Stages of Heroin Addiction and How to Identify Them

In 2021, an estimated 42,000 people in Florida consumed heroin. Some were trying it for the first time, while others had been taking heroin for years. While addiction doesn’t happen instantly, every person with a heroin use disorder starts with that first time.

You don’t wake up one morning with a heroin use disorder, and recovery doesn’t work that way either. At Real Recovery Solutions, we understand that. That’s why we educate our communities on the recovery process, starting with the understanding of addiction. Today, we’re discussing the stages of heroin addiction and how to recognize when you might need help.

Understanding Heroin and the Stages of Heroin Addiction

Heroin is a semi-synthetic opioid derived from and processed in a lab. Morphine is found in opium poppy plants. These plants are grown in various regions worldwide, including Mexico, Columbia, and East Asia. The heroin bought and sold in Florida is typically manufactured internationally and imported to port cities like Miami and Tampa. Heroin is usually bought as a white or brownish powder, which is easy to transport.

Heroin can be snorted in its powder form, or it can be burned and smoked. It is also very common to turn heroin into a liquid. This is done by combining it with water and heating it. Liquid heroin is then injected directly into the veins.

All methods of consuming heroin are dangerous in their own way and can lead to serious health issues. If you’re taking heroin, you always run the risk of developing a heroin use disorder. A heroin use disorder occurs when you develop a psychological and physical dependence on heroin. This condition doesn’t develop overnight. That’s why it’s important to understand the different stages of heroin use disorder.

Stage One: Experimenting With Heroin

This is how you’re first introduced to heroin. Experimenting with heroin happens when you decide you’re just going to try it. At this stage, you’re not even concerned about developing a use disorder. You might begin experimenting with heroin because someone you trust suggested it or to relieve stress.

In this experimentation phase, you might not actually try heroin. Many people begin experimenting with prescription opioids. This could be because you’re trying to manage pain or because you have access to someone else’s prescription.

In this stage, you feel like you have control over your heroin use. It’s possible that you don’t have your own supply and you’ve only used heroin in a social setting once or twice. You haven’t experienced negative health effects, your life still feels normal, and heroin use doesn’t seem like a big deal. You tell yourself that, even though you had a good experience, you’re not planning on returning to use.

You don’t show any obvious warning signs that you’re trying illegal substances. However, some people close to you have begun to notice that you’re hanging out with new people or spending more money than usual.

Stage Two: Occasionally Using Heroin

With occasional heroin use, you’ve become familiar with the substance. You know how to get ahold of the substance when you want it. You’re likely still using it in a social setting. At this stage, you’re still able to limit your consumption to weekends and evenings.

You keep telling yourself you’re in charge of your heroin use, but you find yourself spending more and more money on the substance. You think about the next time you can have heroin and whether or not it will ever be as good as the first time. If you started with prescription opioids, you’ve likely transitioned to heroin by this stage because it’s cheaper and easier to find.

When you’re occasionally using heroin, you still find yourself having serious life consequences. If you get drug tested at work, you’ll fail and get fired. If you get caught with heroin or paraphernalia, you will find yourself in serious legal trouble, even if you’re only using heroin once in a while.

During this stage, your friends and family have started to notice changes in behavior. You might find yourself borrowing money, changing your plans, or lying about where you’ve been to find more opportunities to take heroin.

Stage Three: Regular Heroin Use

At this point, heroin has become a normal part of your routine. You actively plan when, where, and how you’re going to have it. You no longer reserve heroin for social settings, and you likely have a hard time limiting heroin use to the weekends.

Your family and friends don’t necessarily know that you’re using heroin, but they have picked up on changes. You regularly prioritize heroin over other responsibilities. You’re likely having trouble at work. You have a hard time focusing on projects or staying on task. You’ve begun isolating yourself from the people you love to spend more time using heroin and avoiding difficult questions.

With regular heroin use, you’ve started to experience adverse side effects. You get sick more easily because your immune system is suppressed. If you’re injecting heroin, you have track marks or sores at your injection sites. If you smoke or snort heroin, you’re dealing with breathing problems or nasal congestion.

When you try to stop using heroin, you begin to feel flu-like withdrawal symptoms, and you crave more of the substance.

Tolerance Development and Overdose Due to Regular Heroin Use

At this point, you’ve developed a tolerance for heroin. This means you need more and more of the substance to feel the same effects. This means that you’re spending more money on heroin, and you’re buying it more regularly.

As your tolerance goes up, you also increase the risk that you’ll overdose. Unfortunately, you never know exactly what’s in heroin. It can be cut with all sorts of additives, including stronger opioids like fentanyl. An overdose happens any time you take more opioids than your body can handle. This can easily happen when you’re increasing your dose.

Signs of a heroin overdose include:

• Blue-tinted skin
• Low heart rate
• Slowed or stopped breathing
•  Excessive sweating
•  Gurgling noises

If you or someone you know is experiencing a heroin overdose, get medical help immediately. Naloxone can be used to reverse the effects of an opioid overdose.

Stage Four: Uncontrolled Heroin Addiction

Stage four is full-blown heroin use disorder. At this point, you are taking heroin multiple times a day, just to avoid withdrawal symptoms. The substance has become a central part of your life. It’s the first thing you think about when you wake up in the morning and the last thing you think about at night.

You have trouble staying sober long enough to hold down a job. You spend most, if not all, of your money on heroin. You may even struggle to find stable housing because of your limited finances.

You have regular health problems due to the damage that heroin is doing to your body. If you regularly share needles or other tools, you risk contracting a bloodborne pathogen like hepatitis or HIV. It is also possible that you’ve survived one or more overdoses or had other close calls.

Friends and family members are extremely concerned about you, but they might have trouble getting ahold of you. Your heroin use disorder has put a strain on your intimate relationships. The people who love you want to help but likely don’t know how to without enabling you.

When you’re in the throes of heroin use disorder, it is nearly impossible to stop without help. Withdrawal is painful, and cravings are very intense. No matter how severe your heroin use disorder has become, recovery is always possible with the right support.

Get Treatment for Heroin Addiction in Tampa, FL

You don’t have to wait until you have a severe heroin use disorder to get help. Whether your heroin use is just starting to get out of control or it’s completely taken over your life, heroin addiction rehab will help you.

In a good rehab program, you’ll be able to detox from heroin safely. Then, you’ll work with a therapist to understand why you started heroin in the first place and develop healthier alternatives.

At Real Recovery, we empower you to find success in recovery from heroin use disorder. As the largest sober living community in Florida, we have the experience to provide you with the evidence-based treatment you need. Call us at 813-373-6762 to learn more about how we can help today. 

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