Drug Addiction Signs
Wondering if your kids or their friends have a problem with drugs? What are the drug addiction signs?
Top 10 Drug Addiction Signs
1. Loss of Interest - Apathy - Complacency:
Teens get tired as they go through these growing years, but if your youth is someone who is normally quite active and involved in a number of things suddenly loses interest in everything, this may be a sign. Make sure you're involved in your kids lives daily so that you can see any changes that occur.
Hobbies, talents, and skills that they normally enjoy, will no longer seem interesting. It isn't that those things are no longer important to them. It is that their attention is turned to feeding the impulse of drug abuse and addiction. The individual will be apathetic towards things they used to feel very strongly about. This includes anything of interest, including people.
2. Physical Drug Addiction Signs - Noticeable:
When an someone uses drugs, there are a number of noticeable physical signs that can be picked up on.
blood Shot (red) eyes
dilated pupils
sniffling
itching
injection marks
puffy face
unusual skin color
A person can go to great lengths to hide these indicators, however, if complacency has set in, they may not be so committed to hiding their use from others.
3. Change in Physical Appearance:
-weight loss
-weight gain
-appearances
(as complacency sets in someone who used to take a lot of pride in physical appearance can change rapidly)
4. Discovering Drug Paraphernalia:
Many drugs require articles to compliment use.
Cigarette wrapping papers
pipes
syringes
lighters
burnt spoons
bongs (glass or pottery made items used for smoking marijuana)
razor blades and cutting surfaces (like mirrors or glass)
Also watch for eye clearing wash. Some drugs of abuse can cause blood shot eyes and dilated pupils. The eye clearing wash is a quick fix it of eliminating this problem. Now most people have eye wash, but an inordinate amount of the stuff is an indicator.
5. Rapid Mood Swings:
When determining rapid mood swings you must take into consideration what is normal for your teen.
Someone who is usually calm and collected can be ultra hyper and out of control. Someone who is usually pleasant and upbeat can be miserably depressed.
Erratic mood swings from one end of the spectrum to the other can also be caused by drug abuse. If these things are strangely not the norm, chances are you are dealing with a case of drug abuse and addiction, or similar problem.
6. Reclusive and Private Behavior:
Another behavioral issue that is common in drug abuse is one of a reclusive nature. Drug abuse and addiction is very isolating.
Ask yourself, and be home enough to notice, if:
Does my child spend a lot of time in there room lately?
Do they lock there room on leaving and entering?
Do they seem bottled up when you ask them questions?
7. Rapid Change in What is Considered "Normal" For the individual:
This is a notice in a rapid change in daily routine. Cutting out on work, school, and home life are indicators of a change in routine.
An increase in medical conditions is also indicator of abnormal behaviors. Prescription drug abuse is a growing concern in society. Medical conditions are an easy way to obtain prescriptions that are abused.
8. Erratic Behaviors and Emotions:
* overly sensitive about things - particularly when it comes to the subject of drugs, abuse, and similar topics
* defensiveness
* aggressive mood swings
* argumentative - They will find a way to turn the emphasis away from their problem and onto something else.
9. Sleep Habits:
Drug abuse and addiction plays havoc on sleep habits. If your youth is keeping weird hours, staying up late, or overly sleeping, these are possible indicators.
With some stimulants, the person must stay up for lengthy amounts of time to maintain the high. This also can result in a crash and excessive sleep. Depressant drugs also induce sleep. Erratic sleep habits are an indicator or potential drug abuse and possibly chemical dependence.
10. Change in Friendships:
Has your youth suddenly started hanging out with an older or different crowd of friends? Traffickers need fresh, naive buyers to gain the trust of, so they can get them hooked.
Do you know who your kids friends really are?
Do you know their parents?
Investigate and get Empowered.
Despite what addicts say and no matter how good their intentions, most of their behaviors are directed towards sustaining their addiction.
Denial, lying, manipulation, defensiveness, anger, telling you what you want to hear and isolation are the 'tools of choice' for the addict and they are able to use these tools with uncanny expertise.
This is why efforts to get a loved one to address the problem are met with resistance at every turn. Prevention is the key.