Content

• Steps
• Warning

Prescription drugs, such as pain relievers, can be used for the right medical purposes, but sometimes, people become addicted to these medications. Although different drugs will have different physical properties, the symptoms of addiction will be the same no matter what drug you are overusing. Learn more about the symptoms of addiction so you can see when a friend or loved one is abusing prescription drugs.

Steps

Method 1 of 4: Recognize the physical signs of substance abuse

1. 

   Pay attention to the person's appearance. The pupils of an opiate addict (drugs that contain drugs) will shrink. The person may look tired or sleepy. Even though they want to fall asleep, they try to continue the conversation, or chatter.
   • The person looks confused and forgetful.
   • Addicts will find it difficult to balance and be quite clumsy. They will be less able to control their own body.
   • Frequent nosebleeds when using drugs that are inhaled through the nose. You will notice a runny nose or a rash around the nose and mouth.
   • The person's eyes turned red and dull.

2. 

   
   
   Check for unexpected changes in weight or sleep habits. The cravings for people who abuse prescription drugs often change suddenly. They will eat less and lose a lot of weight.
   • If the person is abusing a drug, they may not sleep for many days. When they sleep, they will sleep for a long time.
   • Insomnia is a symptom of substance abuse. This is also a side effect of stopping many drugs.

3. 

   
   
   Pay attention to unusual scents. The person's breath, skin, or clothing can smell unpleasant. This is the result of a chemical interaction between the body and the drugs the person takes. If they're trying to crush a pill and burn it to inhale it, this could be the smell of smoke. The person is also likely to sweat more than usual, and this causes the body to smell more.
   • A person's sense of smell can be significantly enhanced or reduced.
   • The person taking the drug is unaware of the change in their body odor.

4. 

   
   
   Watch for signs of injury. Abuse of the drug will often cause the person to become physically clumsy, have strange movements, or have poor vision. If you notice an unexplained injury, this could be a sign of overuse of prescription drugs.
   • Common injuries include minor cuts and bruises. Injury can be more serious.
   • The person is more likely to become defensive when asked about the injury, or they will not be able to remember the cause.
   • The person prefers to wear long-sleeved shirts in hot weather to hide the injection site.

5. 

   Be careful about unintentional gestures. You will probably notice that the person's hand or arm is shaking. The person will have difficulty pronouncing words. They can talk.
   • It will be difficult for the person to hold a pen, sign, or hold a cup without splashing the water.
   • Usually, this is a withdrawal symptom, a sign of drug abuse.

6. 

   Recognize changes in personal hygiene habits. The person who abuses drugs will stop taking care of his or her personal hygiene needs, such as taking a shower, changing into clean clothes, brushing hair. This is a common sign of overuse of prescription drugs. The person will be less likely to focus on these activities in everyday life, or they will no longer be interested in them.
   • If the person is on drugs, they will spend more time cleaning the house than usual, even though their sense of personal hygiene is rather poor.
   • Signs of drug abuse can emulate, or even originate, from substance abuse-related depression.

7. 

   Look for a device for medication use. Usually, people who abuse prescription drugs start injecting drugs into a vein. Find out if they have a syringe and spoon bag.
   • You may see a pile of used matches, or many cigarette lighters.
   • Banknotes, glassine envelopes (similar to cellophane), or multiple folders may be found in the person's vehicle, among books on a bookshelf, or hidden in their home.
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Method 2 of 4: Observe for behavioral signs of substance abuse

1. 

   Think about any changes in the person's social relationships. People who abuse drugs will often stay away from people who do not share the same situation. You may find that the person is avoiding old friends and co-workers, or developing new friendships with other types of people.
   • It is possible that the person's friends, supervisor, co-workers, former teacher, etc. have complained about them.
   • People who use substances often prefer to talk in a self-centered manner. They won't be the type to be happy with.
   • They may begin to become paranoid, and develop theories about how humans are against them.

2. 

   Consider whether the person dropped out of school or quit work. People who are abusing drugs are not likely to enjoy work or school. They will lie about being present, pretend to be sick to call to take time off, or simply not go to class or work.
   • This lack of interest may be different from the person's personality in the past, or not too different.
   • You will notice a decrease in the person's grades or performance.

3. 

   Notice the increase in privacy. People who abuse drugs will look paranoid, or rather reclusive. They will try to prevent people, especially family members, from entering their rooms or homes.
   • They are focused on maintaining the privacy of their activities in front of everyone, especially those close to them.
   • They may lie about their daily activities.
   • You will find this person engaged in suspicious activity that you can hardly explain.

4. 

   Pay attention to the rise of trouble situations. People who abuse drugs will have many problems at school, at home, at work, in friendships or in love. These include: accidents, fights, legal issues, controversy, etc.
   • Getting into trouble may not be the same way the person was before taking the drug, or not. If this is a nascent problem, you should consider the possibility that drug abuse is the cause.
   • Sometimes, having a problem is a good reason for a person to stop abusing a drug.
   • If the person continues to take the medication regardless of the troublesome situation he or she has, he or she has become addicted and needs treatment to stop taking it.

5. 

   Keep track of that person's spending. People who abuse prescription drugs often have financial difficulty paying for them. An unusual or unexplained need for money could be a sign of drug abuse. The person will steal, lie or cheat for money, even if they are normally seen as honest.
   • You will find that you lose jewelry, computers, or other items of high resale value. The person may engage in theft to serve his or her addiction.
   • If the person seems to be spending too much money without concrete evidence for the process, they probably used the money to buy medicine.

6. 

   Watch out for regular refills. You cannot buy prescription drugs whenever you want, and people who abuse medications will run out of medicine before the refill is due. That person will have a myriad of reasons why they need to buy more pills so early every month: they get stolen, they drop to the sink or the toilet, leave them in the hotel, accidentally throw them away. loss, etc. These are signs of overuse of prescription drugs. advertisement

Method 3 of 4: Recognize the psychological signs of substance abuse

1. 

   Consider changes in your personality or mood. A sudden change in a person's personality can be the result of the abuse of prescription drugs. People who abuse prescription drugs can become self-centered or aggressive and enjoy controversy. If this is a significant change in the person's personality, consider the possibility that the person is overusing the prescription drug.
   • When the person is on drugs, the person will talk more, but it will be difficult to follow their story. They change topics often, unable to focus on one topic for long periods of time.
   • You may find that the person seems paranoid, overly concerned about what others are saying or what they are doing.

2. 

   Observe your emotional response. The person may appear defensive or contentious, even if this is not what is typical of them. They will be less able to cope with stress, get angry or upset easily.
   • Discomfort is a common personality trait of people having problems with prescription medications.
   • The person will look more immature than before, refuse to apologize to any situation, or minimize his role in it.

3. 

   Notice a change in the person's ability to pay attention. Bad decision making, the result of an inability to think twice about everyday problems, is a common side effect of drug abuse.The person will not be able to think about the factors that are not related to the drug.
   • They will become more annoyed or silly than usual.
   • Poor concentration and problems with memory are signs of drug abuse.
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Method 4 of 4: Help someone else stop using the drug

1. 

   Talk to them. If you think someone you know is overusing prescription drugs, you should ask them directly. Let them know you are concerned about them, and offer to help them.
   • Don't get angry or blame the person for taking the medicine. Remember that addiction is an illness, not a conscious choice. If the person is addicted, they need treatment.
   • It takes courage to admit that you have a problem. You should know that this process will be quite difficult.
   • Don't lecture the person or talk to them when you feel hurt about their medication use. Remember to remain calm, caring, and helpful.

2. 

   Don't expect the person to end this situation without help. There are many treatment options available. It takes some time to find the right treatment for the problem with the medication, but if the person persists, they can return to their drug-free life.
   • Addiction is similar to managing any kind of chronic illness. Know that what the person is taking will continue throughout his or her life.
   • Remind the person that the treatment process is a private subject, and that everyone doesn't need to know about it. All medical conditions that are discussed with a doctor, including treatment for prescription drug addiction, are bound by the provisions of the Law on Examination and Treatment of Vietnam.

3. 

   Help the person get behavioral therapy. In addition to joining the familiar 12-step group, there are more in-depth behavioral therapies available. There are many treatments for the condition that depend on prescription medications. Encourage the person to take what they feel most comfortable with.
   • Outpatient treatment includes an individualized or group counseling option. Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), and multidimensional family therapy are two options. There are also approaches that focus on incentives and rewards, like motivational interviews and motivational incentives.
   • The doctor may order an intensive outpatient program (IOP). This is a program in which patients are expected to see their doctor at least three days per week for two to four hours per day, and can be scheduled based on other personal responsibilities.
   • Your doctor may also recommend home treatment, especially for more serious addiction. Some home remedies are quite intensive, and include living in a treatment facility while undergoing daytime behavioral therapy. Most stays will last from 28 to 60 days, sometimes longer.
   • Other home treatment options include community therapy, in which the length of stay will be 6 - 12 months.
   • Everyone's recovery process is different. There is no one type of behavioral therapy that is right for everyone.

4. 

   Share information about pharmacological treatment options. Pharmacological treatment will be different depending on the medicine the person is abusing. This method requires you to see your doctor. These are the options that provide the best results when combined with behavioral therapy.
   • For opioid pain reliever addiction, the person will be prescribed naltrexone, methadone, or buprenorphine. They are drugs that help reduce the body's desire for opioids.
   • In the US, for addiction to other drugs, such as stimulants (for example, Adderall or Concerta) or inhibitors (such as barbiturates or benzodiazepines), the US Food and Drug Administration has not yet approved the pharmacological treatment. Quitting these drugs can be medically difficult, and professional medical assistance is needed to minimize physical damage.
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Warning

• Drug abuse will cause seizures in people with a history of epilepsy.
• Delusional, wandering thoughts are likely a sign of drug abuse, or a sign of early mental illness.