Signs of Drug Addiction

Last Updated: September 18th, 2014

The Rise of Addiction Problems in the UK

Addiction problems are on the rise in the UK, and in most other parts of the world. This is something that is affecting people from all walks of life and different age groups – no group in society is immune. In recent years, there has been growing concern about the amount of prescription medication addiction, and there seems to be a steady rise in other types of addictive behaviour.

Once people fall into addictive behaviours, their life will begin to deteriorate. The longer they remain addicted the more they will end up losing. It is therefore vital that individual is able to stop this behaviour as soon as possible. One of the difficulties of breaking away from addiction is that the person can be so caught up in denial. They can believe that it is alcohol or drugs that are helping them cope with their increasing problems in life, and they completely miss the reality that it is the substance abuse that is the cause of most of their problems. If the signs of addiction can be recognised, it may mean that the individual is able to break away from this behaviour sooner.

How to Tell If Somebody Is Addicted to Drugs

It is usually the case that loved ones will spot the signs of addiction long before the individual is willing to consider this possibility. Some of the most common sings that a person has fallen into this type behaviour would include:

The individual is behaving in a secretive manner. They may keep strange hours and seem reluctant to talk about where they have been.
The person seems to have severe mood swings.
They appear intoxicated regularly.
They appear to be hallucinating.
There may be times when they become very talkative but the things they are saying do not make much sense.
They are having financial difficulties for no obvious reason. They may try to borrow money from family and friends.
They regularly appear to be sick in the morning.
Unexplained absences from work.
The individual may have lost interest in activities they used to enjoy.
They have started spending time with a new group of people, and they no longer seem to have time for their old friends.
They spend an increasing amount of time talking about alcohol or drugs.
They are unable to remember things that happened the night before.
They are getting into trouble at work, school, or college. There is a noticeable decline in their performance, and they are failing to take care of their responsibilities.
They become defensive if their behaviour is brought into question. This is often a sign that they are in denial.
Items or money is going missing from the home. This may mean that the individual is stealing from their family in order to feed their habit.
There are strange smells in the person’s room or from their clothing.
They have lost interest in personal hygiene and grooming.
Symptoms of depression
The individual may appear to be paranoid at times.
Temper tantrums and increased argumentativeness
Spending increasing amounts of time alone.

Some of these symptoms may be a sign that the individual is dealing with a mental health problem, so this is something that should be considered as well.

High Functioning Drug Abusers

It is important to understand that some substance abusers will be better at hiding the signs of their addiction than others. There can be high functioning drug abusers who are able to put on an outward show of respectability. These individuals may be very successful in life and well respected by their family members, work colleagues, peers, and community. This person is able to justify their substance abuse with the idea that they work hard so they should get to play hard. Some of the symptoms of drug addiction will be there, but they can be harder to spot – as time goes by though, these symptoms will become more obvious.

Signs that You Are Addicted to Drugs

Even if the whole world is convinced that you are addicted to alcohol or drugs, it will not make much difference until you are able to see this for yourself. Once you are able to recognise the symptoms of addiction you will hopefully become more receptive to getting help. These signs will include:

You have tried to reduce your intake, or stop completely, but have failed to achieve this goal. If you are not addicted, it should be relatively easy for you to stop.
You suffer withdrawal symptoms when you try to stop or cut down your use of the substance.
You have developed a tolerance for the substance – you need to take more to get the same effect.
You suspect that your life would be better if you did not abuse these substances.
Other people have expressed concern about your behaviour.
You continue to use drugs even though it is obviously causing problems in your life.
You have periods of remorse because of this behaviour.
You are failing to meet your work, family, educational, or social responsibilities because of this behaviour.

How to Deal with the Signs of Drug Addiction