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 “unusual” behavior can be written off as ‘he’s having a bad day’ or ‘it’s just her time of the month.’” Over time, these episodes turn into half-day, whole day and eventual everyday moods and attitudes. After a while, it’s all but impossible to ignore how much your loved one’s 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 person’s 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 one’s life, the addict can’t see past the next “high.” 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 addicts’ 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 person’s 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 who’s 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 drug’s take over a person’s 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.
According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, there is an addiction severity index. This index was first developed in 1980. In today’s world of addiction and addiction recovery, doctors sometimes have a difficult time deciding whether to put a patient on medications that are potentially addictive. Since the recent legislation penalizing doctors for prescribing….
Out of all of the treatment options available for helping you recover from a drug addiction, why should you consider a luxury drug rehab center? There are many reasons why this type of rehab center might be just the right fit for you, and help you find your path to sustainable recovery. 1. Reduce Stress….
Anytime you ask a question such as, “Does holistic rehab work?” there is a problem with coming up with a solid, and straight answer. This is because, there is no single, one-size-fits-all method of treatment or rehabilitation that will work for every addict and therefore there is no sure way to state whether holistic rehab….
Patients who are treated at local rehab centers undergo their rehabilitation in a safe environment that is in close proximity to their friends and family making them feel a little more at ease. For the recovering addict, there is a sense of ease knowing their surroundings, not that they are home but in an area….
When fighting alcohol dependence, many individuals need to spend at least 60 days in a rehab facility, sometimes more. Rehab is one of the most important parts of treating alcohol addiction, but it is not the final step. After leaving the facility, the individual must be able to transition well into daily life, or much….
A recent survey has found that more teens abuse alcohol and drugs for the first time during the summer than in any other time of the year. Teens are more likely to drink, smoke cigarettes, or try drugs when they are on summer break with the peak of these first time user situations occurring during….
Once you’ve decided to get help, you’ve chosen an inpatient drug rehab center for your treatment needs and you’ve decided on a date to be admitted to the program you’ll have to start packing your bags for your extended stay in treatment. What do you bring? Some things are not acceptable in inpatient drug rehab….
Addiction is a lifelong illness. Many people go through recovery and seem fine but when they leave the program, they quickly relapse. This leaves them right back where they started. Up until recently, there were very few options for help after rehab. Rehab only teaches people the skills they need to live without the addiction,….
Finding the best drug treatment program for an addict is like finding a needle in a haystack. There’s thousands of drug rehab programs both residential and outpatient but how do you choose the best one? Residential drug rehab programs are designed with the addict’s comfort in mind but each one is very different from the….
It is almost impossible to stop abusing heroin once you begin unless you choose to attend a professional rehab program and learn the skills you will need to end your heroin use. Call now to find rehab centers where you can safely recover from heroin addiction and to learn more about how Aetna Insurance can….
Calls to numbers on a specific treatment center listing will be routed to that treatment center. Calls to any general helpline will be answered or returned by one of the treatment providers listed, each of which is a paid advertiser.
By calling the helpline you agree to the terms of use. We do not receive any commission or fee that is dependent upon which treatment provider a caller chooses. There is no obligation to enter treatment.