Could Someone in Your Family Be Abusing Drugs? - How to Read the Signs
Would you recognize the signs if a family member or friend were abusing drugs? There are changes that show themselves in a person’s character and behavior when they first become addicted to drugs that are not always easy to pinpoint. Loved ones often attribute telltale signs to problems related to work, school or simply to a person being under too much stress.Some drugs produce a feeling of euphoria such as cocaine and marijuana. These can also bring about an artificial sense of well being. After the drug begins to wear off, there are subtle changes in mood and behavior such as irritability and anxiety that if you are not paying attention to could easily be missed.
When a loved one’s work performance or school performance starts to decline, this is just the beginning of the problems. Signs can include depression, hyperexcitability and periods of restlessness and sleepiness. The individual can become very run down and their general level of health can start to deteriorate at a fast rate.
The drug user often begins to spend money recklessly but is very evasive about where the money has gone. The person starts to miss work or school and the absences are left unexplained. There can be periods where the person spends a great deal of time away from home and refuses to divulge any of the particulars of their time away.
It is common for drug abusers to begin to withdraw from the people they used to enjoy spending time with and to show a lack of interest in their favorite pastimes. In fact many drug users develop lethargy and a general feeling of apathy toward their lives in general.
Other Classic Signs to Watch For
Be on the look out for these signs of drug abuse in a person you are close to:
-Small pupils in the eyes
-Withdrawal symptoms can take over if the person misses out on a dose (these can include sweating, nausea, vomiting, goose flesh, abdominal colic, diarrhea and generalized muscle pains)
-Sleep problems
-General restlessness
-Severe depression accompanied by thoughts of suicide
