Signs of Drug Use and Addiction How To Tell If Someone Is On Drugs

These signs may be harder to spot in teens or young people as the pressures of adolescents can cause similar symptoms. The CAGE-AID questionnaire is a self-guided assessment that can be used as a first step in determining whether your substance use habits are cause for concern. If you or someone you know is dealing with persistent muscle weakness or unusual fatigue, reaching out to a professional can prevent further complications and aid in recovery. For instance, opioid use may lead to respiratory depression, where breathing slows dangerously due to its effects on the brain stem 3.

• These drugs can produce a “high” similar to marijuana and have become a popular but dangerous alternative.
• You can begin to tell if someone is using drugs through a few physical, behavioral, and social changes.
• It’s important to eliminate any potential medical reasons for someone’s health decline.
• Recognizing addiction behavior involves identifying several key signs and symptoms.
• Unfortunately, media representations have painted many misleading caricatures of how a person suffering from substance abuse disorder appears or behaves.

Addiction Treatment

The difference between mild and severe addiction is the number of the 11 DSM addiction criteria a person meets. The criteria relate to ability to control use, the negative impact use has on self and life, and Sobriety the existence of physiological dependence. Substance abuse disorder is considered mild in the presence of two or three criteria. In the presence of six or more symptoms, substance use disorder is considered severe. In fact, sometimes the word addiction is reserved for the most severe cases. Because repeated use of a psychoactive substance often creates the motivation for further use, substance abuse is seen as a self-perpetuating disorder and considered to have a high potential for progression.

The Role of Emotional Intelligence in Managing Stress

As drugs become the primary focus of someone’s life, they often spend more and more time using and obtaining drugs. You may notice that their school work or participation in school starts to decrease. They may stop caring about their grades and choose to neglect the work they need to do to improve academic performance. Outbursts, Resentful Behavior, Intense Irritability, or Mood Swings.

Warning Signs of Substance Use

There is no real difference between physical addiction and psychological addiction. Addiction is one of those conditions that demonstrates it is not possible to distinguish between physical and psychological aspects of behavior. That point differs from one person to the next, due to many biological and situational variables influencing response to a substance. Substance abuse disorder refers to the abuse of illegal drugs, stimulants, prescription medications, alcohol or tobacco. There’s a component of physical addiction to these substances that makes it difficult for people to stop using them. Because of the ups and downs involved with drug abuse, you may notice that this person is showing more depressive side effects, especially when they’re coming down from a high.

Can Video Game Addiction Contribute to Drug Addiction?

The experience of problems is central to the diagnosis of addiction. They may also face increasingly dangerous situations in pursuit of a substance supply. Independent of the addictive process, problems can also develop from the warning signs of drug use taking of any chemical substance. There are both physical and behavioral clues that someone might be experiencing a problem with substance use.

Drug addiction can start with experimental use of a recreational drug in social situations, and, for some people, the drug use becomes more frequent. For others, particularly with https://www.bdjf.org.in/faq-s-frequently-asked-questions-about-aa/ opioids, drug addiction begins when they take prescribed medicines or receive them from others who have prescriptions. Moreover, addiction can result in legal troubles and performance declines at work or school, exacerbating the negative consequences on personal and professional relationships. A teen’s circle of friends can also shape their beliefs and behavior regarding substance use. Teens are constantly trying to figure out how they fit into their world. As they work to find their place, they can be strongly influenced by peer pressure.