Recognizing the signs of drug use and addiction can help you guide a loved one toward recovery. People with substance use disorders typically try to hide their symptoms, making it more challenging to notice when someone needs specialized care. However, you can recognize the warning signs more easily when you know what to look for.
Understanding the immediate signs of drug use is important because consumption can quickly lead to a substance use disorder. Your loved one may be under the influence if you notice the following symptoms:
While obvious signs such as slurred speech and bloodshot eyes can indicate drug use, additional behavioral, mental, emotional and social signs may mean your loved one has developed a substance use disorder. Your loved one may hide their symptoms or avoid you while under the influence, so it's important to recognize signs of addiction.
Look for the following signs of drug addiction to determine if your loved one needs help:
In addition to physical intoxication symptoms, the following signs can indicate someone uses drugs regularly and has developed a substance use disorder:
Drug use changes brain chemistry, and you may notice a loved one gradually needing more of a substance to feel the same sensations. Mental health and addiction professionals refer to this phenomenon as tolerance.
Drugs flood the brain's reward circuit with chemicals like dopamine and serotonin, producing intense positive emotions and pleasant feelings. As a person's substance use continues, their brain adjusts to the changes and reduces the reward circuit's response to the drug. The amount they started using may no longer cause the euphoric feelings they seek, motivating them to use higher amounts.
Your loved one may have an addiction if you notice them using higher amounts of an illegal substance or misusing a prescription substance.
A person with an addiction may experience sudden mood swings and unexplained personality changes. They may appear calm, happy or excited when they are under the influence and display intense irritability or angry outbursts when the drug wears off. If you notice your loved one acting differently than they previously did or exhibiting unexplained mood swings, they may have an addiction.
A loved one with an addiction may also display unexplained fear, paranoia or anxiety. Anxiety is a common drug and alcohol withdrawal symptom, so your loved one may appear overly anxious when they are sober. A person may also appear overly fearful or jumpy while under the influence of a drug because some substances, such as hallucinogens, can cause temporary or long-term paranoia.
A friend, partner or family member who uses drugs may hide them in the following places and objects:
While hidden drugs are the most significant indicator of addiction, you should also look for drug paraphernalia if you suspect a loved one needs intervention and help. Items such as lighters, needles, syringes, bongs, burnt spoons, broken glass, pipes, vape pen wrappers and cartridges and excessive amounts of eyewash solutions are often signs of addiction.
Drug use and substance use disorder can affect an individual's family and romantic relationships. Often, people experiencing substance use disorders prioritize drugs over the people they care about because of their intense physical and mental dependence. Your loved one may cause conflict with family members due to their mood and personality changes, potentially damaging connections with their nearest and dearest. They might also treat you or others differently than they used to, leading to strained relationships.
In addition to relationship complications, someone in the throes of addiction may exhibit sudden changes in their social connections. They may abandon their favorite hobbies and relationships to spend time on unhealthy activities. They might lose friends due to their drug use or avoid specific people to hide their addiction. If your loved one suddenly shows little to no interest in activities they used to enjoy, they could be using their time to buy and use drugs.
A person with addiction may display symptoms resembling depression or mania. Stimulants like cocaine and amphetamines can cause bursts of intense energy or physical activity, and a person may feel lethargic and unenthusiastic when one of these drugs wears off. In contrast, methamphetamines and marijuana can significantly lower motivation during and after use, causing a person to appear “spaced out” or excessively tired.
You may notice the following behavioral changes if your loved one is hiding an addiction:
If your partner, friend or family member has a substance use disorder, they may engage in high-risk behaviors and find themselves in legal trouble. Driving under the influence and theft are typical consequences of addiction because substance use impairs judgment, and a person may steal money or valuable items to pay for drugs.
Another sign your loved one may have a substance use disorder is suspicious or secretive behavior. They might communicate less than usual, spend more time alone or provide little detail about their actions. It may be time to talk to your friend, partner or family member about their behavior if they seem excessively withdrawn or closed off.
Substance misuse causes people to prioritize drugs over every other facet of their lives, including their responsibilities. If your friend, partner or loved one has an addiction, they may gradually neglect obligations such as attending school, showing up to work regularly, paying their bills or caring for their children.
Ignoring responsibilities and buying drugs can eventually lead to financial difficulties. A person living with addiction might ask to borrow large amounts of money or lose their job due to their erratic behavior. You may also notice a loved one struggling to pay their bills if they spend most of their money obtaining drugs.
The compulsive desire to misuse substances may persist despite adverse repercussions like legal trouble, co-occurring mental illness, withdrawal symptoms, blackouts or damaged relationships. In this case, the person you care about most likely needs professional treatment to get sober and start recovering from their addiction.
You can't force a friend or family member to seek help for addiction, but you can offer encouragement and support with the following tips:
An intervention is a chance for you to encourage your loved one to seek help for their addiction. Seek guidance from an addiction counselor or mental health professional and consider the following tips when planning an intervention:
Gathering resources can help your loved one pursue help if they are willing. Gather the contact information for a treatment center so your friend or family member can seek professional support.
Boundaries are crucial because they help you avoid enabling behaviors. Enabling hinders your loved one's ability to face consequences and recognize that they need help, so it's important to keep the following tips in mind:
Maintaining boundaries is one of the most supportive actions you can take for a loved one with an addiction. Letting them face the consequences of their actions can encourage them to want help. They may lose their job, home or relationships, but these experiences may be the push they need to seek help.
12-step groups such as Al-Anon Family Groups can help you learn more about setting healthy boundaries and avoiding enabling behaviors. You can also find support from other individuals with similar experiences.
Diamond House Detox is dedicated to helping individuals recover from addiction with a holistic approach. We strive to meet each client's medical, emotional, psychological and spiritual needs with individualized treatment methods. We offer incidental medical services with in-house medical providers, enabling us to provide medically assisted detox, injections and medication adjustments when needed.
You can trust our experienced professionals to provide evidence-based treatments, focusing on underlying mental health symptoms and co-occurring conditions such as anxiety and depression. We get to know each individual's unique needs so we can provide proper care throughout the entire recovery journey.
When you recognize the signs of addiction, you can get your loved one the help they need. Diamond House Detox offers inpatient residential and outpatient addiction treatment, and we are one of Northern California's only treatment centers offering incidental medical services.
Our compassionate team provides effective individualized treatment to help each client work toward recovery and wellness. Contact us to learn more about how we can help you or a loved one find freedom from addiction.
