How to know if a person IS USING DRUGS with the naked eye

Throughout our lives, it is normal for a certain affection to develop for certain people and we care how they are both emotionally and physically. For various reasons, we may notice something different in our close social circle if we observe strange behavior, a physical change, and / or a different emotion. But, how can we know if a person is taking drugs?

There are substances that lead to significant deterioration in health such as drugs. The information that we may have about this topic can provide us with tools to identify the symptoms of an adult drug addict, in order to understand and help those who suffer from this type of problematic. If any of this is familiar to you, this article may help you. Do you want to know more about this? In this Psychology-Online article we will provide you with information about how to tell if a person is using drugs with the naked eye.

Index

1. Physical changes
2. Changes in personality
3. Changes in habits
4. Cognitive problems
5. Social problems
6. Changes in the consumption of material resources
7. Consequences of drug addiction
8. How to act when a close person uses drugs

You may be wondering "How do I know if my partner is using drugs?" In order to identify the symptoms of a drug addict adult you have to know one of the most important aspects: physical changes. Many of these symptoms are linked to the nervous system, if you want to know more, we recommend reading our article on Effects of drugs on the nervous system.

Here we will point out the most important ones to take into account:

• Body tremors.
• Baggy eyes.
• Weight gain or loss.
• Lack of motor coordination.
• Difficulties in the pronunciation of words.
• Decay and / or exaltation.
• Red eyes.
• Spots on the face.
• Frequent nasal congestions.
• Recurrent oral diseases.
• Shaking chills.
• Sweating.
• Eruptions
• Agitation.

Beyond the physical modifications that result from drug use, certain changes in personality may also appear according to the type of drug that is consumed. So how can we know if a person is taking drugs? For this, it is important to take this point into account since the symptoms may vary depending on the frequency and duration of consumption. The most relevant personality changes are the following:

• Irritability.
• Aggressiveness.
• Lack of perception of the environment.
• Social isolation.
• Disinterest in people and the world.
• Persistent anxiety
• Thoughts about harm that the person who uses could suffer.
• Euphoria.
• Manipulative attitudes.

In addition to the changes that appear in terms of physical appearance and personality, it is also true that there can be changes in the habits of people who use drugs. Here we will describe the most important changes in habits that will help you to know if a person uses drugs at a glance:

• Lack of organization in terms of routines of life.
• Changes in sleep hygiene.
• Loss or decrease in labor performance.
• Repeated absences from educational institutions (if applicable).
• Robbery attempts to get money.

In the event that you have noticed these symptoms of an adult drug addict in people in your close circle, and even in your partner. To know what to do in this situation, we leave you the following post: My partner takes drugs, why and what can I do?

Another aspect that must be taken into consideration in a person who frequently uses drugs resides in the thought area. When the drug is introduced in a person's life, cognitive changes occur that are harmful. In this section we will highlight the main items to find out if a person uses drugs:

• Lack of concentration and attention.
• Decreased ability to understand.
• Memory loss short and long term.
• Difficulties in acquiring new content.

Because of what was mentioned in previous sections, there are certain problems that people who consume drugs in social ties since these are negatively affected by changes in behavior that occur. suffer. Next, we will locate the main social problems:

• State changing mood.
• Isolation.
• Lack of empathy.
• Aggression with the environment.
• Social conflicts in the school and work environment.

When we speak of material resources, we refer to those elements that are part of a person's daily life. As an example, you can mention the knife, a debit or credit card, among others.

At a general level, it is possible that someone who suffers from drug use uses these materials in order to use them at the time of the substance intake. That is why we must pay special attention to this issue to know if a person uses drugs with the naked eye:

• The money is used for the purpose of obtaining drugs.
• Use of flavorings to prevent the consumption from being discovered.
• Recurring sale of household items in exchange for substances.

Recurrence and relapses in ingestion of toxic substances produce severe consequences that affect health. If you want to know more about the subject, check our post Drug addiction: causes and consequences. Next, we will locate the main Negative effects arising from drug use:

• Respiratory diseases.
• Sickness.
• Vomiting
• Psychiatric pathologies.
• Loss of social ties.
• Blood circulation problems
• Psychological disorders derived from drug use.
• Death.

That's why it's important work on prevention from an early age and empower young people to say "no" to drugs. Learn more about this topic at How to Prevent Drug Addiction in Teens Y Assertiveness. Techniques for saying NO to drugs.

We already know how to tell if a person is using drugs with the naked eye. Now, in the presence of the characteristics displayed in the previous points about the symptoms of an adult drug addict, it is essential to know the ways to approach this class of problematic. For this reason, we will describe some guidelines to consider so that you know what to do if a person uses drugs:

• Provide containment: This means being close to the person who uses drugs without judging them for their behavior. In other words, this lets the person know that they can trust whoever comes close to them.
• Suggest some treatment: When there are behaviors related to drug addiction, it is important that health professionals intervene to address this type of problem. Here's more information on how help an addict to drugs in our post How to work drug dependence in adults and adolescents.
• Express concern: This lets the person know that there is an environment that wants their recovery. Family and close friends play a vital role here.

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 How to tell if a person is using drugs with the naked eye, we recommend that you enter our category of Addictions.

Villa Moral Jimenez, M., Ovejero Bernal, A. (2005). Modification of attitudes, habits and frequency of consumption of alcohol and other psychoactive substances in Spanish adolescents from an educational-preventive program. Colombian Journal of Psychology, 14 (1), 100-118.

Waisman Campos, M. (2017). Aspects of practice. Psychoactive substances and the effects of their use. Madrid: Editorial Médica Panamericana