Drug abuse has an effect on everybody who struggles with it, no matter how hard they try to hide it. The signs can reflect in all areas of their life- the trick is to catch it as early on as possible so that the next best step can be taken back to recovery.
Here is a list of the 5 most common signs that somebody is suffering from drug abuse so that you can help too!
- One of the biggest signs is a decline either their work and/or school performance. When this is because of a drug problem, their main focus is suddenly sucked away from what they should be focusing on. Grades suddenly dropping or poor quality work is a social sign that something is not right.
- Another huge sign is a sudden onslaught of relationship problems. This includes family, friends, and even business relationships. This is usually for a couple of reasons. One may be because they don’t want anybody to find out, so they stay distant. Another reason could be that they have become so preoccupied with their addiction that interacting with other people comes after their need for drugs.
- A sudden change in personality is another sign to watch out for. Often this is when they are actually under the influence, but less drastic versions of attitude and personality do occur as an overall effect of drug abuse. A few keys to watch out for are: lying, moodiness, oversensitivity, forgetfulness, and a sudden lack of motivation.
- Secretive behavior or a sudden and excessive need for privacy points towards drug abuse because they need people to keep out of their business or else someone will find out what is really going on. They spend long periods of time by themselves or at least without telling anybody where they are. This can also be accompanied by a sudden change in clothing, and also in personal grooming habits.
- The most obvious sign to watch out for is intoxication, incoherency, bloodshot eyes or dilated pupils, smell of substances, and other physical indications that the person is under the influence, and noticing these symptoms often will indicate a frequent use of drugs.
Just because a person shows one or more of these symptoms does not mean that they are a drug user at all, but these are symptoms shown by the great majority of people struggling with a drug addiction.
Contact a qualified drug rehab today if you or a loved one is struggling with drug abuse.