Our partner can generate an immense variety of sensations depending on the type of bond we have. Love, fear, anger, disappointment, joy, and excitement may be present. It is frequent that we share many moments since the couple represents an important part of life. However, it could suddenly happen that we observe some strange behaviors and are disoriented for this reason. Drugs are a gateway to a dangerous world for both the life of those who consume them and the people who make up the environment. Having knowledge about drugs will provide us with tools that allow us to help those who suffer from drug use. Do you want to know more about this? In this Psychology-Online article we will provide you with information about What can I do if my partner takes drugs, and why.
How can I know if my boyfriend / girlfriend is taking drugs? There are several types of drugs that have negative effects on the health of those who consume them frequently. We must know that drugs produce different effects according to the characteristics of each one
Physical symptoms
They are those bodily reactions that appear in consumers. The red eyes, increased blood pressure, increased heart rate, dry mouth, vomiting, nausea, dizziness, slower breathing, poor coordination, dilated pupils, anxiety, nervousness, involuntary movements, tremors, damage to the mouth or nose, among others.
Cognitive symptoms
They are the ideas presented by a person who uses substances. Among the most relevant, the catastrophic thoughts about the person himself and about the world, hallucinations, difficulties in concentration and attention, memory problems...
Behavioral symptoms
They are the behaviors that can be observed in drug users. We will mention at this point the irritability, mood swings, slower or faster breathing, disinhibition, insomnia, euphoria, aggressiveness, constipation, among others.
Each substance will produce different effects depending on the dose that is consumed. One or more symptoms may appear depending on the type of drug used.
The causes that determine drug use depend on several factors that must be considered. It is important to know them in order to address this problem. In this section we will describe the most relevant:
- Environmental factors: the environment in which we live can be an influence when it comes to drug use. It is possible that there are relatives who are immersed in this problem, thus causing other close people to start using substances.
- Genetic factors: genetic inheritance also plays an important role when studying the causes of drug use. There are certain neural connections that allow a higher incidence.
What is it like to live with a drug addict? Beyond knowing the characteristics of a person who frequently uses toxic substances like drugs, we must also think about the people with whom the addict has a bond near. At this point, the partner of an addict presents a series of extremely important guidelines that should not be neglected:
- Loneliness: couples of addicts experience a strong feeling of loneliness since a large part of the decisions that are the responsibility of the couple are made unilaterally. This produces a great responsibility for them that is difficult to cope with.
- Appearance of negative feelings: Guilt may appear in the addict's partner for not being able to control drug use. As we mentioned before, the responsibility they feel in these situations generates enormous weight. When the addict continues to use despite the partner's efforts to avoid contact with drugs, they feel it as a failure that produces anger, anguish and frustration.
It is difficult to know if indeed a person who has a drug addiction can love since It will depend on the characteristics you have as well as the link established with some person in particular. You may have feelings related to love but there are also traits of manipulation that can be part of the couple's relationship. For this reason, it is essential to know the person to determine if their way of acting corresponds to love or to a method to obtain elements of personal benefit as is the case of the drugs.
What can I do if my spouse takes drugs? When someone is immersed in difficulties caused by drug use, it is possible that deceptions appear in couple relationships to continue with this problem. Given this, we suggest a series of steps to take into account at this time:
- Talk to the family: the family environment is part of the world of the addict and will be the place where valuable information can be obtained to treat him.
- To look for help: there are various forms of treatment for people with drug addictions. Short-term therapies work on goal resolution, so it can be a tool that allows the patient to approach these situations in another way. On the other hand, there are long-term therapies such as psychoanalysis looking for the origin of a conflict. This allows the patient understand the cause of their behaviors and emotions to be able to elaborate them. In this way, this type of therapy offers the possibility of facing situations from another point of view.
This article is merely informative, in Psychology-Online we do not have the power to make a diagnosis or recommend a treatment. We invite you to go to a psychologist to treat your particular case.
If you want to read more articles similar to My partner takes drugs, why and what can I do?, we recommend that you enter our category of Addictions.
