What to Do If You Suspect a Loved One Is Using Fentanyl

California’s fentanyl crisis has created an increasingly worrying situation in recent times, with roughly 4,000 Californians losing their lives due to overdosing each year and thousands more experiencing life-changing issues as a result of their addictions. 

Professional fentanyl addiction treatment in San Diego gives those with substance use disorders the best chance of regaining control of their lives. However, many individuals living with fentanyl addiction will not seek help by themselves. If you suspect that a loved one is using fentanyl, it’s imperative that you are able to recognize the signs and implement a quick response.

When dealing with a loved one using fentanyl, the best thing you can do is offer them support with a compassionate and informed approach. Below, we share what that looks like.

Signs and Symptoms of Fentanyl Use

While fentanyl can be used to treat chronic pain for a wide range of health conditions, it is often misused. The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration states that it is roughly 100 times more potent than morphine and can, in some instances, be fatal. Worse still, many individuals who develop an addiction use illicit fentanyl, which significantly increases the risk of overdose.

As with any opioid dependence, loved ones living with a fentanyl addiction will try to hide their usage. Therefore, it’s important to know how to spot the signs of potential addiction. These include:

• Confusion
• Constricted pupils
• Drowsiness
• Euphoric behavior
• Itching and scratching
• Mood swings
• Neglect of responsibilities
• Secretive behavior
• Shallow breathing
• Significant weight change

You may also notice that your loved one visits multiple doctors to gain prescriptions. Due to its potency, fentanyl addiction may emerge and develop far quicker than other opioid addictions like heroin addiction, which is why seeking fentanyl addiction treatment at the earliest stage is vital.

Have a Calm and Compassionate Conversation

Fentanyl addiction is driven by two separate brain circuits, making it a difficult dependence to break. With the right support, though, your loved one can get their life back on track. Admitting that they have an addiction is often the hardest step of all, which is why the conversations held during the initial intervention stage carry great significance. Here’s what we recommend:

Prepare yourself emotionally for the conversation

When discussing a loved one’s fentanyl addiction, you must be ready for denial or angry responses. Whether they break down or try to blame you, this can be a very taxing conversation. The key is not to take things personally and remain strong for your loved one at a time when they need you.

Approach the subject with empathy, avoiding blame or judgment

The goal of the intervention is to put your loved one on the road to recovery. Therefore, you must focus on the future and the positive impact that fentanyl addiction treatment will bring. You cannot change the past, so judging or blaming your loved one for their addiction serves little purpose. Keep the conversation focused on the support, freedom, and joy they can gain.

Ask open-ended questions to create an environment of trust

Your loved one needs to be able to trust you if they’re going to allow you to influence their decision about whether or not to seek treatment. Therefore, you must create this positive environment by asking open-ended questions. It will enable them to express themselves without judgment and open up at a comfortable pace. Likewise, it’ll provide you with valuable insights.

Encourage honest communication and listen actively

While family involvement can play a key role in the admissions process, your loved one must also want help for themselves. Sometimes, talking through the situation leads them to decide to pursue recovery. Active listening is essential, as it gives you a chance to understand everything from how the addiction manifested itself to the underlying reasons, their current fears, and their source of inspiration to start their recovery. 

Encourage Residential Treatment

Those with substance use disorders often feel that they could stop using the drug whenever they’d like to in the early stages of addiction. However, this quickly changes, which is why an early intervention followed by professional fentanyl addiction treatment is essential. The benefits of this approach include a faster and easier road to recovery while the damage caused to your loved one’s health, finances, relationships, and more will be less severe.

Encouraging your loved one to seek residential treatment can help them experience these benefits. At Jackson House Recovery Centers, our program typically includes these stages:

• Supervised withdrawal to handle the initial withdrawal symptoms
• Residential treatment to start living without using fentanyl
• Outpatient treatment to resume daily life without fentanyl
• Discharge and aftercare to maintain sobriety

Educate Yourself on Fentanyl and Its Dangers

When facing a fentanyl addiction, your loved one needs to know that they are not alone. While your emotional support is a telling feature, they will gain far greater comfort if you actually understand what they are going through.

Fentanyl blocks certain signals from the brain to the rest of the body, which can remove feelings of pain as well as symptoms of anxiety. The strong potency levels mean that this response happens very quickly and effectively. While designed for pain relief following surgery or other medical issues, many people fall into the trap of seeking this outcome outside of fentanyl’s intended purpose.

It should also be noted that fentanyl is often included in heroin and other illicit opioids because it is cheaper, meaning greater profits for the dealer. As a loved one, then, you must remember that the addiction may have stemmed from a genuine medical prescription or as a result of fentanyl being used in other substances. Even so, its potency makes accidental overdose a serious threat. Helping your loved one beat the addiction is the only way to prevent this.

Have a Plan for Overdose Prevention and Emergency Situations

If you have noticed the signs and symptoms of fentanyl addiction in a loved one, the hope is that you can get them professional help before any major incidents occur. However, you should also be prepared for emergencies.

Carrying naloxone (Narcan) is a great starting point, as it can reverse opioid overdoses, making it a potentially life-saving resource. If you are going to act fast, you must also recognize the signs of fentanyl overdoses. The most notable are a loss of consciousness, alarmingly shallow breathing, choking, limpness, and discolored lips. 

If you suspect that your loved one has overdosed on fentanyl, you should complete the following steps in this order:

• Administer Narcan
• Call for an ambulance
• Complete CPR to restore consciousness

Be Supportive, but Set Boundaries

Whether a loved one has experienced an overdose or not, your ongoing assistance should be supportive but with clear boundaries. Contrary to what some people may think, there are ways to support an addict without enabling them. Once you have stopped the situation from worsening, it is possible to focus on positive steps.

Boundaries aren’t only necessary for your loved one. They are equally vital for you. Aside from protecting your emotional state, you’ll know when your loved one isn’t taking their recovery seriously or has disrespected your role. In turn, you’ll be able to take the right approach.

It can be exhausting to care for a loved one with a fentanyl addiction. Know that counseling and support groups for caregivers or family members affected by addiction are available. Seeking support for yourself is the best way to ensure you can show up for your loved one in the way that you want to.

Fentanyl Addiction Treatment in San Diego

Fentanyl addiction is a serious problem that can ruin or even end lives. Therefore, recognizing the signs early on and taking immediate action is the only way to give your loved one the support they need. Fortunately, you are not alone on this journey. Our experienced specialists are trained to guide your loved one through every stage of recovery with compassion.

To learn more about admissions or our treatment options, contact the JHRC team today.

27 Dec 2024

• Sobriety