If someone you love is displaying changes in behavior that make you suspect they are using drugs, they may need your help.
At first, it may be easy to overlook the signs of addiction in a loved one. Episodes of âunusualâ behavior can be written off as âheâs having a bad dayâ or âitâs just her time of the month.ââ Over time, these episodes turn into half-day, whole day and eventual everyday moods and attitudes. After a while, itâs all but impossible to ignore how much your loved oneâs changed and how his or her quality of life has declined.
According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, addiction operates as a chronic disease that takes over a personâs sense of self-control in the face of persistent drug cravings. While you and others may clearly see the effects of addiction in a loved oneâs life, the addict canât see past the next âhigh.â Being able to spot signs a loved one needs help during the early stages can go a long way towards stopping addiction in its tracks.
Here are the ten most common signs a loved one needs addiction help:
1. Changes in Appearance
Addiction not only alters addictsâ physical appearance, but also the way they take care of themselves. Key signs include disheveled or unkempt clothing, drastic changes in weight and a decline in overall health.
2. Loss of Interest
Activities once enjoyed become insignificant as addicts devote more and more time to getting and using drugs.
3. Neglecting Close Relationships
As addiction progresses, addicts start to neglect relationships with close friends and family; partly because of different interests and partly to hide their drug-using practices.
4. Mysterious Behaviors
When a loved one knows others disapprove of his or her behavior, he or she becomes more so secretive in order to avoid unpleasant interactions or having to explain their whereabouts and doings.
5. Isolative Behaviors
Addicts tend to isolate themselves from the people that know them best. Spending an unusual amount of time locked away in their rooms and away from others helps them better hide drug-using behaviors.
6. Drug Paraphernalia
Even the most discreet of addicts can leave the occasional pipe, razor blade or syringe lying unattended. Other types of drug paraphernalia to watch out for include:
Rolling papers
Bongs
Mirrors
Pieces of glass
7. Mood Swings
Ongoing drug use inevitably wears on a personâs overall demeanor and personality. Frequent mood swings result from the effects of drug use on brain chemical functions.
8. Extreme Behavior Displays
A loved one displaying behaviors that are out of character for him or her may well be using drugs. Extreme behaviors can take the form of:
Aggression
Violence
Giddiness
Unusual excitement
High energy levels
9. Problems Sleeping
Someone whoâs been using for a while will start to develop unusual sleep patterns. As brain functions continue to deteriorate, sleeping too much or not sleeping at all will become the norm rather than the exception.
10. Problems at Work
As drugâs take over a personâs reasoning processes, responsibilities like going to work will take on less and less importance. Calling in sick to work or not showing up at all starts to happen on an increasingly frequent basis.
Heroin is a severely addictive drug that causes dependence and withdrawal symptoms that are extremely intense and difficult to cope with. The dependence that develops as a result of heroin addiction and the fear associated with the painful withdrawal symptoms is ultimately what causes a heroin addict to avoid seeking treatment for heroin addiction at….
Addiction is more than an individual problem. It has repercussions across a broad range of family dynamics with health and social implications that have reached epidemic proportions. According to the 2013 National Survey on Drug Use and Health,” In 2013, an estimated 24.6 million Americans aged 12 or older were current (past month) illicit drug….
According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, drug addiction is a disease. Unfortunately, admitting you need treatment for this disease is very difficult. Once you admit your addiction, you there are many things that you have to take care of, one of which is finding the right rehab for you. You can do this….
If you think you are addicted to drugs or alcohol and need help them chances are you need to seek assistance at a drug rehab center but how will you know that drug rehab is the best option for you? How do you know that your addiction is serious enough to warrant the treatment that….
You may not be aware of all of the opportunities you have, let alone, where to find local drug rehabs. As the challenges of drug addiction and its consequences in society continue to become more clear and demanding, access to treatment becomes more available, affordable, and effective. Whoever you are and whatever your situation, regardless….
Youâre going to drug and alcohol treatment to get sober, but you know the statistics, and you know that rehab is not a guarantee of sobriety. But you want to give it the best shot, and to do that, here are 10 ways to help you get the most out of treatment. Focus on Recovery….
Even though most people seeking drug and alcohol treatment are lucky to get 28 days, thatâs not the ideal length of stay regardless of the severity of your addiction or your drug of choice. Short-term rehab is more often than not, completely insufficient for true drug and alcohol recovery. Because of the intensity of drug….
When you enter rehab you will quickly learn that the foundation of all types of addiction treatment is based on counseling. Rehab centers use many different types of counseling to ensure the complete recovery of those suffering from addiction to drugs or alcohol. In most cases you will encounter some combination of the following three….
As disparate as cocaine and alcohol may be in effect, cocaine and alcohol seemingly balance each other out, with one substance smoothing out the effects of the other. While the combined “high” produced by these two substances may feel pleasant, this combination can be deadly when ingested on a frequent basis. The holidays offer a….
When you’re addicted to drugs nothing else matters except finding the next fix, the next high or the next pill. When you realize that you are addicted and you want to get well, chances are you are so unfamiliar with the steps of drug recovery that the entire process may be overwhelming and you may….
Calls to numbers on a specific treatment center listing will be routed to that treatment center. Calls to any general helpline (non-facility specific 1-8XX numbers) could be forwarded to SAMHSA or a verified treatment provider. Calls are routed based on availability and geographic location.
The RehabCenters.com helpline is free, private, and confidential. There is no obligation to enter treatment. In some cases, RehabCenters.com could charge a small cost per call, to a licensed treatment center, a paid advertiser, this allows RehabCenters.com to offer free resources and information to those in need. We do not receive any commission or fee that is dependent upon which treatment provider a caller chooses.