Identifying Addiction: Is a Loved One Abusing Drugs or Alcohol?

Identifying addiction can be tricky–but with these few tell-tale signs, you can easily know and get help for yourself and your loved one.

Identifying addiction, whether drugs or alcohol, can be difficult, especially when you don’t even know where to start. After all, anyone who has an addiction would more likely deny, hide, betray, and deceive their way so you won’t find out all about it.

However, if you look closely, you can find that you can actually distinguish signs that help you in identifying addiction in a friend or loved one.

Here are some signs that will help you identify if your loved one, friend, or family member has a substance addiction.

Identifying Drug Addiction

• bloodshot eyes
• unusually dilated or constricted pupils
• needle marks (shooting heroin or meth)
• being neglectful of school, work, or family responsibilities
• irregular sleep patterns
• irregular eating habits
• unusual lack of appetite
• inexplicable weight loss or weight gain
• neglect of hygiene
• sudden mood swings
• aggression when confronted about drug use
• being in the company of known drug users
• tremors
• confusion
• preoccupation about where or how to get drugs
• inability to control drug use
• inability to stop and be sober despite many attempts

Identifying Alcohol Addiction

• needing alcohol to get through the day
• hiding alcohol use
• always coming up with any excuse to drink
• increased alcohol tolerance
• history of blacking out after drinking sessions
• personal, school, or career problems caused by drinking
• bringing alcohol at work or in school
• failed attempts to be sober despite many tries
• disinterest in activities that doesn’t involve alcohol

While it is still up to a professional to diagnose addiction, wherein physical and psychological exam is also needed, you can also have a pretty good idea if someone you know has been abusing drugs. By knowing the signs of identifying addiction, you can pretty much have an idea whether they have a substance problem and if they need help in order to get their life back on track. These identifying addiction signs can also help you be wary even before things go downhill for your loved one.

For help on addiction recovery, call or text us at 09175098826 (Manila) or 09177046659 (Cebu).