A person suffering from drug abuse tends to be very good at keeping it a secret until it has completely taken over their life. By that point, it becomes very challenging, and not to mention painful, for the family and friends around them.
Getting them to enter a rehabilitation facility is a great way to get them back on the right path, but first, they’ll have to be convinced to give it a shot. Otherwise, if the person is not willing to get treated, they might feel even more attacked, and thus retreat further into isolation, or worse, do something more drastic, such as becoming violent and destructive.
As a close family member or friend who deeply cares about their well-being, it is up to you to get them the help they need at the soonest possible time. In order to do that, you need to be aware of the telltale signs of drug abuse.
Budding Problems at School or Work
Because drug addicts are very keen on keeping their habits secret, you’re not likely to walk in on them taking the drugs or catch any paraphernalia casually lying about. Even if you do find one, they’re only going to deny it.
What is going to be undeniable, however, is their performance at school or at work. They might start missing attendance, for one, to the point that their teacher or employer finds it alarming enough to check in on their whereabouts from family members or those with close relations to the individual.
They may also start slipping in their performance, missing deadlines, or turning in work that is subpar to their usual quality. Eventually, and depending on how bad the addiction can get, they might simply drop out or resign out of the blue.
Another sign that can be picked up at school or at work is their deteriorating relationship with their peers and colleagues. There may be an increase in complaints about their behavior, officially filed or otherwise. If you hear of any instances such as this, it might be good to take a closer look at what’s going on with them.
Constant Money Issues
Drug addiction is an expensive habit to maintain. If they suddenly seem to be constantly in need of money, and yet you do not see any tangible purchase, they may be up to something unusual. The thing is, there’s really no definitive way to verify where they’re spending their money, that’s causing them to always be broke.
You’ll know it’s especially gotten very serious once they resort to stealing or embezzling just so they can have funds to maintain this habit of theirs.
Changes in Behavior and Disposition
Drugs have an immediate effect on one’s behavior and disposition. The more they become addicted to it, the more unstable they may become. In moments of sobriety, they may revert to their old, pleasant self, which usually throws off any suspicions you may have in the meantime.
This does not tend to last for very long, though, and in fact, could just be a ploy to divert your attention so that you would forget about getting suspicious. They may, in the long term, become increasingly irritable, withdrawn, and easy to anger. In some instances, they may even become violent and aggressive, contrary to how you know them to be as a person.
Such drastic changes in personality such as these are telltale signs of drug addiction, so beware.
