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What Are the Signs of Drug Addiction?

What Are the Signs of Drug Addiction?

What Are the Signs of Drug Addiction?

If you are worried that someone you love is showing symptoms of drug use, it might be time to consider getting help. Plenty of facilities like Atlantic Recovery Center can offer personalized treatment plans specific to your needs. If you recognize the signs of drug addiction in yourself or a loved one, contact our inpatient drug rehab program in South Florida.

What Causes Drug Addiction?

Sometimes it’s difficult to determine why someone is showing symptoms of being on drugs. Signs of drug addiction can be linked to a multitude of causes:

Firstly, your environment plays a substantial role. Long-term research indicates that childhood exposure to things like mental health problems in the family, poverty, neglect, and violence has a substantial impact on brain development and can lead to a much higher risk of drug addiction later in life. Someone exhibiting common signs of drug abuse might have grown up in severe poverty.

Similarly, your mental health can be a significant cause of symptoms of drug use. Someone exhibiting common signs of drug abuse could be at a higher risk of addiction because they struggle with mental health disorders like depression or anxiety. 

Simple changes to brain structure or brain chemistry can leave someone at higher susceptibility to addiction or exacerbate addiction. These changes can be brought about by a cute depression, the birth of a child, chronic pain, or other physical conditions.

Many scientists believe genetics are at the heart of mental health disorders and the risk for addiction. Someone exhibiting drug use symptoms might have a genetic predisposition to addiction.

What Are the Signs of Drug Addiction?

Common signs of drug addiction come in many forms.

Physical symptoms of being on drugs are usually what people notice first. Depending on the type of drug being abused, these physical symptoms might look like the flu, the common cold, or exhaustion. Some examples include:

  • Weight gain or weight loss
  • Sleep problems
  • Runny nose
  • Lack of hygiene
  • Lethargy
  • Paleness
  • Bloodshot or watery eyes

The more physical symptoms displayed at one time, the more likely it is to be some common signs of drug abuse, mainly if the physical symptoms occur simultaneously with the behavioral ones.

Common behavioral signs can also be mistaken for other events, experiences, or problems. However, when drugs are involved, behavioral symptoms tend to happen without any explanation. Some examples include:

  • Sudden changes in social groups
  • Sudden changes in hobbies or complete removal from hobbies
  • Changes in performance
  • Personality or mood changes
  • Financial problems
  • Dishonesty and theft
  • Defensive attitude
  • Paranoia
  • Anxiety
  • Changes to social interactions with family

Struggling with something like depression could manifest in the form of a few of these behavioral signs and some of the physical symptoms, but it’s more likely to worsen with time and include many of these signs, not just one or two.

For example, having a teenager in your home who suddenly changes their social group and hobbies doesn’t necessarily mean drug addiction is involved. But, if they are engaging in a lot of dishonesty, prescriptions in your home are missing, they are experiencing severe weight changes and sleep problems, and money is disappearing from the house, then taken together, it could be indicative of addiction.

How to Get a Loved One Help For Drug Addiction?

If you notice the signs in a loved one, there are ways you can get help.

Firstly, look into different rehab facilities. It’s essential that when you approach your loved one about their signs of drug addiction, you have a facility in mind for treatment. Atlantic Recovery Center offers personalized addiction treatment with a wide range of outpatient options to fit any schedule.

When examining different treatment centers, make sure they offer the correct program for your situation. If you notice your loved one is struggling with an addiction to prescriptions, having a facility that provides medically supervised detox could be essential to their recovery, whereas a child who is struggling with depression might need dual diagnosis treatment to target the addiction and the mental health at the same time.

Atlantic Recovery Center Provides Individualized Addiction Treatment in South Florida

Atlantic Recovery Center goes above and beyond traditional rehab by offering individualized addiction treatment. With our Residential Treatment, you can choose an extended stay that gives you the highest chance of recovery and enjoy ongoing aftercare and participation in an ongoing alumni program.

Call Atlantic Recovery to start your confidential assessment at 1-866-824-5193.

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