Morphine - Symptoms and Warning Signs

Morphine is a godsend for those who suffer from chronic pain, but where does helpfulness stop and addiction begin? It’s actually very difficult to tell.

With most prescription drugs this line is very thin. It’s hard to tell if it’s helping your loved one through their pain, or if it’s the only thing helping them cope and their body can’t function without it. The good news is that there are some signs that the latter is the case.

As their loved one, it’s up to you to recognize these Morphine symptoms and warning signs and host an intervention to get them the help that they need before it’s too late.

1. Symptoms of Addiction to Morphine

Morphine addiction comes with a ton of both short-term and long-term symptoms that range in severity. The short-term effects are ones that could happen immediately and they include

The inability to concentrate
Nausea
Apathy
Drowsiness
Coma
Severe respiratory depression
Itchy skin
Dizziness
Hallucinations

If your loved one continues to abuse Morphine for a long period of time more negative effects may occur. These are the long-term effects and they include

Weakened Immune System
Mood disorders such as depression
Restlessness
Collapsed veins at the site of injection
Severe constipation
Confusion

Once your loved one starts using Morphine it is going to be almost impossible for them to stop even though they know it’s doing damage to their body. It’s not their fault, the drug changes how their brain works entirely by activating opioid receptors in their brain. It’s for this reason that it’s up to you to notice the signs that they are abusing and help them through it.

2. Warning Signs a Loved One May be Abusing Morphine

With prescription drugs like Morphine, it can be a little hard to tell if the person is addicted to it or not. However, just like any other prescription drug, if your loved one isn’t using it as directed it can lead to abuse. For example, Morphine is most of the time directed to be taken in the form of a tablet or syrup but some turn to injecting it to get more out of its euphoric effects.

Is My Child Using Morphine?

Believe it or not, there are actually a number of ways that your teenager could obtain morphine. Some either sneak it or obtain it from family members who have already had the drug prescribed to them. It’s also not very hard to get it from the internet.

Many teenagers don’t understand the dangers of even prescriptions so it’s up to you to discuss drugs with them. Talking to them and helping them understand that Morphine is addictive is one of the first steps in preventing them from abusing.

There are a few clear signs that your child may be abusing Morphine. For example, if you’ve had the drug prescribed to you notice that some of your doses have gone missing or if your child has started hanging out with people that you don’t recognize.

Is My Parent Using Morphine?

When they first start abusing they will show clear signs that can actually be easy to miss if you tell yourself that a prescription drug can’t hurt them. For example, they may injure themselves so they can see a doctor and get a new prescription. They may also fake an injury in hopes the doctor will believe them and prescribe the drug.

For parents that previously really cared about their appearance, you may notice that their hygiene suddenly takes a backburner. This is because they are spending most of their funds on buying the drug. So on top of not using the money for hygiene products, you might notice them get a little stingy when you ask them for your allowance if you’re a teenager.

Staying on the money topic, you may notice them stealing expensive products when they take you out shopping or they may suddenly start bringing home suspiciously expensive products. This is so they can sell them and fund the drug.

Your parent might start bringing home people that you’ve never seen before now. This change in friends or acquaintances is another clear sign. On top of this, you might notice them withdraw from their old friends or even their family.

The last sign is if you bring them to say a parent-teacher conference, they might suddenly have trouble paying attention to what the teacher is saying when in the past, they seemed to care and be very responsive to everything involving your education.

3. Intervention for Morphine Abuse

Many people who are abusing morphine don’t even realize they are doing it. All they know is that they no longer hurt. It’s because of this that it can be difficult to stage an intervention for them.

Even so, they might be willing to accept help if they see just how many people care and are worried about them. In other instances, they may deny having a problem and leave because again, it’s helping them cope with pain. It’s important that you are prepared for this scenario.