Morphine Abuse and Addiction: Symptoms & Warning Signs

When Does Drug Use Become Drug Abuse or Addiction?

What we know about drug addiction has evolved over the last several decades. We have come to understand that while millions of people use drugs, only a small number of them are already addicted or will eventually experience addiction. Understanding why that is so requires understanding how drug use becomes drug abuse and addiction.

There are people who use over-the-counter, prescription, and illicit drugs on a regular basis without ever losing control of their actions. They may use certain substances only at certain times or for specific reasons. These individuals can say ‘no’ to drugs just as easily as they say ‘yes’.

Drug use becomes drug abuse when the user begins losing control over his or her actions. In many cases, drug abuse is linked to some level of physical and/or psychological dependence. Note that dependence and addiction, be it to opiate drugs or other substances, are not considered the same thing by modern standards.

Drug abuse becomes drug addiction when the user loses all control over actions and decisions. The addict is driven by compulsion despite knowing that continuing to use drugs is destructive. No matter how many times the user goes through the up-and-down cycle of using and withdrawing, he or she cannot stop.

In addition to physical and psychological effects, morphine addiction also affects personal relationships. Those relationships suffer because the addict can no longer be depended on. Some cases of addiction create a violent environment, which further degrades strained relationships. Addicts can become isolated from their families and friends along the way.

Morphine addiction often leads to financial problems as well. Those problems may be exacerbated by the loss of the person’s job. That, in turn, could then lead to losing one’s home, car, and any other possessions. It could ultimately lead to a life of crime.

How it Can Change Your Loved One

We want to make it clear that drug abuse and addiction do not harm just you, as the user. They also harm your loved ones. Imagine your spouse or partner having to live with the stress of drug abuse and addiction. Your loved one may suffer guilt, too. Suffice to say that a loved one’s mental health can really be affected.

The stress of living with a drug addict can change your loved one’s outlook on life. He or she can go from having an upbeat disposition to always being unhappy. Your loved one could be overwhelmed by grief, sorrow, and a range of other emotions rooted in the inability to get you to stop using.

In short, drug abuse and addiction can transform a loved one from a helpful partner into a lonely victim. We have seen many cases in which family members were so adversely affected that they needed their own treatments. At the end of the day, that is really not a position you want to put your loved ones in.

Shifts in Behaviour

Loved ones suffer because addiction causes behavioural shifts in the person using drugs. Some behavioural changes are common to all types of addictions. Here is a brief list of some of them:

• Lack of interest in family activities
• Unreliability at work or school
• Loss of interest in personal appearance
• Gradual social isolation
• Defensiveness over substance use
• Spending more and more time obtaining or using drugs.

Some drugs are capable of producing more specific behavioural changes. Again, morphine can lead to brain damage as a result of hypoxia. That brain damage can manifest itself in many ways – from aggressive tendencies to general lethargy.

Over time, the brain gets so accustomed to dealing with morphine that it is no longer capable of maintaining the natural balance of brain chemicals. This leads to all sorts of things including dependence, addiction, and the behavioural changes associated with both.

Signs of an Overdose

Morphine overdose is rare when the drug is used under the direct supervision of a doctor. Outside of that supervision, overdose is possible when a person takes too much morphine at any given time. The signs of morphine overdose are easily recognisable if you know what to look for:

Overdose Prevention

A morphine overdose can be prevented very easily. It is a simple matter of not using the drug, at all, outside of the supervision of a doctor. Assuming the drug is given by way of prescription, following the instructions on the bottle will prevent an overdose from occurring.

Early Warning Signs of Teen Morphine Use

Parents who suspect their teens might be using morphine can look for a few early warning signs. First, pay attention to any complaints of regular constipation or unusual drowsiness. Both are physical side effects of morphine.

Common Physical Warning Signs of Morphine Addiction

Morphine produces recognisable physical symptoms that act as warning signs. At the top, the list is constipation, a side effect that occurs in up to 95% of morphine users. Other physical warning signs are as follows:

Common Emotional and Social Warning Signs of Morphine Addiction

Emotional and social warning signs are also present with morphine addiction. They include things such as:

Behavioural Warning Signs of Morphine Abuse

Morphine abuse often produces behavioural warning signs you might recognise in someone you know. For example, morphine abuse can lead to:

• personality changes
• significant changes in priorities
• poor mental performance and decision-making
• regular episodes of unexplained euphoria
• regular visits to the doctor and/or doctor shopping.

Those symptoms can include some or all of the following:

• Nausea & Vomiting – The way morphine affects the digestive system can lead to nausea and vomiting during withdrawal.
• Insomnia – Because morphine is a sedative, a person may have trouble sleeping during withdrawal.
• Sweating – With morphine withdrawal comes increased respiration and heart rate, both of which can raise body temperature and produce sweating.
• Agitation – Withdrawing from any drug with sedative effects can result in agitation while the brain adjusts.
• Anxiety – Withdrawal often produces anxiety as a result of psychological dependence.
• Cravings – Among all opiates, morphine tends to produce some of the strongest cravings. The body will want more morphine even as you are trying to give it less.

Frequently Asked Questions