People often try to keep their struggles with drug addiction hidden from family and friends. This is because they fear being judged, pitied, or pushed into seeking help when they believe they are fine. However, you can notice signs by observing their behavior.
Once you understand their situation, you will be able to judge them correctly. It’s important to start offering support as soon as you find out about their addiction and discussing recovery benefits with them. Let’s talk about how to support a loved one battling addiction.
How to Help a Loved One with Addiction
Helping a friend or family member with substance addiction involves taking several important steps. One way to help is by checking the sessions available at addiction treatment centers. Taking them to the closest centre in your area can provide the help they need to recover.
It’s also useful to learn about addiction yourself. Having the right information can make it easier to offer good support. Showing love and compassion is very important, too. Anger or resentment can make them feel neglected and rejected, which might push them back into substance abuse or lead them to think about self-harm or suicide.
Dental Issues
Several drugs are consumed orally. So, if your loved one has been using them to the extent of abuse, you can quickly tell by observing their dental health. Often, there will be a strong smell associated with whatever they’re abusing, like alcohol, bhang, or cocaine.
Others emit foul odors from their mouths because they cannot maintain stable dental hygiene. You may also witness cracked, swollen, or sore lips, dark teeth, severe tooth decay, recurrent dental diseases, tooth loss, or worse, oral cancer.
Insomnia
Another physical symptom that someone is struggling with addiction is when they can’t sleep well. Has your loved one stayed up for long hours at night even when they didn’t nap during the day?
Are they waking up occasionally during the night, or do they have swollen eyes soon after waking up? Lack of sleep is a significant sign of addiction as one struggles with intrusive thoughts, hallucinations, and other feelings.
Skin and Body Changes
Drug-addicted people do not take care of their skin and bodies as they should. This is because most of their time and money is spent on drugs rather than skin care products and healthy foods or lifestyles. The most immediate effects are pale, dark, and cracked skin and general weight loss, considering addiction is also linked to appetite loss.
Constricted or Glazed Eyes
The eyes say it all when you want to know if your loved one has addiction issues. Maintaining standard eyes when you’re different is always more challenging than you might imagine. Drug-addicted persons often have constricted or glazed eyes. It’s even more frustrating when you try interacting with them as they strive to prove all is well.
Sudden High Aggression
Drug addiction puts someone in a state where they aren’t themselves. Therefore, they react to situations without adequate evaluation and reasoning, often leading to extensive anger. They will even project hard feelings in petty situations.
Seclusion from Social Setups
Another behavioral symptom of drug addiction is social isolation. These include studies, work, team membership, games, and the gym. Other social activities include religious sessions, family meetings, neighborhood affairs, social media, and festivals.
Depression and Recklessness
One may also quickly fall into depression due to drug addiction. This is caused by persistent guilt and sadness, loss of interest in a quality lifestyle, frustrations, and feelings of worthlessness. If your loved one has been talking about depression or showing these signs, you must explore all possible causes, including addiction.
Financial and Legal issues
Drugs are not that cheap, and being addicted means you have to set a lot of money aside to buy them. This quickly becomes recurring financial problems.
Suddenly, you need more money than your standard income can offer, leading to the urge to borrow more or, more importantly, steal. Another sign is unusual legal issues due to the inability to adhere to rules and regulations in various setups.
Memory Loss
For intense addiction, victims may get to the point of forgetting things frequently. This is simply because their brains aren’t functioning as they should after being filled with hallucinations, thoughts, and bad decisions. Once you identify this sign, it could mean your loved one requires prompt medical attention.
Consistent Mood Swings and Emotional Stability
Drug addicts also experience consistent mood swings and emotional stability. The depression, irritation, or euphoria effects of prolonged drug use often cause this. At some point, they might use this sign to seek sympathy from people trying to warn them as the days progress.
Supporting your loved one through an addiction can be tough, but there are support resources to help you navigate this process.
