The heroin addict may appear very functional and easily succeed in keeping others, especially co-workers or supervisors, from suspecting, or discovering the addiction. Active users may avoid overtime. They may characteristically become isolated and withdrawn as a way to prevent those who know them well from detecting symptoms of their drug use or withdrawal. As long as the addict can obtain and use the right amount of heroin in the right concentration at a predictable time, withdrawal symptoms can be avoided. However, this is not easy.
Withdrawal looks and feels like a bad case of the flu.
As a result, they may miss work, sometimes for several days. Intervention with the employee should be around job performance only. Diagnosing the employe would only exacerbate the problem. This publication is being shared with you by the Faculty and Staff Assistance Program and is a general guide on using FSAP services. The FrontLine Supervisor is not in any way related to the Frontline Leadership Program for supervisors that is presented by the Human Resources Division each year.