Signs of Morphine Addiction

Recognizing the signs of morphine addiction can save your life.

Do you think that someone you love may be suffering from morphine addiction? Would you know how to spot the signs of morphine addiction if you saw them? Sometimes, the signs of addiction are right in front of us and yet we overlook them or attribute the changes in an individual’s life to other things—stress, depression, anxiety, cold or flu, being too busy. If you think that someone you love may be addicted to morphine, or if you know someone who uses morphine, consider these signs of morphine addiction a true example that it may be time to seek professional help!

Lack of Pleasure in Activities

Morphine addiction can make it difficult to have fun. When everything in life revolves around the drug and getting high, who has time to enjoy things like sports, family, hobbies or other activities of interest? One of the first signs of morphine addiction that a loved one or relative may notice is that a user no longer wants to spend time doing things that he or she once really enjoyed. This often leads to changes in friendships too as the user desires to spend time with others who are also using drugs rather than spend time with old friends or family members.

Tolerance

Morphine addiction can create an increased physical and psychological dependence that includes a greater tolerance to the drug. Tolerance is one of the very first signs of morphine addiction and is often recognized by the user long before a loved one is able to spot it. Regardless of who realizes that a tolerance has developed, the bottom line is—when tolerance to the drug increases and the user requires more and more morphine to produce the same effects, it’s time to seek help!

Withdrawal

Does your loved one get irritable, irrational, sick or otherwise upset if he or she doesn’t have morphine? Withdrawal is one of the most common signs of morphine addiction in users who are truly physically dependent on the drug. Morphine withdrawal symptoms can range in scope from relatively mild and easy to deal with to rather severe and very difficult to cope with. These symptoms will go away if the drug is used which is why many addicts turn back to drug use rather than remain sober; they are simply trying to get rid of the symptoms that they are feeling.

Habitual Use of the Drug

Various signs of morphine addiction can seem habitual but morphine addicts who come up with habits and ritualistic methods of using morphine are at the greatest danger and require immediate help. Morphine is widely known to be a habit forming drug and this habitual use is a sure sign of addiction. When a loved one or friend who is prescribed morphine spends his or her free time talking about, using or otherwise trying to secure more morphine for use instead of taking part in routine activities or tending to important priorities there is a problem at hand.

Finding Help

Morphine addiction, though dangerous and difficult to cope with is possible to overcome. While the challenges that present overcoming addiction and withdrawal symptoms can be very troublesome for the user and for those who care about them, help is available. Morphine addiction treatment programs are available to provide support, guidance, medical treatment and therapy for those who are addicted to morphine as well as to the friends, family members and loved ones of the addict shedding new light on life after recovery.