If there is a heroin addict in your home, you need to take action now.  With heroin, there is no such thing as an occasional hit to get by, although that is exactly the excuse the addict will use. * What do you do when you find out your child or mate or other beloved family member or friend is a heroin addict and is in your home? Here are several suggestions, all of which can be greatly successful if followed.

Making a call to a reputable drug rehab center is the best thing for the heroin addict and the rest of the family

Suppose you are doing laundry one day and like always, you double check pockets.  A small bag pops out of your son’s jeans.  As your heart works to find some logical explanation, your mind already comprehends what you have found.  This explains the intensity in your son lately, the mood swings, the desire to stay in his room and not interact with the family, the reason his buddies haven’t been around and what that new friend you feel uneasy about has.

While your first instinct may be to confront him, the best thing to do is immediately call a drug rehab center.  Explain to the counselor on the help line what you have found and everything you have observed with your loved one.  The counselor will help you set up an Intervention and walk you through the steps to get help for your family.

* It is important to schedule this intervention as quickly as possible.

In the meantime, make sure that money and prescription medications are locked up.  Someone with a heroin addiction will feel the need to get something in his system in order to fight off the withdrawal effects.  Make sure the younger children in the home are supervised and do not go on excursions with the addict during the time before the intervention and residential treatment.  Take the keys to the car if it is a teenager and the car belongs to you.

* Having a heroin addict in the home can be stressful to everyone who lives there.

Many families have combined in second marriages and if one of the stepchildren has a problem, this can wreak havoc on the family unit and the parents’ relationship with each other and the children/stepchildren.  The thing to concentrate on in the immediate future is getting the addict help as quickly as possible.  Making a call to a reputable drug rehab center is the best thing for the heroin addict and the rest of the family.

* It is a call made out of love for all involved !

If the person has not been addicted very long, maybe it will be easier to talk to him or her and get him into a program, perhaps even an outpatient one.  However, if the person has been on it for awhile, there may be a big problem with denial and it is best to seek the advice and counsel of professionals.

An intervention is a good way to go with a crack addict and doing so with a professional on hand is important.  The atmosphere could be a bit tense as denial and honest evaluations are given and loved ones express their feelings.  Having someone close by who is familiar with such an environment can make the difference between a successful intervention and a stormy family feud.

Handling a crack addict is something that should very well be done by professionals. Call today for help!

Support is needed for the one dealing with the crack addict as well and there are support groups for family members.  It is strongly encouraged that you go to one if you are dealing with a crack addict as you are sure to have emotional feelings going up and down.

Caution should also be taken if the crack addict has a problem with his temper during any withdrawal time which is part of why a residential treatment program would be encouraged for someone who has been on crack for awhile.  As this is a drug that definitely alters the brain, it is important to have treatment in an environment where the detoxification can be done safely.

Because a crack addict’s body and brain only knows that he needs more crack in order to “feel good”, it is also important to make sure money and credit cards are kept away from him. Often the person could resort to stealing and pawning something.  It is really important to get help immediately when you suspect a loved one of being a crack addict.

* Unfortunately, crack is one of the few drugs that a person can take constantly.

Just as someone chain smokes, person addicted to crack constantly can take crack, more and more, and yes, more again.  It is cheap and it is dangerous and it feeds upon the psychological and physical need of the person addicted.

Handling a crack addict is something that should very well be done by professionals so please seek help from a center close by and they will make sure you have a counselor on hand when you confront the crack addict that you love.

One of the hardest types of addiction to face, understand as well as identify, is when a person gets hooked on the medication he supposes to be taking. If your partner or loved one is on a prescription medication and seems to be going through it rather quickly, this is a sign that he is becoming addicted, and it is important to be watching and making accountability of the dosages.  If this is happening, quickly bring it to his attention and get him to see the doctor.

* A lot of times, if a person is on prescription medication, he will deny it.

The truth is, once the person is addicted, he or she falls into the pattern and sometimes to the lifestyle of anyone addicted to any substance. Hiding the amounts taken, getting extra prescriptions from other doctors, going online and getting prescriptions, these are signs.

Living with a prescription drug addict can be extra hard because you have to determine the actual addiction.  You feel bad and sometimes you enable the addiction  knowing the person is on the prescription because of an accident or some other reason that has had him or her in a great deal of pain.

Once you determine an addiction is taking place, such as the person is taking more than recommended or taking someone else’s prescription, or even taking it after the pain has subsided and seems depressed, then immediately get the person’s doctor involved, so your loved one can be medically supervised during withdrawal.  The doctor will determine if the addiction is severe enough to require a treatment program for detoxification.  As with other substance abuse addictions, a support group is usually always recommended as the person fights the addiction.  There are support groups for those living with drug addicts as well, and prescription drug addictions are not an exception.

“ Living with a prescription drug addict is a roller coaster ride neither of you chose to get on, but once you are, you will go through many of the same experiences as any loved one of a drug addict. “

* Do your own research, call a drug rehab center, get some professional advice.

You do not have to go through this alone.  As with any other addiction, it can take over your home, your finances, your relationship and your life.  Stand up against the addiction. By doing so, you will be helping yourself, any children involved and the addict himself.  You are all worth it.

Despite what some reality shows may air on television, confronting a drug addict should be done in a gentle manner and not one which will make the addict feel overly defensive.

Find out if insurance covers addiction recovery and find out some information about local (and some not so local) drug treatment centers. You will want to be well armed even though you must try to remain calm and supportive when you confront your loved one.  While you are checking out rehab programs, you may want to request information on intervention programs just in case the confrontation does not work.

As much as you love them, you cannot allow their addiction.

Only confront the addict when they are sober. Remember that even though they are sober and you are being gentle, they are still going to resist. When you confront them, start out with the fact that you are worried about them. Try to remain positive in tone and in thought. Eventually, in the conversation, you are going to have to let them know that you will no longer enable them. For instance, you will not call in sick for them anymore. Let them know you are doing this for their sake, even though they are going to argue with you. Let them know you will no longer pay their bills if you have been doing so. If the confrontation becomes violent, call the police. They are responsible for their own behavior. You did not cause the addiction and you cannot make it go away. The addict has to make decisions for themselves.

As tough as it may seem, always try to remain positive. As much as you love them, you cannot allow their addiction to send you into a lifelong depression.

They need to get help.

You are merely offering suggestions. If they continually refuse confrontation, find out about intervention. Intervention is a step beyond confrontation and is usually done with the help of a trained professional. In the meantime, do not allow yourself to be an enabler. Let the addict suffer the consequences of their actions. It may seem harsh, but it is not. They must see for themselves what their addiction is doing to them. Unfortunately, it is true that some must hit rock-bottom before they start their climb back up.

While there are many different drugs which can produce many different symptoms, the signs of addiction are fairly universal.  Once a person becomes addicted to a drug, any drug, they will stop at nothing to get that drug. Their drug of choice becomes more important than family, job, friends or anything else. This is the most noticeable sign of drug addiction.

look for the signs of drug addiction

There are other things to watch out for, however, as drug addiction does produce similar actions in many people.  If you notice a pouch or a drug kit next to the bed, that is a sign of an addict.  They often must have a hit of their drug upon waking.  The drug kit will most often contain whatever they need for their drug of choice which could be a pipe or a needle and the drug itself.  People who are addicted to drugs often become extremely agitated when they do not have access to their drug.  They may even steal to get the money to purchase it.  Their threshold for violence becomes lower.  They may leave home for long periods of time and their moods fluctuate dramatically. Often, they will have dilated pupils or maybe they will seem extremely sluggish.  Different drugs produce different symptoms but most people just notice that there are many things both physically and emotionally different about their loved one.

One of the signs of drug addiction is the lack of interest in things the addict used to care about. This could be a hobby or a sport, but it could also be losing interest in their spouse or children.  Many times, they lose interest in their jobs.  Although well intentioned, loved ones often mistakenly assume that the addict will snap out of it or realize what they are doing.  That just is not the case.  It is never too soon to contact a drug counselor about what should be done to help the person you love.  Often, addictions run in families but sometimes they spring out of nowhere.  Regardless, there is help available and no one sets out to become a drug addict. It is no longer true that the addict must be the one to reach out for help.  Intervention has been known to work with the help of trained drug counselors.

Don’t wait.  Get help for your loved one today.