How to Recognize Addiction on a Loved One

Many people struggle with addiction in Charlotte. The addiction presents as an inability to discontinue the use of a legal or illegal product. There are many addictive substances like caffeine, alcohol, marijuana, or even cocaine, and the time it takes for addiction to set in after using these substances varies. Some substances, such as opioid painkillers, cause addiction faster than other drugs. When someone has a substance addiction, they continue to use the drug even when it harms their body and gives them bad symptoms.

Addiction can cause many social issues like separation in families, financial problems, and poor performance at school or work. The good news is that there is addiction treatment. When you visit an addiction medicine specialist in Charlotte, they will take your complete medical history and then examine you to determine the cause of your addiction and the best treatment to address it. This article guides you through how you can recognize that a person close to you is dealing with addiction and get them help.

• Poor Performance

Sometimes it can be hard to know when a person close to you has a substance addiction. For instance, it can be hard to distinguish addiction from the mood swings that teenagers and young adults have. However, some signs can tell you that a person is dealing with addiction. One such sign is poor performance at school or work. The person may start skipping school or dropping their grades. The person may also begin to express disinterest in schoolwork or their occupation.

• Health Problems

Addiction also causes health issues that make an individual have a hard time coping. However, the symptoms that addiction can cause may not be specific, so there is a need to get help from a specialist who determines the underlying issues. Some of the symptoms that a person can develop when addicted include noticeable weight loss or gain and reddening of eyes. Addiction can also cause the person to lack energy and motivation in carrying out activities.

• Behavioral Changes

You may also start noticing changes in how a person who is dealing with addiction acts. For instance, the person may begin being secretive about where they are going or where they have been when not at home. They may also put excessive efforts to deny you from entering their rooms. Another behavior change that you may notice is that they isolate themselves and change their relationships with their friends and family. The person may also develop drug-seeking behavior like going for drug refills from a pharmacy at short intervals.

• Money Problems

One of the money issues you notice is that money may start missing or items disappearing from the house. The person may also start asking for money without giving reasonable reasons why they need the money. It is also common for people going through an addiction to get into debt because they have to keep buying their substance with money to avoid withdrawal symptoms from a lack of the substances.

In summary, drug addiction is a problem that affects many people in society. This problem can cause social and health issues. You may recognize that a person close to you is dealing with addiction when they start performing poorly at school or work and have behavioral changes such as drug-seeking habits. These people may also develop health issues like weight loss and money problems. It is essential to support people who are going through addiction and avoid stigma.