Heroin Addiction Signs Symptoms

Adam’s Addiction Began Early

Addiction was a problem long before Adam ever picked up his first drug. While not a substance, Adam’s addiction was a behavioral addiction: video games. Throughout his childhood, he would play games all day, obsess about them during school, and dream about them at night. While his friends would play for a few hours and then get bored and do something else, he would play for 8 hours or more and still want to play. It consumed his every waking moment.

In Junior High, Adam began smoking what he called “a little harmless weed.” What he didn’t realize at the time, of course, was that this opening the door to further behavior and an entire lifestyle; one that would possess and control him for years to come. As one might expect, it wasn’t long before Adam began drinking with friends, smoking weed before school, partying at night, and experimenting with drugs like cocaine, ecstasy, and mushrooms. His junior year in high school, Adam got caught with five pipes and a bottle of vodka in his car, leading to his expulsion from that school.

Adam then went to an alternative school for a semester where he met more kids like him: kids who drank, smoked weed, and partied a lot. When the semester was over and Adam went back to his own school, he didn’t change at all. Instead, he just learned not to keep his drugs in his car. He still drank, he still smoked, and he just kept right on doing what he always had done. After all, it didn’t effect his grades, seeing as he graduated with a 3.8, so he felt that it wasn’t a big deal.

Looking back, it was kind of crazy. 16-17, snorting cocaine, drinking absurd amounts of alcohol, and always wanting more. That was the thing, I always wanted more.

During the second semester of his senior year in high school, Adam’s girlfriend got pregnant, which threw a curveball into his life plans. She knew who he was and what he did and wanted him to get clean or “grow up.” At 18 years old, Adam was nowhere near ready for that, so he would say he would quit, but would sneak around, drinking and smoking. The day his baby was born, the first thing Adam did when they brought the baby home was call a friend over and they got high on his balcony.

Realizing he couldn’t support a family working as a cook at a little Asian restaurant, Adam decided to go back to school to become a pharmacy technician. Moving back in with family, while initially seemed like a good idea to lessen bills, proved taxing and caused his girlfriend to move out, living back with her grandparents. Adam did not follow, thinking it would blow over, but it didn’t.

Rather than be saddened over losing his family, however, Adam felt a sense of freedom. With no girlfriend to tie him down, no baby to take care of, Adam could do whatever he wanted, feed his addiction, and there was nobody to tell him not to. He was working full time, going to school full time, and partying full time.

Professional Problems Lead to a Problematic Profession

Once he got his certification, Adam worked at a pharmacy, but had several problems there. Between drunken yelling at a Christmas party, hours of anger management, and a DUI, Adam still didn’t think there was anything wrong with what he was doing. He lost his job at that hospital but found another a few months later where he first discovered Oxycontins. From the first time he tried them, he was hooked. Perhaps not from a physical standpoint, but psychologically, they gave him exactly the feeling he was looking for.

Working in a pharmacy at a hospital, Adam began stealing in order to get his fix. He’d pocket any kind of opiate he could get his hands on, even stealing money when the opportunity would arise, even though he wasn’t having financial troubles. The hospital suspected Adam of stealing, and even though they never caught him with anything, they wanted him to take a drug test. Wanting to sneak out to his car where he had fake urine, leaving the office automatically failed him and Adam lost his job at the hospital.

After that, Adam got fired from another pharmacy job for being missing most of the time, disappearing for hours on end. Shortly after, he attempted to forge a prescription to get pills which resulted in him being arrested by two Mesa police officers. He bailed out, went to his court date, picked up his car, and went straight to his dealer’s house to pick up and use again.

Unable to keep a job due to his drug addiction, Adam started hustling. Knowing people who had pills and people who wanted pills, he did this for a long time, selling drugs to make his way until a day came that he couldn’t get his hands on any. Adam called up an old friend who told him he couldn’t get any pills but he could get him some heroin. At first Adam refused, having told himself he would never cross that line, never do heroin. Barely a few hours later as he’s getting more and more sick, he called his friend back and asked for the heroin.

After spending $150 a day on pills, Adam smoked $20 worth of heroin and was able to get the high he was chasing. From this point forward, things went from bad to worse. Adam found another job as a cook and his first paycheck went straight to heroin. He stole from his mother, he stole from his little sister, he pawned his things, he pawned their things, whatever he had to do.

At this point it didn’t matter. I had to have it. I didn’t want to have it I had to have it. It ceased to be a luxury, now it was a necessity. I had to have it to function. I couldn’t do anything without it and I would do whatever I had to do to get it.

Eventually Adam reached a point where he knew he needed help and checked himself into a detox facility. His mistake, however, was in believing that the opiates were his problem and that if he could get off the opiates, he could still smoke weed and drink. Adam successfully got off the opiates for a while, selling drugs without using them until one of his clients offered him some. Without even thinking about it, Adam accepted and was right back where he started.

At The Darkest Hour, Adam Found the Light

As things continued to spiral downward, Adam found himself kicked out of his home and decided to leave Arizona behind, going to Texas to stay with his grandparents. Unfortunately, his behavior didn’t change with the scenery as he hoped it would and he was still smoking, drinking, and stealing. Kicked out of his grandparents’ place, he had no place to go but back home to Phoenix.

On the road, just an hour outside of Albuquerque, his car broke down. The tow truck was supposedly just down the road, claimed to be there in thirty minutes. Adam was left waiting in the middle of the night, in the middle of nowhere, for three hours. During this time, he did a lot of soul searching.

The last thing my grandfather said before I left his house was “I hope I see you get better before I die.” Those words really stuck out to me.

On the bus back to Phoenix, Adam got a call from his older brother and they spoke about what happened. His brother told Adam he could stay at his place that night if he checked into a treatment facility the next morning. He struggled for a while, trying to find an inpatient facility that had room for him that his insurance company would cover.

Update:

Eventually, Adam found A Better Today and worked through a 12-step program. Working there for about a year, Adam found he wasn’t thinking about getting high anymore, he had peace of mind, and his life was healthy and whole. Just because he was clean, doesn’t mean things got easy for him. Adam still struggled with day-to-day issues, but he was able to handle them in a healthy way, without drugs, without addiction controlling his life, and building his life around his recovery instead of trying to build his recovery around his life.

You don’t have to have drugs to be okay. I know it feels that way, I know there’s heartache and trouble and all kinds of disappointment that you feel within yourself but there is a new way to live. You can be happier than you could ever imagine, you can have fun, you can do what you want to do without the use of drugs. You can enjoy life the way life’s intended to be enjoyed.

51 comments
  1. Getting out of the addiction that Adam was in needs some great willpower, because he became very addictive till then when his grandfather said him those words. But, the line motivated him and this is the most important thing to overcome a addiction.

  2. Wow, this are stories worth sharing to everyone going through this hard time getting clean. It’s very possible and here is a testimony. I hope your ground father see this day you clean. Thanks for sharing man

  3. When one start craving for one thing badly no matter the cost, that thing needs to be checked. So touching and story and also a good one for everyone going through an hard time getting clean. My advice, it is possible

  4. I saw a video of a similar story. I guess it is safe to say that the symptoms will and should be the same? His addiction like with this guy also began early? which is a common trait for all users. In any case at least he is looking good now. Thanks for sharing!!!!

  5. This is huge and I am happy for the change you eventually got. Cutting out toxic friends also fasten the process and a sign to know who will need our help. You don’t need drugs to feel okay, please

  6. This article is really helpful for Heroin addicts so that they even get to know that they are in some serious trouble. They can get help after knowing about their addiction symptoms.

  7. Alit of people have lost their life through fight on addiction, not knowing the way out of this deadly act. Its a luck he even survived during the high school years. Thanks for sharing this great post.

  8. This article is quite encouraging. Above all determination is the key to any success. Self awareness leads to determination, while determination leads to consistency, while consistency leads to great success.

  9. This sounds funny but its the big truth, that professional problems lead to a problematic profession. I think people will stay away from hard drugs and the likes. I addiction kills if not tackled at early stage.

  10. I think more should be done on creating awareness to the teens on the effect of taking in drugs, that shit ruin lifes and I also think adams parents should have done more for him b4 he got do much into drugs but anyway thank God he is passed that stage and he is better.

  11. Thanks for the huge change. Leaving or changing friends that are into addict most time help in changing one’s life.

    1. Adam’s story reminds me of a lecturer who always come to class drunk. When you have addiction problem, it will affect your job, so I’m not surprised that Adam got fired from a couple of jobs. It’s good to know that you are getting your life together. We all struggle with issues everyday and handling them in a healthy way without drugs is the best way to go. Glad to know you are building your life and doing great.

  12. This is a good testimony worth sharing from Adam. It takes a great and strong determination to be totally free from taken hard drugs

  13. It’s better to stop addiction early enough in one’s life. Addiction kills if not we’ll many and try to run from it at early stage.

  14. This story is very touching. Whenever someone starts to hunt for something, no matter how expensive that item may be, it should be tested.

  15. This is a great lesson for parents to properly guide their children. Adam’s life wouldn’t have been deteriorate like that if he has been properly monitored. Thank God that he sought help.

  16. This is a sincere revelation from the experience as regards heroin addiction. It is better not to get involved at all because it is always the intervention of God that makes people free from it holds.

  17. We do not need drugs to be okay! I agree. The only issue with that is that we realize that fact late. I understand, though, because some lessons are needed for us to fall before we get back up.

  18. Lesson learnt here you don’t have to be on drugs to be okay. It is good to quit when you can. You would do better with your life

  19. Words on marble, you can live and enjoy live you intended without the use of drugs. This is what we should all know because it is the plain truth

  20. Adam Story is quit a very touching one, I’m so glad he was able to shear his story with us. God bless you Adam keep on going.

  21. Addiction wastes useful years of one’s life. It is only God who can help one to recover the lost years. Provided one knows Him.

  22. We all Need to be informed on the Symptoms of Heroin Addiction.
    It is better to Treat Oneself or Help someone who’s just getting addicted at the Early stage.

  23. A person who does not have any support from his family or peers is the most vulnerable. These things can, most of the time, be avoided if only we will be honest and supportive of our family and friends. Being able to understand and putting yourself into their shoes is also helpful.

  24. Great Article!
    More Contents like this should be created and Spread across to Inform everyone on the symptoms and Dangers of Heroin Addiction.

  25. The revelation from Adam is enough for anyone who has been addicted for years to quit. Thanks to Detox to rehab.

  26. Your story is so pathetic Adams. Drug abuse at an early stage of life is really bad that if not properly handled can lead to loss of life. I’m happy for you that at the end, you are sober.

  27. It really shows this 12-step program really works no matter the extremity. Just key into it judiciously and see how the turnaround comes gradually. Keep soaring positively Adam.

  28. This is what you tag nothing is impossible. The story is as motivating as it can be. If he can find sobriety then any victim of addiction out there can.

  29. Adam is a typical example of what is happening in the society today. People get addicted easily. But, thank God he is strong enough to scale through.

  30. Leaving or changing friends that are into addict most time help in changing one’s life. It’s very possible and here is a testimony. This is huge and I am happy for the change you eventually got. I hope your ground father see this day you clean.

    1. The more people are aware of the dangers or even the signs and symptoms of any drug substance, the better. Glad Adam is getting himself back together

  31. Love and agree with the statements in the last captioned message. You don’t have to use drugs to have fun. I used to think drugs made life fun, myself but after I stopped using I have fun even more and without hangovers or memory lapse.

  32. Thank you Detax to rehab for sharing these type of stories with all of us.These stories are really very much inspirational for many people.

  33. Your journey of life so complicated,but I believe you can exit from your dark live,and I really happy for you,for your efforts, your struggle,and finally you live in your really really good way

  34. Very informative article, we can help the people who is introvert and don’t tell the world their story of addiction and help out to get rehab.

  35. There are several ways to enjoy your life, taking drugs isn’t one of them. Adam did himself good by going in for recovery.

  36. Trying to understand the signs of addiction sometimes can get a bit tricky (and a bit of stubbornness believing one’s life is still normal and it’s not affecting life in any big way), and it really took a lot for Adam to finally admit that he has an addiction and seek the help that he needed without the use of drugs in any way. It really proves that, with the right determination to get better and with help from loving family and friends, plus professional help a heroin addict would gradually become better and recover remarkably at one’s pace.

  37. It’s interesting that being addicted to things like video games can symbolize addiction problems in later years. I found the write up very informative.

  38. Well, I have noticed that some people are more susceptible to addictions. In this case, this guy was already addicted to video games. My case is also quite similar. I am a sugar addict and a sex addict. If we are vulnerable to one addiction, we automatically become vulnerable to other kind of addictions as well.

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