Q. He was a heavy heroin addict for 10+ years. Now he has sleep mania, hits himself, & calls me bad names when we argue. Is this from the drugs or mental problems from before? Can he change/heal?

Doctor Answer is medically reviewed by SecondMedic medical review team.

Answered by Secondmedic Expert

The answer to your question is complex and depends on several factors.

Firstly, it's important to consider the effects of long-term heroin use. This can lead to intense cravings and difficulty with impulse control, even after usage has ceased. Furthermore, addiction hijacks the brain’s reward system and can cause changes in mood regulation and behavior. These effects are often reversed as time passes but in some cases they may linger longer than expected.

On the other hand, there is a possibility that the issues you describe might have been present before he started using drugs; mental health problems such as depression or bipolar disorder typically present themselves early on in life - often during adolescence - so this should not be ruled out either. Substance abuse sometimes acts as a coping mechanism for underlying mental health problems which may have existed prior to addiction or emerged independently due to environmental factors like trauma or stressors outside of his own awareness. Therefore without a proper diagnosis it might be difficult assess whether these symptoms were drug-induced or predate his substance abuse period altogether.

In any case, it's important that he seeks appropriate medical help from both an addiction specialist and psychiatrist so they can address any underlying condition he may suffer from effectively – healing is certainly possible with adequate support from professionals who specialize in this field! It would also be beneficial if you could provide him with understanding throughout his journey towards recovery; pain self-management techniques such as mindfulness meditation have proven effective for many people dealing with anxiety/depression associated symptoms too!