The Discovery House

Heroin is one of the most powerful drugs available because it is so addictive. That’s why it’s important to look for the warning signs of heroin use. The earlier you can detect heroin usage, you can help your loved one get heroin treatment.

Heroin has become more accessible in cost and availability. That’s a big reason why heroin use among 18-25-year-olds doubled over the last 10 years. The CDC calls heroin usage and addiction an epidemic.

How can you tell if someone close to you is using heroin and may need heroin treatment? Keep reading to learn 10 common signs of heroin use and how you can find treatment in your area.

1. Changes in Mood

People on heroin will experience sudden mood changes, especially if they’re experiencing withdrawal symptoms. They can become hostile or depressed until they get their next hit of heroin.

2. Drowsy

Have you noticed that you or your loved one seems more tired than normal? There can be many reasons for that. If you notice that they fall asleep more often and at random times, that could be a sign of heroin addiction.

3. Financial Issues

A drug habit can be expensive. An addict could easily spend $1000 a month or more on heroin. If you notice someone getting into financial trouble, such as maxing out credit cards or asking for money, it could be a drug issue.

That could lead to legal issues if the person runs out of borrowing options and has to steal to get money for drugs.

4. Lack of Motivation

One common sign of heroin use is a lack of motivation. There could be other factors at play if someone is suddenly not motivated. However, if someone exhibits lack of motivation along with other common signs, you need to pay attention.

5. Physical Signs of Heroin Use

Right after someone uses heroin, there are noticeable physiological changes that occur in the body.

Such changes include pinpoint or constricted pupils, shortness of breath, dry mouth, and they may seem out of it. They may alternate between being hyper alert and suddenly sleepy. They’ll also seem lethargic like they can’t move their arms or legs.

6. Weight Changes

Heroin usage can impact the body in many ways. One such way is in a change of appetite. Heroin causes people to experience either an increase or decrease in appetite. That can result in a sudden decrease or increase in weight.

7. Change in Appearance

Someone who is showing signs of heroin addiction won’t care that much about their appearance. If you notice that someone with a meticulous look suddenly looks like they stopped taking care of themselves, it could be a sign of a heron issue.

8. Isolating Behaviors

Someone with an addiction doesn’t want others to know about it. They may be ashamed, feel guilty, or they just don’t want to hear about it from others.

They’ll avoid situations where these feelings can come up. That avoidance will lead to social isolation.

9. Possess Paraphernalia

Heroin isn’t like other drugs that come in the form of a pill or something that you can smoke. It takes equipment to use heroin.

Things like needles, spoons and aluminum foil with burn marks, and a device like a rubber tie or shoelaces can all be used to prepare heroin.

10. Dressing in Long Shirts or Pants

One of the most obvious signs of heroin usage is visible needle marks, or track marks. Heroin addicts will inject in their arms, in their legs, and after a while, in their feet to hide the track marks.

To cover up track marks on their arms and legs, they’ll often wear clothing to cover themselves completely. You might not think about that during cool weather. A person wearing long sleeves and long pants on a warm California day should cause you to be suspicious of heroin use.  

How to Get Heroin Treatment Near You

If the signs of heroin addiction seem too familiar, there’s a good chance your loved one needs to seek heroin treatment.

Here’s how you can get heroin treatment near you.

The first thing to note is that heroin addiction is powerful. An intervention or trying to solve the problem on your own won’t help in the long term. They need professional help from a treatment center.

You’ll want to find a treatment center that offers a broad range of treatment programs. With addictions, there are usually underlying causes that lead to them. You want to make sure that the center you work with has the ability to make sure those issues are addressed in treatment.

You’ll want to look for facilities that have been around for a long time and have an extended track record of success. As with anything, there are no guarantees, but a treatment center that shows a history of success is worth it.

When you find a treatment program for you or your loved one, check with your insurance provider to see what’ they can cover.

There are common fears that come up during recovery and you want to be sure that those fears are addressed. 

You Don’t Have to Kick Heroin Addiction Alone

Heroin addiction is so powerful, that it can destroy lives. Not just the lives of those living with addiction, but those close to them. Family, friends, colleagues, and community members all want to see you or your loved one get help.

When you recognize the warning signs of heroin use and addiction, seek heroin treatment immediately. You’ll need the help of a professional treatment center.

At The Discovery House, we recognize that not everyone will respond to treatment the same way. That’s why we offer a wide range of programs to meet the needs of the individual.

For many people, starting the new year off with a hefty list of New Year’s resolutions just makes sense, but for someone in recovery from a substance use disorder, things like weight loss or saving more money can seem pretty trivial. About 40% of the population participates in forming resolutions these days, but a mere 8% manage to keep them through the year. The primary reason for this is that our resolutions are usually too unrealistic to keep.

New Year’s Resolutions in Early Recovery

New Year’s resolutions are especially problematic for people new in (or needing) addiction recovery, as an addiction by its very nature defies strategies of commitment, willpower or self-determination. Complicating matters further, when in the grip of addiction, it’s incredibly difficult to modify secondary behaviors like smoking, poor eating habits, and failing to exercise don’t avail themselves to improvement while the primary challenge is just coping.

A lot of addicts will periodically try to fix their lives, hoping that a few patches will magically transform everything, or at least make things bearable, without meeting the problem of addiction head-on. Resolutions other people take on, like paying attention to diet and exercise, quitting smoking, or saving money, become—for addicts—desperate attempts to set their lives straight. In recovery circles, this is referred to as “rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic.”

The fact is, most addicts will not be able to change their behavior without help. A resolution to stop shooting heroin, smoking meth or swallowing pain meds will only last until the discomfort begins. Then the motivation behind the resolution simply fades in the presence of an obsession to use.

According to the American Psychological Association, overly ambitious New Year’s Resolutions can result in increased stress as people start to slide back throughout the year. The recommendation is to make realistic goals with a clear idea on how to attain and maintain them. For example, saying “I’m going to stop using drugs this year” is not only overly ambitious; it’s clearly a postponement of something that should happen right away.

How to Make New Year’s Resolutions That You Will Actually Keep

There is always the option not to make resolutions. One of our favorite sober bloggers, Tawny Lara of Sobrietea Party, had a radical thought. 

“I’ve learned that I don’t change just because the calendar date has changed…and that’s OK. Like Ke$ha said, We R Who We R. This year, I want to accept one thing about myself instead of changing a behavior or creating a new habit. What if 2018 is the year that I decide to accept who I am?”

She also maintains the notion that if you hate running, for example, don’t make it a goal to run a marathon this year. Be a realist and keep it real. For those of you who are set on making a New Year’s resolution, here are a few realistic ones for you to consider for the year ahead.

Aim to Try New Things

Boredom is addiction recovery’s enemy number one. When you are bored and uninspired you are more likely to turn to the drugs and/or alcohol that make you feel happy and fulfilled, even if only temporarily. Trying new things, like taking a cooking class or joining a hiking club, will help you find joy in something you really love doing. Not to mention it will allow you to meet a ton of new people and maybe even make some new friends. If you are worried about being social, bring along a fellow person in recovery with you to help ease the social anxiety.

Try to Improve Your Health

We know, we know. We aren’t a big fan of the whole “new year, new me” movement either. You should always strive to be the best version of yourself. However, your physical health suffers so much when you drink or use. Therefore, it’s important to consider it when you are in recovery. Sobriety is about so much more than just not using, it’s about building a whole new life. 

Tell People About Your Recovery Goals

When making resolutions to be more active or to lose weight, you often hear of having what is called an “accountability buddy.” The whole point of an accountability buddy is that they keep you accountable when your resolve begins to slip and they are also someone who you can talk to about how you feel as you make this epic change. Another thing you can do is just tell your family and friends about your plans. Being accountable to someone makes it harder to slip up and return to old patterns.

Start a Gratitude Journal

If there is one thing that we as humans all have in common, it is our desire for happiness. We all have a different idea of what that means but positive psychology research is consistently associated with happiness. Focusing on all the things you don’t have will only contribute to the demise of your happiness. Try practicing a regular expression of gratitude, like writing in a journal. Doing so will help you stay grateful for the people and things which are already a part of your life. 

To be in that 8% of resolution champions, take time to think about the resolutions you set. Don’t come up with them on the fly, at a party, or off the cuff. Respect the New Year’s resolutions you create for yourself. Make them realistic, don’t isolate, ask for support, and work hard. 

One of the most common things a newbie asks about the 12 steps, is how long is this going to take?

It’s understandable. Even if you won’t admit it, we know you’re excited about recovery. Who wouldn’t be? But here’s the thing. 

“Everyone recovers at his or her own pace and experiences sobriety in his or her own time.”

In this post, we’re going to share some advice about the 12 steps and talk about how you can find a timeline that works for you. 

A Timeline for Working the 12 Steps

Table of Contents

What is the Twelve-step Program

What is the Best 12 Step Timeline?

When Should I Start Working the Steps?

How Long Should It Take Me to Complete Each Step?

When Should I Be Finished With Them?

Loved one struggling with addiction? Get our free family help guide here. 

What is the Twelve-step Program? 

Before we dive in, it might be helpful for you to know what the 12 steps actually are.

If you’re a newbie – that’s cool. Many people have come before you and have been in your exact situation.

The twelve-step program has been around for a long time and has helped hundreds and thousands of men and women overcome alcohol and drug addiction. They were first published in Alcoholics Anonymous (also known as The Big Book), which was written by Bill Wilson (known better as Bill W.) They were later adapted and applied to countless other recovery programs such as Narcotics Anonymous and Al-Anon. Many treatment facilities find that utilizing evidence-based behavioral therapy combined with 12 step program offers the best chance for people to maintain sobriety long-term. 

The 12 Steps of Recovery

Step one

We admitted we were powerless over our addiction – that our lives had become unmanageable.

Step two 

Came to believe that a Power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity.

Step three

Made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God as we understood God.

Step four

Made a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves.

Step five

Admitted to God, to ourselves and to another human being the exact nature of our wrongs.

Step six

Were entirely ready to have God remove all these defects of character.

Step seven

Humbly asked God to remove our shortcomings.

Step eight

Made a list of all persons we had harmed and became willing to make amends to them all.

Step nine

Made direct amends to such people wherever possible, except when to do so would injure them or others.

Step ten

Continued to take personal inventory and when we were wrong promptly admitted it.

Step eleven

Sought through prayer and meditation to improve our conscious contact with God as we understood God, praying only for knowledge of God’s will for us and the power to carry that out.

Step twelve

Having had a spiritual awakening as the result of these steps, we tried to carry this message to other addicts and to practice these principles in all our affairs.

If you want to learn more about the 12 steps and how to apply them so that they work for you – Jorge is your guy. He’s been there so he can tell you exactly how it works if you work it. Don’t forget to share with anyone that might find it helpful. More 12 step videos here.

What is the Best 12 Step Timeline?

In the early days, many people find that learning to live a life free from mood and mind-altering substances is demanding enough without worrying about step work. Others obsess about it and “should” all over themselves; thinking they “should” be feverishly working through the steps, even though they might not feel ready.

Nevertheless, newcomers often feel a need to attach a timeline to the recovery process in order to gain some insight into how the 12 step program works.

When Should I Start Working the Steps?

There are no “shoulds” when it comes to working the 12 steps.

There is no race. There is no rush. There is no hurry. There is no definite calendar when it comes to step work and – you guessed it – there is no timeline. Step work is something that comes in its own time and is completed in its own time. There is no guideline as to how long you should spend on each step or how long of a break you should take between steps.

Sometimes you even come back to steps long after you think you’re finished with them. Often people never stop working the steps but they just become ingrained in their everyday life. 

That being said, there are a few things to keep in mind. First, the 12 steps are where you will find healing, freedom, and serenity. Ultimately, you will find yourself experiencing a spiritual awakening as a result of working the steps. You will hear the message of recovery in meetings, but only when you work the steps will you truly experience recovery.

If you’ve never attended an AA meeting or an NA meeting and would like to know about meetings in your area, call 818.666.3083 and we’ll send you a directory. 

The Many Benefits of the 12 Steps

The 12 steps will help you overcome your powerlessness and unmanageability. The steps help you identify a higher power and teach you how to surrender to that power. They also help you get to know (and love) yourself. The steps also teach you to forgive others and show you how to seek forgiveness. In short, the 12 steps offer a magnificent journey that takes you from the depths of despair and sets you right with the world.

If you’re loved one is struggling with addiction, download our free family help guide here. 

Many people get a sponsor and start working the steps immediately. Some wait until they feel mentally and emotionally ready to do so. Just keep in mind that you need to work the steps in order to experience all the gifts sobriety has to offer. If you decide to wait to get to work, that’s okay –just don’t wait too long. Some people remain abstinent for years and never work a single step…..not a good idea. (After all, we are living and working a 12-step program, not a no-step program!)

Battling the disease of addiction/alcoholism is no small feat. It requires incredible strength, courage, and determination. Kudos to you for making the effort to better your life!

Marnie Rae is a proud working mom of three. She got sober about 15 years ago only to find that sober entertaining was incredibly difficult. She grew more than disappointed in her dining experiences whether at 5-star restaurants or bars. Why did none of these otherwise amazing establishments offer options to people who – for whatever reason – opted not to drink? So she decided to do something about it.

Alcohol is a mainstay of every holiday gathering and for a lot of people, it just feels weird not to serve it. If you’re hosting a holiday dinner or gathering this year and you’ve wondered how to be a good host to your sober guest, you’re not alone. 

We put together this list of dos and don’ts that will help you be the best host or hostess for your guests this year. 

Don’t Make a Big Deal Out of Your Friend’s Sobriety

Unless you’re Martha Stewart, if you’ve ever hosted a party, you’ve felt the stress associated with it. When you’re hosting a sober friend or family member for the first time (or the first few times), this can really add to the stress.

Should I not drink around them?  Should I not serve alcohol at all? Are there people I shouldn’t invite? What can I do to make sure this person isn’t triggered?

These concerns are coming from a good place and it’s awesome that you want to so actively support your friend’s commitment to sobriety. While you should definitely aim to be supportive, don’t risk an awkward moment by putting them in the hot seat. If they want to talk about their recovery and share it with everyone, they can do that. Be cool and leave it up to them. 

“Your alcoholic guests are responsible for their own recovery. You should certainly not offer them martinis, but beyond avoiding situations that would put them “on the spot” or embarrass them, your job is simply to make them welcome as you would any other guest.” – What…Me Sober?

Do Make Them Feel Comfortable

What you can do for your sober guests, is make them feel comfortable. Namely by treating them just as you would any other guest. 

“The most important piece of advice I can possibly give to a host who is concerned about hosting a party that will be attended by someone who no longer drinks is to treat that person exactly as you would any other guest at the party.” – Greg Kayko, The Kitchn

Don’t Offer Your Sober Guest Alcohol

This may seem like a no-brainer but you would be surprised by how necessary this reminder is. Some people will take it pretty hard if they know someone won’t be drinking. Why would you not want to drink? It baffles them. Don’t be this person. If your guest has let you know that they won’t be drinking, respect that. 

Do Serve Non-Alcoholic Beverages 

Some recovering alcoholics will tell you that they don’t mind just drinking water all night. Most will tell you that they need to at least have something in their hand to sip on that will distract them from the fact that they are not drinking. Everyone is different but as a host, try to have a few options on hand. A good tip: get something that looks like what everyone else is drinking. Sparkling apple cider looks a lot like champagne, for example. That way they can avoid having to answer the dreaded question, “Why aren’t you drinking?”

Sidebar: the non-alcoholic beverage industry has really expanded over the past few years and there are a ton of non-alcoholic drink options to keep everyone happy and comfortable.

Don’t Make the Whole Night All About Drinking

Surprise – there are ways to have fun without alcohol and a good hostess knows how to keep everyone comfortable and entertained. Play music or hire a DJ. Have old movies playing in the background. Keep a stack of board games out in the open so that people may feel free to start up a game. Organize a secret Santa (go white hat to make it even more interesting). 

Do Ask Your Sober Guest What They Need or Want

Depending on your relationship with this person, just call them and ask what they would want to drink for the party. Ask them how you can help them feel more comfortable. Or when they ask what they should bring, tell them to bring something they would like to drink. 

Don’t Make It About You

If your guest needs to leave early – don’t beg them to stay or ask them incessantly why they are leaving. They may feel uncomfortable being around alcohol or maybe they made a deal with themselves that they would leave before everyone starts getting drunk and annoying. The bottom line is that it probably has nothing at all to do with you or your amazing hosting abilities. 

Remember the key takeaways here: treat your sober friends like everyone else, don’t be overbearing, talk to them about it, and don’t make it about you. 

If you are worried about a friend or family member’s drinking, help is available. Call us at (818) 666-3083 to speak with one our addiction specialists about your options. 

*A Timeline for Working the 12 Steps* 

There are no “shoulds” when it comes to working the 12 steps. There is no race. There is no rush. There is no hurry. There is no definite calendar when it comes to step work and – you guessed it – there is no timeline. Step work is something that comes in its own time and is completed in its own time. There is no guideline as to how long you should spend on each step or how long of a break you should take between steps.