In Part 1 of our post, we discussed two major signs that someone you know could be addicted to drugs. As an addict often won’t come right out and admit that they need help with a drug problem, you will usually need other signs or indications that they are abusing.
First, we covered that drug use can cause major changes to the appearance of an addict’s eyes. It can also create large fluctuations in the user’s weight, causing them to either gain or lose weight rapidly.
In Part 2, we will not cover two other major indications you can also look for:
Addiction Leads to Severe Neglect of Personal Hygiene and Appearance
Drug and alcohol use can quickly re-prioritize an addict’s life. While most people take care of their personal hygiene and cleanliness, an addict can quickly start to lose interest in his or her hygiene and personal appearance.
One main reason for this is that many drugs dull the user’s senses and lower his awareness of the world around him. The addict may not notice that her clothes are dirty, and if she does, she might not even care. When an addict is severely addicted, he can become severely fixated on the drug to the exclusion of other activities. All a crack cocaine addict can think about is getting more crack. Shaving and washing one’s clothes are very far down the list of priorities.
In addiction to just neglecting basic cleanliness, some drugs can cause other hygiene-deteriorating physical effects. Among its many other horrible effects on the body, meth can make an addict’s body start to stink. One reason for this is that meth use causes the body to sweat more. Also, the drug itself often smells like ammonia, so using it frequently causes an addict to start smelling something like cat urine.
If you notice that a friend or family has rapidly stopped caring about keeping themselves clean or taking care of their body, you may be dealing with someone who has a drug addiction.
Sleep Disorders & Substance Abuse Too Little and Too Much
Another area of life affected by drugs is sleep. If someone you know isn’t sleeping enough or is sleeping way too much, these can both be signs of drug or alcohol abuse.
‘Uppers’ such as cocaine and meth can cause the addict to feel wired and awake. A meth addict, on the other hand, will sometimes use the drug for several days at a time and not sleep at all. After this binge is over, the addict will then crash and have to sleep for an inordinately long time.
Alcohol can cause restless sleep. This can cause the alcoholic to wake up tired again the next day after drinking. Several other drugs can simply cause a person to have an erratic sleep schedule, causing them to stay up late into the night and to fall asleep at random times during the day. Those who smoke marijuana frequently can seem to constantly appear sleepy throughout the day, the source of the characteristic ‘dazed and confused’ description of potheads.
If you suspect that someone you know is abusing drugs, try to pay attention to their sleep schedule or how awake or tired they appear. This may be an indicator of drug use.
Along with the two major signs we discussed in Part 1 of this post, you can use physical signs to help point out drug abuse. They may be the first clues that someone you care about needs your help.
References:
Lost Interest in Personal Appearance: http://www.cirquelodge.com/DrugRehabBlog/ten-signs-problem-with-drug-abuse/
Meth Creates Body Odor: http://www.methproject.org/answers/will-using-meth-change-how-i-look.html#The-Meth-Makeover
Effect of Drugs on Sleep: http://www.webmd.com/sleep-disorders/drug-alcohol-related