence you require to be able to confront your loved-one about their affliction. In these cases, i would suggest that you wait it out because they will eventually slip up. At the same time, I would also advise that you watch very closely the suspected person’s actions for any clues

Even once we have the direct evidence we require to determine positively that our loved one is using, this is just the start of the process that will eventually allow your loved one to admit their affliction and finally seek help for it. Knowing that a friend or family member is using does not mean that you should confront them with ‘all guns blazing’. The way in which we approach the afflicted person would determine the response we would get from them and if we approach with aggression or anger, we may be in danger of damaging the person further. When I was personally approached by my own loved ones over my addiction, I reacted with anger (which is completely out of character for me). However, by then, I had positively had enough of heroin, so I eventually calmed down and spoke with my best friend about what I had been going through. In many cases though, your approach could cause the addicted person to become even more secretive and continue to hide their addiction which would definitely endanger their lives further. The idea is to exercise tact in approaching the person in order to allow them to open up to you and discuss their problem. If you do not, then you could be in danger of pushing your loved one further into addiction.