Dusty Lindemann asked:


Here are some signs and symptoms to look out for if you are concerned about the possibility of a loved one being involved with substance abuse of any kind. Different drugs produce different effects resulting in slight variations in outward indications. Some signs and symptoms are specific to opiates and narcotics and distinct from those experienced with Central Nervous Stimulants like Cocaine or depressants like alcohol.



The National Library of Medicine documents these telltale signs in drug-taking children that should alert parents:

* Change in friends.

* Hanging out with a new group.

* Seclusive behavior – long periods spent in self imposed isolation.

* Long, unexplained absences.

* Lying and stealing.

* Involvement on the wrong side of the law.

* Deteriorating family relationships.

* Obvious intoxication, delirious, incoherent or unconscious.

* Changes in behavior and attitude.

* Decrease in school performance.



Always remember that any one of the above signs may not be enough to indicate substance abuse but should be enough to suggest that there may be a problem.



There are several other signs and symptoms that relate more specifically to the mental and physiological effects of substance abuse.



An obvious sign of opiate and narcotic abuse is the tracks of needle marks normally found on the upper arms of users. These needle marks often turn into skin abscesses that may leave visible scars. People who use this type of drug often cover up their arms even when the weather suggests more appropriate wear.



Opiate and narcotic abusers will experience an accelerated heart rate, constricted pinpoint pupils and a relaxed or euphoric state that may lead to a dangerous level of respiratory depression resulting in coma or death.



Other signs and symptoms of drug abuse are dilated pupils, restlessness, hyperactivity, euphoria, slurred speech, disabled co-ordination, decreased attention span and impaired judgment.



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Dusty Lindemann asked:


Heroin is a particularly powerful addictive drug that is processed from morphine from the seedpod of Asian poppies. The end product of the process is a white or brown powder that can be sniffed, smoked or dissolved and injected directly into the bloodstream.



Some of the more common names for the drug on the street are smack, “H”, skag and junk.



First time users are attracted to the drug’s reputation for producing a euphoric rush.



The National Drug Intelligence Center reports that surveys estimate that 3,091,000 United States residents tried Heroin at least once in the year 2002. The National Household Survey on Drug Abuse indicates that 2% of high school seniors are among this number and that at least 1% of them inject the drug.



The short-term effects of heroin are: a euphoric nod, warm flushed skin, dry mouth and heavy extremities. This is followed by the alternating state of wakefulness and drowsiness known as “on the nod” and a clouded mental functioning that is the result of the depressive effect Heroin has on the central nervous system.



Long-term effects are far more serious and occur with repeated use. Heroin addicts suffer from collapsed veins, infections of the heart lining and valves, abscesses, cellulitis, liver disease and pulmonary complications. There is also the risk of the sometimes-fatal infection through shared syringes.



Heroin usage becomes addiction when a tolerance to the drug is built up. This means the potential addict will have to increase the dosage to experience the same “rush”. Tolerance also means that the body has assimilated the drug and will suffer withdrawal without it. Now the drug is needed not only by the mind craving the high but also the body.



Today the principal treatment for heroin addiction is a combination of medications like methadone, a synthetic opiate helpful during withdrawal, and behavioral therapies.



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