Indicators Of Drug Use In A Loved One

Find out how to recognize the signs and symptoms of drug abuse or addiction in yourself or someone you care about. When these problems are faced and thoughtfully addressed, there is hope for overcoming drug abuse and addiction. Bellow is a list of indicators to look for.

• Lying
• Weight loss
• Pinned pupils
• Dry/brittle hair
• Dilated pupils
• Changing friends
• Damaging property
• Noticeable hair thinning
• Funny smells on clothes
• Missing prescription drugs
• Fighting (physical and verbal)
• Unexplained drain on finances
• Alcoholic beverage bottles or cans
• Problems/changes in sleeping habits
• Seeds or leaves that look like dried herbs
• Sexual promiscuity and or lack of Sex Drive
• Withdrawal from hobbies, teams, family life
• Pale skin tone (most noticeable in the face)
• Changes in values, lack of ethics and morals
• Decreased coordination, slowed reaction time
• Increased appetite and/or decreased appetite
• Physical health problems (diseases, pains, etc.)
• Increased secrecy about possessions or activities
• Evidence of eye drops used to mask bloodshot eyes
• Marked change in behavior ranging from hostility to violence
• Bloodshot eyes, elevated blood pressure, increased heart rate
• Changes on passive behaviors vs. active behaviors (or vice versa)
• Problems with memory, difficulty concentrating, paranoid thinking
• New use of mouthwash or breath mints to cover up the smell of alcohol
• School performance, declining grades, increased absences, reported truancy
• Use of incense, room freshener, or perfume to hide smoke or chemical odors
• Heightened visual and auditory perceptions and increased sensitivity in taste
• Changes in energy level, having unusual amounts of energy or increased fatigue
• Paying bills late, collection agencies calling, inability to keep track of your money
• Subtle changes in conversations with friends, e.g. more secretive, using “coded” language
• Experiencing problems with friends, roommate(s), significant other, family members, professors, etc.
• Smells of substances (common substances are alcohol, and marijuana, which has a sweet, burnt odor)
• Cheeks start to sink in (i.e. face looks to tight and sunk in which is most associated with the use of Meth)
• Staying away form local residence, permanent home or peer group for long and unexplained periods of time
• Wearing new clothes that highlight drug use, or suggest inappropriate conduct, or lack of concern for appearance and grooming
• Evidence of use of inhalant products (such as hairspray, nail polish, correction fluid, common household products); Rags and paper bags are sometimes used as accessories
• Unusual requests for money without reasonable explanations for why they need it, discovering money has been stolen from your home or wallet, or finding objects missing which may have been sold to support a drug habit

Drug paraphernalia (rolling papers, bongs, pipes (metal/colorful glass), straitened paper clips with a residue on them, bent spoons, spoons with residue, short glass tubes (clean/dirty), brillow pads, tin foil, tubes, scales, plastic baggies (different sizes), glass viles w/ tops, metal screens for faucets, needles, cotton balls or qtips, cut straws, cigarette cellophane bags lying around with residue or a leafy substance in them, marijuana stems (looks almost like grape stems), butane lighters, torch lighters, and hand held blow torches, empty plastic film canisters, blunt wraps (cigar paper that is used for marijuana, but can also be laced with any drug (crushed and sprinkled on the pot), Razor blades (used to cut cocaine into lines to snort), mirrors, etc.)

Telltale Signs Of Drug Use Or Addiction

• Using drugs when alone
• Scheduling your day around using drugs
• Feeling remorse or guilt after using drugs
• Missing work or school, or going in late due to drug use
• Pro-use magazines (High Times, Cannabis Culture Magazine, etc…)
• Feeling annoyed when other people comment on, or criticize your use of drugs
• Continuing to use drugs even though you realize your job or education is in jeopardy
• Changing the time of day and location where the use of the substance normally occurs
• Being arrested, doing things that you would normally not do, such as stealing to obtain drugs
• Focusing recreational activities around obtaining drugs, using drugs, or recovering from drug use
• Continuing to use drugs even though you have health problems that are affected or caused by your drug use
• Associating with questionable acquaintances or frequenting out of your ordinary locations to purchase or use drugs
• Superficial logic and reasoning behind substance use (“Helps me deal with stress,” “It’s a social interaction,” or “I’m justmedicating my mental health issues.”)

What Can I Do About It?

Now that you have identified that there is a problem in you or someone you love or know. How do you get help. Contact us here at 866-332-8094. We are a referral service for drug addiction services. What we do is access your situation, advise you on your options and recommend a Drug Rehab Center or a course of action that will work for you. Our goal is to help you in any way we can and our services are free.

Sources:

http://www.nida.nih.gov/Published_Articles/Sally.html

http://www.helpguide.org/mental/drug_substance_abuse_addiction_signs_effects_treatment.htm

Any addiction can cause death. But, meth involves mixing chemicals that were not meant for human consumption (heck, they’re barely meant for human USE, and then only with extreme caution) with some things that humans can take (cold medicines, for instance).

Meth addiction…OK, just meth use, period, is a whole ‘nother ball of wax. Not only can a person be poisoned on the inside by the chemicals that were used to make the meth, but outside damage can occur as well.

Some of the chemicals, even before they are mixed to make the meth, are harmful if spilled on the skin in their undiluted form. When mixed, the vapors themselves can actually cause worse skin burns or blistering than just one chemical being spilled onto skin.

And, breathing ammonia or bleach or any other caustic substance can literally “eat the lungs” away, so imagine what breathing that “witch’s brew” that is concocted when making meth can do to a body.

Already, it is impossible to get some types of over-the-counter cold medicines without going directly to a pharmacy. And, now, it’s been discovered that purchases of bleach, ammonia, and other ingredients that have been known to be used in meth production are being tracked. If it seems that too much is being bought in too short a time, then a raised flag is raised.

Does this mean that someone who is buying ten gallons of bleach because he or she is going to pressure-wash their house could be considered a meth maker? Could be. And, that isn’t really fair, although the logic does make a little sense.

But, can’t something else be done to “separate the wheat from the chaff”? Any ideas?

Oh, “crack” cocaine is purer than powdered cocaine because all the yucky stuff was cooked out. So, injecting the liquid crack means that a purer form of cocaine is being put into the body.

OK, now, everything is clear. It’s a “better” high. And, the danger of putting anything that’s really not supposed to go into the body, like baby powder, or raw flour, or even rat poison isn’t there anymore. So, it might even be safer, right?

WRONG! It’s still using crack, it’s still not safe, it’s still using drugs! NOTHING MAKES THAT RIGHT?

What, are drug users becoming so “bored” that the only thing they have to do now is think up new ways of getting the drug of choice into their systems? Well, here’s a fresh, new idea. HOW ABOUT QUITTING DRUGS ALL TOGETHER? Anyone ever think of that?

How about thinking up ways of getting rid of crack? And, if that seems like too big a task, then think smaller! How about keeping it out of the hands of school children? How about stiffer drug laws? How about cutting off supply lines, even if it is just the local dealer. Hey, it has to start somewhere.

How about a few people having the courage to step up to the plate and give their ideas on how to fight the war on drugs?

Basically, it went like this. The nightly beer had turned into three or four beers. Then, one night the nightly beer turned into a nightly mixed drink. Then three or four nightly mixed drinks. Heavier drinking occurred on weekends, unless circumstances called for a clear head.

Anyway, short story long (or is it too late?) one Friday night, the drinking started early and heavy. By about 8:00 or 9:00 PM, the drinker was thoroughly drunk and getting VERY obnoxious. Without going into too much detail, suffice it to say that by later that night, some things had been said and done that would NEVER have been said or done under normal circumstances.

Saturday morning brought with it one heck of a hangover and one very contrite FORMER drinker. Apologies were given and continued to be given during the rest of the weekend, and all alcoholic beverages were poured down the sink.

A pledge was taken (literally), some lifestyle changes were made, (sporadic church attendance has turned into more regular church attendance, and ALL alcoholic beverages have been removed from the home), and it has been six weeks since the former drinker has had anything alcoholic to drink.

All done with no drug rehab program. BUT, again, while it worked for this person, another person may need the services offered by such a program. And, again, that’s fine.

People who use meth almost always do so by smoking it. This causes the chemicals used to go straight into the mouth, onto the teeth and gums. The individual chemicals are strong enough to eat away anything, teeth included. When mixed together, they become even worse.

“Meth mouth” is one of the more telling signs that someone is addicted to meth. Bad teeth, poor gum health, mouth sores, and other dental problems may not always indicate meth use, but taken together along with other signs, it’s pretty much like flashing a sign above a person’s head that says—Meth user.

Dentists are reporting more patients showing up with problems caused by “meth mouth”. These doctors also say that these problems are harder to treat. Some report teeth rotted completely down to the gum line from meth use, and if that isn’t enough, the gums aren’t in great shape, either.

OK, so don’t smoke meth, and no meth mouth, right? Wrong. Snorting meth causes the same problems. Just because the stuff goes in the nose doesn’t mean it passes the mouth all together. It doesn’t.

Meth addiction is one of the hardest addictions to treat, physically, psychologically, and any other way. “Meth mouth” is one of the hardest dental problems to treat. Does it need to be said again? DON’T DO METH! DON’T DO DRUGS!

The current attitude in America about the use of Marijuana, and the belief that it is a “harmless drug” has caused marijuana usage to increase since the year 2000. Movies, magazines, music and T.V. shows glorify the use of pot and made it more acceptaqble in society. The opening of Medical Marijuana Clubs in California have brought weed one step closer to legality.

The truth of the matter is, Marijuana is not at all harmless. It is a social ill that causes many health problems, and externalities to the American economy.

According to the Surgeon General there is no health benefit to smoking marijuana. Smoking 1 joint is equal to the amount of tar and nicotine from smoking an entire pack of cigarettes. Many say pot is not addictive, and perhaps it is not as addictive as cocaine or heroin, but prolonged use does cause a physical addiction. The longer you use it the more your cellular structure changes to need the chemicals supplied by marijuana. Productivity in the workplace is lost due to the smoking of marijuana. Also, the use of marijuana costs the taxpayers plenty in legal and medical costs.
Marijuana is not at all harmless and shame on the media for making it appear so to the youth of America.

Drug addiction knows no boundaries. It affects every race, religion, socio-economic group, geographic area and education level. Whether they are aware of it or not, about 45 percent of Americans know somebody with a drug abuse problem.
People who do not or have never used drugs pay every day for other peoples’ drug use. We pay for police and jails to fight drug-related crime. We pay in health care costs and insurance from illness and death. Employers lose money and productivity due to drug related illness. We pay in our taxes for state-funded rehabilitation and awareness programs.

Drug addicts by nature are selfish. They don’t think about the consequences of their actions. The most important thing to them is getting high no matter how it effects the people and society around them.

Biophysical treatment is a drug rehab treatment that is currently being practiced in some areas of the country. This treatment involves the patient using a sauna in order to flush all the toxins from the body.

The theory behind this is that once a drug goes through the liver, “metabolites” remain behind, and stay in the fatty tissues for years. This can cause cravings to re-emerge, even after years of non-drug use. Once the bio physical treatment stage is completed, the patient then moves on to learning new “life skills” designed to help the patient overcome the addiction and live a normal life.

This treatment is different, not only because it requires access to a sauna, but also because it is not begun until AFTER the withdrawal phase is over. Those who practice this method say that because of the specific time period that must pass before the treatment is begun, it is considered a true drug rehab treatment.

So, does that mean a person is not considered “in rehab” until such time as he or she is able to undergo that particular treatment, or does rehab start WITH the withdrawal phase?

And, is telling a patient, “No, you can’t have this treatment right now. You’re not ready”, really a smart thing to do? Especially if it turns out that the effects of this treatment really do what they’re supposed to do and actually do get all of a drug out of the body?

Should drug rehab treatment be approached in the same way as treatment for cancer: throw everything that can be thought of at the patient in the hope that something works, rather than with a “wait and see” attitude. What say you? It sure does raise some questions, doesn’t it? Are there answers?

Privately funded programs may have a little more leeway. They may want their programs to be presented in a specific way. A religious organization, for instance, which operates such a program, may put their own particular spin on the methods used. That’s all right, though. They will more than likely be up front about how they operate and what they expect of the people who enter their program. They may also be a little more expensive. But, that is an available choice for someone who needs the services offered by drug rehab programs.

Some programs may be a little more lenient that others, should a patient slip up. Their attitude may be along the lines of OK, everybody trips (no pun intended) sometimes. Just pick yourself up, dust yourself off, and go at it again. Others may have a zero tolerance policy; you mess up once, you go someplace else. Some programs may rely heavily on peer support, group therapy, and other similar processes. Others may feel that the one-on-one approach is the best way to go. Inevitably, though, the goal of any program should be to help a person get off drugs, stay off drugs, get back to a normal life, and continue doing so forever.

Usually found in powder form, heroin can be white or brown. It can be cut or mixed with another substance. If the other ingredient is another form of a different drug, that can be fatal.

When one wishes to break a heroin addiction, there are many ways this can be accomplished. One way is by using certain medications. Methadone is one medication that is used to combat heroin addiction. It works well, but can sometimes lead to addiction problems itself.

A relatively new drug, Buprenorphine, is also showing good results in the treatment of heroin addiction. This drug also has the added advantage of being less likely to form an addiction.

Other methods include individual and group counseling, and behavior-modification therapy. In other words, the patient is given rewards or points for remaining drug-free, taking and passing random drug tests, and complying in other ways with the rehabilitation program.

Once a patient has accumulated enough points, or has earned a reward, the “redemption process” may very well take place in the form of contact with family members, friends, or others. If this is the case, it is very important that those who are aware of this part of the program make sure that they hold up their end of the bargain.

If the patient is allowed to see or talk to those on the outside, as a result of reaching goals and continuing to show responsibility, it will mean more to that person than can be imagined. For this reason, family members and others should do anything possible to ensure that they visit when they are allowed to or that they call when they have been told that they can.

Cocaine can be found in either powder or crystal form. When it is in a crystal form, it is called “crack” cocaine. “Crack” is usually smoked, and, no, it is NOT less addictive than the powder. When powder cocaine is “snorted”, the user can start having trouble with frequent nosebleeds. When enough cocaine has been taken in through the nose, over a period of time, the inside of the nose, as well as the skin that separates the nostrils, can be eaten away.

Cocaine can cause heart failure, seizures, and lung and breathing problems. It can kill a person the very first time it is used. It makes the heart beat very rapidly, which in turn can lead to a fatal heart attack. Using it just once can also cause a seizure; this, too can be deadly.

Continued use causes mental as well as physical problems. People who use cocaine tend to be paranoid: they feel like someone is “out to get them”. They can also be angry, irritable, or hostile, and this is when they AREN’T high, or even when they have not used cocaine recently.

Remember, cocaine is addictive, no matter how it is taken in. This can kill you the first time you use it. Its effects on the brain causes one to not be a very nice person – no one wants to be around somebody who is angry or constantly feeling like the whole world is after them. So, why do it? Ultimately, there isn’t a good enough reason to do so.

Crack cocaine causes a fast “high.” In other words, its effects are felt quickly, but wear off just as rapidly, leaving the user with a craving for more, immediately, leading to more smoking, leading to smoking more, a vicious circle. Because crack cocaine is normally smoked, it is not unusual to see people who use crack cocaine with burns around their nose and mouth. In fact, this is a sure sign that someone has been using crack cocaine, probably frequently.

People who use crack cocaine will not eat or sleep regularly. Further, crack cocaine affects the heart, causing it to beat more rapidly. Muscle spasms and convulsions are also some effects that crack cocaine can have on the body.

Like heroin, cocaine can cause death the very first time it is used. Because the heart speeds up when cocaine hits the body, a heart attack can very easily occur. Also, cocaine can cause seizures, which can also lead to death. Do you really want the first time to be the last time, for anything? I certainly hope not!

Remember, cocaine in any form is addictive. Crack is not a “safer” form of cocaine. There is no such thing as “safe” cocaine. There is no such thing as a “safe” drug, especially a street drug, period.

Heroin is extremely addictive, and addiction can occur no matter how the drug is taken into the body. It is said that heroin users are told that they will not become addicted if they smoke or “snort” (take it through the nose) heroin instead of injecting it, because heroin that is smoked or snorted is purer than heroin that is injected. This is not true.

Heroin usually looks like a white or brown powder. If the color is white, it is easier for the heroin to be “cut”, or mixed with other substances that are also white, such as powdered sugar, starch, or other stuff. Sometimes, however, strychnine is used. This is rat poison, people. And, because it is impossible to know how much of what is being taken is heroin and how much is rat poison, there is a STRONG possibility of death.

Heroin can cause long-term health problems, such as collapsed veins, as well as heart and lung problems. Heroin users are also at an increased risk of AIDS and Hepatitis C, because needles are so often shared. Methadone is commonly used for treatment of heroin addiction. It has been proven that methadone works the best for heroin addiction treatment. Lifestyle changes, of course, are also necessary in order to remain drug-free and continue on the road to recovery.

It is easy to spot a person with a severe meth addiction. That person will have a grayish color to the skin. The teeth, if indeed any are left, are usually rotted or otherwise damaged. Large sores or bumps are present on the user’s face. Meth addiction causes a person to literally forget to eat or sleep. Meth abusers will almost always be thin; some are so thin they look like a walking skeleton. A strong body odor is present, not only because personal hygeine is neglected, but because of the chemicals used to make meth can be smelled as the body breaks them down.

All drugs can kill, but meth will do it a lot quicker than most of them. It is not at all unusual for a meth user’s first time to be the last time. Meth causes such a strong physical reaction, particularly to the heart, that very often the body cannot handle the strain that is put on it from the meth.

Meth addiction can be treated. It takes a lot of time, and a lot of support, but anyone who truly wishes to be meth-free can take advantage of the various treatment options available. Recovery will continue, probably for the rest of the person’s life, but it is possible.

Guess what? Drug abuse is drug abuse, whether it’s street drugs or the pills that the doctor keeps writing prescriptions for even though he or she is fully aware that the patient does not need them, and has not needed them for a long time.

A person who is on Vicodin or Percocet or Dilaudid or whatever drug it may be is going to be put in the very same jail cell as the junkie standing on the corner if that person breaks the law while under the influence of that prescription drug. Likewise, if a person obtains his medication illegally, that person is going to go to jail, just like the person caught with a bag of marijuana or a rock of crack cocaine.

So, just because a person is on a “legal” drug; that is, he or she got it from the doctor, if the drug is being abused, that person is a drug abuser. And, that person needs help just as much as the junkie on the street or the wino in the gutter.

And, the sooner a prescription drug abuser realizes that he or she has a problem and gets help for the problem, the better off that person and everyone else who loves and knows that person will be. Don’t be fooled – prescription drug abuse is in fact still considered drug abuse.

GHB is available as a liquid, powder, and in pill form. Rohypnol is available in pill form that dissolves easily in drinks. The drugs effects are enhanced when used in combination with other substances, such as alcohol. The drugs will effect the individual quickly, the extent of the effect is determine on the amount and mixture of the substance. A rohypnol ghb rehab program can assist an individual through the withdrawal symptoms of an addiction.

GHB causes drowsiness, dizziness, memory loss, dissociating or dream like effects, it can also cause loss of conscience, seizures, comas, and death. GHB can be made by house hold ingredients adding an unknown dangerous element to the drug. It is also available in prescription form to treat some sleep disorder problems.

Rohypnol can cause memory loss, muscle relaxation, confusion, and coordination problems. Rohypnol is not available legally in the United States, but is legal in Mexico and other European countries for medical usage in sleep disorders, and anesthetics.

GHB and Rohypnol also have addictive qualities and are taken for the dreamy effect on the mind and relaxation of the body. If you have an addiction to these drugs it is important to seek help from a rohyphnol ghb drug rehab program. These drugs build up a tolerance in the body, overdosing can lead to coma and death.

Illicit oxycontin is crushed and snorted, in an attempt to gain an euphoric effect, close to a heroin effect. An oxycontin drug rehab program can provide information on the similarity and differences of oxycontin and heroin recovery.

Repeated and prolonged us of the drug can build up a tolerance, as well as a physical dependency on the drug. Most users of oxycontin may not become addicted if the medication is taken as prescribed, but will develop a physical dependence and will experience withdrawal symptoms when they stop taking oxycontin.

When abused oxycontin can become dangerously addictive. Oxycontin is a controlled release pain reliever, abusers in order to get around the time-releases will administrate the drug in other ways. They may chew or inject the drug to get an immediate and instantaneous “high” effects. The frequency of use can lead to a development of tolerance, and thus higher doses of the drug must be used in order to achieve a high. This leads to high levels of drugs, addiction, overdoses, and in some cases death. If you know someone who abuses oxycontin seek the assistance of an oxycontin rehab program for more information and assistance.

An oxycontin drug rehabilitation program can assist an addict through the withdrawal symptoms and cravings. Then help the individual learn to live life again without the assistance of drugs or other substances.

It is a member of the club drugs, and is used recreationally to enhance the party experience. It is used in found mostly in major cosmopolitan areas such as New York, Los Angeles, and Miami.

Ketamine is smoked, injected, and taken orally. When used in small doses it stimulates the circulatory systems, and can also have psychological side-effects. When used in a patient or clinical environment many have reported vivid hallucinations.

Ketamine has been used in the treatment of alcohol and heroin addiction as part of a drug rehab program. Ketamine has been used successfully in treating the the withdrawal and cravings associated with detoxification.

Ketamine is addictive, many long term users claim that a trip due to ketamine is similar to that of PCP or LSD because of the effect. Ketamine can continue to effect the perception of the body for about an hour but remain in the body effecting judgment and coordination for up to 18 to 24 hours. This makes it very dangerous when it is used repeatedly to sustain an effect.

Ketamine also has a disassociate quality, which is why it was being slipped into drinks at clubs and has been called a date rape drug. Ketamine is also used in combination with other drugs to enhance the effects of both substances, and can be found in combination with ecstasy.

Ketamine rehab programs will begin with removing the substance from the body. Residue with in the body can be removed through a detoxification program. Physical withdrawal symptoms are lessened and controlled within this treatment. The psychological drug addiction can then be addressed.

For more information on ketamine or ketamine drug rehab contact our experienced staff at therehabadvisor.com

Two types of depressants are known for their history of abused barbiturates and benzodiazepines.

Barbiturates produce an effect much like alcohol intoxication the symptoms of use such as slurred speech, stumbling, and impaired judgment. Physically dependency on barbiturates can happen rapidly. The body adjusts quickly to the drugs us and develops a tolerance. The tolerance the body builds leads directly to a physical and mental dependency or addiction to barbiturates. This is also very dangerous to the individual in what they consider an effective dose – one that is required to achieve a state they wish – may not be all that far away from a lethal dose.

Benzodiazepines have a lesser addiction potential and have been considered a “safer” depressant that barbiturates. Barbiturates have replaced many of the prescription depressants being written. However it has been identified that benzodiazepines have a similar effect on the central nervous system as barbiturates, that cause many of the symptoms and dangers to the body. Prolonged use of benzodiazepines can cause physical and mental dependency, however the large doses rarely prove fatal. Benzodiazepines can become dangerous to the body when used in combination of other drugs and with alcohol.

Withdrawal effects and symptoms are very similar with most of the depressant classified drugs. The symptoms can produce mild withdrawal symptoms such as insomnia, anxiety, and irritation to very severe symptoms such as seizures and delirium. Withdrawal from a depressant with severe symptoms can be life threatening and medical assistance should be acquired. When depressant addiction and a mental health issue or in a dual-diagnosis situation, addictioncounseling and assistance in a safe environment, such as a drug rehab program, is recommended.