Q45. What are the signs of drug abuse? - Drug Addiction FAQs

A45. There are a whole range of signs of drug abuse which include changes in health, mental wellbeing and behaviour. These include:

• Weight loss/gain
• Pale, gaunt appearance
• Wearing long sleeved tops, even in hot weather, to hide needle marks
• Sores or spots around the nose and/or mouth
• Bloodshot eyes
• Increase/decrease in appetite
• Greasy or dull hair
• Frequent nose bleeds
• Uncared for or neglected appearance
• Unusual smell on hair, body or clothes
• Hyperactivity
• Lack of motivation
• Mood swings
• Aggression or hostility
• Paranoia
• Edginess
• Anxiety
• Secretive behaviour
• Defensiveness
• Dishonesty
• Forgetfulness
• Self-obsessed
• Withdrawn

If you notice a complete change in personality and behaviour in someone then this might be indicative of substance abuse. Not all of these signs mean that someone is a drug addict but they are indicators of this.

Be careful when applying this to young people as some of this may be normal teenage behaviour and not drug abuse.

Drug Addiction FAQs Index:

Faqs drug addiction Intro

1. What is an addiction?
2. What is the difference between a dependency and an addiction?
3. What causes an addiction?
4. Why do some people become addicted but others don’t?
5. What are the physical effects of an addiction?
6. What are the mental effects of an addiction?
7. What is the relationship between addiction and crime?
8. Can you have a harmless addiction to something?
9. Are there any risk factors for addiction?
10. How do I know if I have an addiction?
11. How do you treat an addiction?
12. What is ‘withdrawal’?
13. What are ‘cravings’?
14. What is a ‘relapse?’
15. Can you be cured of an addiction?
16. How does drinking lead to alcoholism?
17. What are the signs of a drink problem?
18. What is the difference between alcohol abuse and alcoholism?
19. What is ‘alcohol tolerance’?
20. What are alcohol withdrawal symptoms?
21. I think my partner is drinking heavily what can I do?
22. What is the treatment for alcohol addiction?
23. Why is smoking so addictive?
24. What is ‘nicotine'?
25. Why is it so difficult to stop smoking?
26. What are the effects of nicotine withdrawal?
27. How does smoking cause cancer?
28. How do some people smoke heavily all their lives and never get cancer?

29. What are the effects of smoking?
30. What is ‘caffeine’?
31. How can you become addicted to caffeine?
32. Which foods or drinks contain caffeine?
33. What are the effects of too much caffeine?
34. What is caffeine withdrawal?
35. I think I am drinking too much coffee, what should I do?
36. How much caffeine is there in energy drinks such as Red Bull?
37. How does an addiction start in young people?
38. I think my daughter has been taking drugs, what do I do?
39. Why do young people become addicted?
40. How can we stop young people from becoming addicted?
41. Why do people take drugs?
42. What are ‘hard’ drugs?
43. What are ‘soft’ drugs?
44. Is drug use confined to deprived areas only?
45. What are the signs of drug abuse?
46. What are the effects of drug use?
47. What is the link between drug use and crime?
48. Which are the most popular drugs in the UK?
49. Why do teenagers take drugs?
50. Can using cannabis lead to the use of harder drugs?
51. Can you stop taking drugs by willpower only?
52. Why do people lie about taking drugs?
53. How do you treat drug addiction?
54. What is ‘cold turkey’?
55. What is drug rehab?
56. Does drug treatment work?