Any drug experts here know the signs of heroin use?

njscfan
Ok, this is a follow up to my prior post about weird encounters OTC with a dancer. I am sure anyone who read my prior post will think I'm mental for even thinking about this, but here goes.

As mentioned, I met a seemingly very nice and together dancer who, it turns out, had a ex-boyfriend who was a tad jealous, to put it mildly. I will spare you the details. Here's the real focus of my inquiry.

The angry ex-boyfriend insisted to me that the dancer is really a junkie, and that he was in the process of leaving her anyway because of her heroin habit, etc. My experience with serious drugs is pretty limted, and I've never known anyone (or at least I've never known I've known anyone) who used heroin.

My problem is in trying to figure out whether the boyfriend's accusation is true, or is made out of spite to get back at his ex.

Physically, she appears to be perfectly normal, healthy looking, so obvious signs of some form of degradation. She presents as being alert, coherent and well spoken. She does not seem to be sleepy, have slurred speech, funny looking eyes, agitated behavior. She always appears to have good hygiene. She also has various attibutes I would not normally associate with hard core drug use: (a) an apparently well groomed and well cared for pet; (b) lots of really expensive and very well maintained electronic equipment; (c) nice, clean, normal looking clothing; (d) a wallet that looks organized and filled with lots of identification.

On the negative side, she does seem to have a chaotic life. She seems to not have good relations with her relatives. She clearly cannot manage money. Some of this could be explained by her relationship with the ex-boyfriend (who does appear to be pretty psycho).

I realize many of you will say that whether she is a junkie is immaterial, given that regardless she presents a bundle of trouble. And you may be right.

Nonetheless, for anyone on this site who has had experience dealing with people with serious drug use, I am curious whether you think it is plausible that someone could be a major heroin user (according to the ex-boyfriend, several hits a day every day) and maintain this kind of front. Would that level of drug use manifest itself in some sort of overt physical or behavioral signs, or does it depend on the user?

Any insight (beyond telling me that I'm an idiot; I already know that) would be appreciated.

8 comments

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  • quimby
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    17 years ago
    NJSCFan - In my experience, there is no hard and fast rule to identify a horse addict. Just like there are (many)high-functioning alcoholics, there are high functioning addicts. In some ways it is easier than hiding alcoholism; junk users can be normally energetic and engaged when they are not (recently) high, and not too long since high.
    (It also helps if your not long-term, using huge amounts..)
    The biggest tip-off of heroin use is being broke all the time; sounds like she has that one. The 2nd biggest tip-off is to take her somewhere and stay with her constantly for 36 hours; she will sick and twitchy, and have a great story to get back home soon enough. Lastly, even if she is currently high-functioning, she will, at times, just crash for a few days.
    Of course, since most strippers (those not on heroin) are also up and down like I have described, maybe you should just wait for her to steal your television...

  • MisterGuy
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    17 years ago
    Other than checking WebMD, or something like that, to look for actual symptoms...someone who is abnormally thin is a good sign *sometimes* for drug use IMO.
  • harrydave
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    17 years ago
    I've been around a few recovering heroin users, and my GF has told me lots of real life stories. She was in the life for 5 years. A lot of users will go through phases. In the good times, they are clean, and the rest of their lives are apparently normal. In the bad times, they will disappear, be broke, get thin, tell lies, etc. A person high on heroin has pinpoint (very small) pupils even in dim lighting. Hard core heroin users always shoot up (snorting does not give them the more intense high), so the needle marks are somewhere, maybe between the toes if they want to hide it. I think the suggestion to keep tabs on her for 36 hours is right on. Heroin users hate getting sick when they are withdrawing. They will go to great lengths to get another fix. On the other hand, they are super sneaky, and need only 5 minutes in a bathroom to set things right. If, as her whacko BF says, she is using several times a day, then she would show evidence at times during the day, and her eating habits would be crappy. Addicts tend to go exclusively for sweet shit, like soda and candy. Good luck!
  • parodyman-->
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    17 years ago
    I eat soda and candy, FUCK I'm a junkie!
  • FONDL
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    17 years ago
    Njscfan, I think there are at least two problems with trying to answer your question. First, a lot of the symptoms that you can identify are also symptoms of a lot of other things she could have, so they really don't provide any kind of definitive answer. Second, drug users are notoriously good at hiding their habit from others. So as long as she isn't really screwed up most of the time there's probably no way for you to tell whether she's an addict or not.

    If I were you I'd focus on her behavior and not worry about the reasons for it. If her behavior is acceptable to you, continue the relationship. If it isn't, move on. I'd be more worried about the ex-BF, who sounds like he's crazy, than about whether or not she's an addict.
  • BobbyI
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    17 years ago
    If she is a heroin (or oxy) junkie she will start doing ANYTHING for money to get her fix. Stealing from friends, family. So if her close relationships are starting to deteriorate pretty good sign. Another sign will be that she will start doing OTC, and if you offer her enough money anything will be on the menu. Sorry to say, but I think most girls who are doing OTC are doing it to support a heroin, or, even more likely, OC habit.

    A personality trait that I've noticed is that OTC/heroin addicts tend to seem to be very nice, but do not have a good mechanism for dealing with conflict other than avoidance. OC/heroin is good for that. Shuts off your brain from thinking of unpleasant things. So if you were about to get evicted and had no place to sleep for the next week, and had also just learned you had cancer, the OC would shut down your brain enough that your "nod" would be very pleasant.
  • BobbyI
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    17 years ago
    I am going to have to disagree with FONDL here. As I say heroin/OC addicts seem very nice and sweet, and will win your affection and trust. Once they have that and they deem it is time they will steal from you to pay for their habit. Doesn't matter how close you are too them either. So it is important to know.
  • njscfan
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    17 years ago
    Well as my other posts state, it turns out Bobby and the other authors of cautionary notes were right. She is a junkie and, I tend to agree, would probably do anything to pay for her habit. Her boyfriend, in my book, actually turned out to be halfway decent, because he forcefully intervened to make sure I knew the truth. At any rate, all the signs of addiction proved to be correct. I hope Bobby is wrong, however, that all OTC encounters are fueled by a need for drugs.
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