How to Tell if Someone Is Using Drugs
The suspicion that someone you care about might be using drugs can be frightening, particularly if that person is your child. Understanding the signs and symptoms of drug abuse can help guide you in the best path to take to get help. The last thing a parent wants to do is falsely accuse their child of doing drugs, but the first thing they need to do if drug abuse is present is to get help immediately. If you suspect a friend is using, you may have to be willing to intervene. There are many social, physical and psychological signs that are possible indicators of drug use, reports Mayo Clinic.
What Are Indicators of Drug Abuse?
Some of the social indicators you might notice include:
- A sudden change in friends
- Acting secretively and lying about activities
- Aggressiveness or unusual fighting with family members or coworkers
- Giving up favorite events, such as sports and hobbies
- Loss of interest in school or work
Physical indicators may include:
- Loss of appetite
- Poor hygiene
- Difficulty sleeping or sleeping too much
- Lack of energy
- Unusual marks on the body or stains on clothes
- Presence of a strong chemical odor on the body or clothes
- Red, irritated eyes
Possible psychological indicators include:
- Difficulty concentrating
- Depression
- Mood swings
- Paranoia
- Confusion
- Memory loss
What About Prescription Drugs?
Although the results on the body are just as serious as illegal drugs, the idea that prescription drugs are safe is prevalent, especially among teens. Addiction to prescription medications may be harder to identify than those of street drugs, simply because of the method of obtaining and use. Some painkillers and sedatives can become addictive with prolonged use, which requires regularly increasing the dosage to obtain the same medicinal effect. If you or someone you care about is running out of a prescription before time to refill, that’s a good sign that it’s time to contact the doctor for a visit to discuss addiction and alternative symptom control.
It is illegal and unsafe to use any prescription medication that is prescribed for someone else. One of the telltale signs of drug use is when narcotics, sleep aids and stimulants in your medicine cabinet begin to disappear. Teens and other abusers have found that alternate ways of using these drugs provide a result as good as or better than street drugs. What they don’t realize, however, is that just because it is a prescription medication doesn’t mean it can’t be deadly if used improperly.
Look for Ways to Communicate
If you suspect someone is using drugs, you will likely not get a true answer if you approach them bluntly. While some may admit to using, many will succumb to the impulse to lie about their condition. In this case, you must look at the signs that alerted you to the possibility of drug use in the first place and not put a lot of credibility in their words. Allowing them to convince you that no drugs are involved only reinforces the control of the drugs in their system. In your discussions about drug use, refrain from placing blame or becoming accusative. Instead, focus on your concern for them as a person.