When a loved one has a problem with heroin, it becomes your problem, too. There’s no way that a significant person in your life can continue to abuse drugs and it not take its toll on you. This is normal.
One of the questions we hear a lot from concerned family members is how they can convince their loved ones that it’s time to stop. These family members often say that they see their loved one is no longer happy and probably wants to get help, but they don’t know where to start. Unfortunately, many addicts continue using because it’s the easier thing to do, not because they really want to continue being addicted.
The best thing you can do is to stage an intervention with the help of a professional therapist or interventionist. If you think your loved one is ready to accept help, your intervention may be very successful.
Each person is unique, but we believe that there are some signs that may indicate a willingness to stop using heroin. Let’s take a look.
Does your loved one feel completely detached from everything and everyone? Maybe their only life source these days is the needle. This is a very depressing life, and your loved one may be ready for a change. They may want to feel again, to love again and be loved again.
Another common side effect of heroin use is isolation. It’s difficult to maintain relationships with friends and family when a person only cares about getting high. In fact, you’ve probably noticed that your loved one will cut time with you short just to score more heroin. And when they are with you, they probably aren’t really present.
Usually, isolation and depression feed off each other. The more a person becomes depressed, the more they isolate themselves from others. The more isolated they become, the more depressed they feel.
It’s difficult to have a nice place to live when you’re spending all of your money on drugs. What does your loved one currently have to their name? Many heroin addicts have very little to call their own. If they had a house or a car or nice things, they would pawn them anyway for drug money. Many heroin addicts won’t consider sobriety until they’ve lost everything, a term we’ve come to know as “rock bottom.” Is your loved one there yet?
Has your loved one been in trouble with the law? Aside from getting caught with heroin, it’s possible that they may have stolen from someone, engaged in prostitution or been involved in gang activity. It’s also not uncommon for heroin addicts to have imagined legal consequences. Some sit and worry about the cops coming and pounding down their door. This is no way to live a life.
If you believe that your loved one is experiencing these feelings, you may be closer to help than you realize. While a person does not have to be willing to accept treatment for it to work, it is an excellent first step that treatment centers like to see.