The Signs of Drug Use

Drug abuse is a very common occurrence in our society. The drug users may be teenagers or they may simply be adults who are taking care of their families. Drug addiction starts off when one uses a drug casually or for social purposes. At first they use the drug on rare occasions and for recreational purposes only. With time however their drug use develops in to something entirely different. They no longer use the drugs for fun but because they are now addicted to the drugs and have become prisoners of the drug. The signs of drug use vary a lot. Different drugs tend to have different signs and symptoms. There are however general signs of drug use that can tell you whether somebody has used drugs.

The signs of drug manifest themselves either as physical, behavioral or psychological. If your drug use causes you problems whether it is at home or at your work place then you have drug addiction problems.

The physical signs of drug use include:

- Blood shot eyes.

People who have used drugs more often than not tend to have blood shot eyes. The eyes are very red and watery. The pupils will also appear larger or smaller than they usually are.

- Change in the sleeping pattern or appetite.

Our appetite and sleeping patterns tell a lot about the normal functioning of our body. Having poor sleeping patterns is usually an indication of drug usage. Some drugs also affect our appetite. Some increase our appetite considerably while others make you lose your appetite.

- Deterioration in the grooming habits of a person.

A person who uses drugs excessively may soon change his grooming habits. A person who was once well dressed may stop caring about his appearance completely and it will show. He may fail to comb his hair and clean his clothes.

- Funny and unusual smells.

Drugs have very strange and weird smells. People who use drugs will come in to contact with this drugs and their bodies or clothes may pick up the smell. If you notice any new strange odors on your teenager you should make an effort of finding out what the smell is.

- Impaired coordination.

This will be seen in the form of slurred speech, tremors and inability to perform activities that require simple hand eye coordination.

Behavioral Signs of Drug Usage-

Drop in attendance and performance.

For students there may be a drop in their class attendance and decreased performance in their studies. The same is also true for adults at work. Their attendance will be irregular.

- Frequently getting into trouble.

Drug users have impaired judgement most of the times. They will thus get into fights frequently and maybe cause accidents.

- A sudden change in friends and hobbies.

New friends are the ones who influence most people to use drugs. A change in friends and habits may be a sign that one is using drugs since you will have to find secret spots to use the drugs.

- Financial problems and unexplained need for money.

When a person needs money and they are not giving the reasons why it may be because they are using drugs. They may feel ashamed to borrow the money and they could end up stealing the money since they really want the drugs.

- Engaging in secret and suspicious behavior.

Secret and weird behaviors such as hiding out in the balcony at night may be a sign of drug usage.

Psychological Signs of Drug Usage-

-Unexplained changes in attitude or personality.

A sudden change in the personality of a person may mean that they are using drugs. This is especially true if they become mean and start spending time alone.

- Mood swings.

Mood swings and irritability are very common signs that a person is using drugs. Most drugs affect the emotional part of the brain and they lead to angry outbursts and a lot of irritability.

- Lack of motivation.

The person has no motivation to do anything.

- Periods of unusual hyperactivity.

Some drugs make people very hyper and an individual may end up doing very many things within a short time period.

- The person will appear paranoid and fearful for no apparent reason.

Even small things appear scary and magnified.

The above are the major signs of drug use. However, more than one symptom should be visible for a person to conclude that they are signs of drug usage.