How to understand that he / she is a drug addict?
How to recognize a drug addict
Drug addiction is a chronic disease, which is characterized by serious disorders in the mental and physical health of a person, which are the result of addiction to psychoactive substances. People suffering from this addiction are called drug addicts or drug addicts. This is a self-destructive path that slowly leads a person who has stepped on it to death.
People who are addicted to drugs do not immediately realize that every dose is another step to suicide and any of them can be the last. The reason for this behavior lies in the desire to feel euphoria again. The psychotropic effect of drugs gives a person a feeling of freedom, carelessness, allows one to abstract from life’s problems and unpleasant situations.
Self-confidence, serenity, euphoria – quickly end, and they are replaced by withdrawal symptoms (withdrawal symptoms), which is stronger, the faster a person develops addiction. Now drug use becomes a necessity, allowing the addict to cope with severe pain for a while. In a state of withdrawal, a person is capable of any deeds, not excluding murder, theft, robbery. The addict is at the mercy of drugs that replace family, friends, work, hobbies.
Changes take place not only in the person himself, but also in his environment, which now consists mainly of drug addicts. Even in spite of good awareness of the consequences of drug use, the problem of drug addiction continues to be relevant. Dozens of new drugs are emerging that are now available to people of all income levels, and every teenager knows about the places where they are sold.
Addiction can develop, do not let know about yourself, for years. Many people tend to ignore the dramatic changes taking place with their loved one. Fear of difficulties, shame and unwillingness to admit their own mistakes that led to the tragedy are to blame for everything. But if you want to see your loved one healthy and happy, it is extremely important to identify the development of the disease in time and seek help from the Rehabilitation Center for drug addiction treatment .
Don’t close your eyes to the problem
Why do many relatives of drug addicts and alcoholics refuse to notice the illness of their loved one?
Sometimes the reason for this behavior is banal indifference to their relative, unwillingness to participate in his life. But more often, such people deliberately ignore the obvious signs of addiction, not wanting to take responsibility for a person’s life. In addition, acknowledging the problem will force the patient’s relatives to open up to friends and other family members. Fear of public condemnation makes mothers and wives to the last “not wash dirty linen in public.” What can you advise such people?
- His illness is not your fault or your responsibility. Only the addict himself can decide his fate. You shouldn’t feel guilty about becoming a drug addict.
- By ignoring the problem you contribute to its development. The addict gets complete freedom and sees no reason to change his life. In addition, your indifference can offend him and make him behave even more defiantly in order to get your attention.
- Acknowledging a problem is a step towards fixing it. It is important to understand that drug addiction can ruin the life of an addict and the future of his entire family. You can prevent this if you fight the disease in time.
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Signs of addiction: what to look for
Drug addiction is a disease that affects people of any age and from any social class. The main risk group is young people (adolescents). In adulthood, drug addicts become less common, and most often such cases are associated with the uncontrolled intake of special medications. Those who are addicted to drugs at an early age rarely make it to adulthood.
The banal need for new sensations, the lack of life priorities pushes young people to their first acquaintance with narcotic substances. This is how the first injection is given, the first pill is taken, or the desire to sniff the powder appears.
Very often, the first experience happens under the influence of a company, close friends. A drug addict in a family is a heavy burden, especially when it comes to a child. The earliest possible detection of addiction in a loved one will save his life.
The addict tries at all costs to hide his problem from his relatives. Often the addict does not admit its presence even to himself, continuing to think that he can quit at any moment. You should talk frankly with your loved one if he:
- became withdrawn, rarely appears at home and talks about the past day;
- often lies, even if it is not necessary and his lies are easy to reveal;
- stopped communicating with old friends and does not tell you about the new company;
- wears long-sleeved clothes at all times, looks down when talking;
- comes home late, and in the morning looks haggard, sick, apathetic;
- often asks for money or gets caught stealing;
- shows aggression, does not want to make contact;
- does not sleep well, sleeps during the day and is awake at night;
- not eating or eating too much.
Drug addiction changes a person’s usual way of life, his habits, social connections. Such changes are too obvious and cannot go unnoticed. If deviations are found, you should be wary. First of all, a person who is addicted to drugs changes his social circle – he spends most of his time not with old friends and comrades, but with people who have signs of drug addiction. The addict is reluctant to communicate with family and friends, preferring to spend time in solitude. Another sign may be increased interest in the contents of the home medicine cabinet.
A person’s mental health undergoes significant changes – he becomes aggressive, easily irritated, can be overly cheerful or detached. Very often, addicts have poor coordination of movements, and gait and movements can be slowed down or, on the contrary, too sharp.
Fussiness, constant search for funds, which are necessary to buy the next dose, can also be characteristic signs. Drugs require a lot of spending, especially when it comes to such heavy drugs as methadone, ketamine, amphetamine, heroin, cocaine, etc.
Should be alerted by the disappearance of valuable things, jewelry from the house, as well as the increased pocket expenses of a teenager. Due to significant mental disorders, the addict will not be able to hide his addiction to drugs for a long time, therefore & nbsp; parents should respond to even minor deviations in the behavior of a teenager. In the absence of a child, it is worth checking his room and personal belongings for suspicious objects, for example, needles, syringes, packages of drugs with a psychotropic effect.
The above signs are general and may be due to other reasons (for example, they can be observed during puberty). However, if you have one or more symptoms, we recommend that you be vigilant and, if necessary, seek medical attention and get tested.
What to do in such cases? Start a conversation not with accusations, but with a description of your own feelings and experiences. The tone of the conversation should be calm and inviting to you. If a person does not make contact, seek help from a psychologist.
External signs indicating addiction
People suffering from drug addiction are distinguished by their appearance. With the progression of the disease, addicts pay less and less attention to hygiene, the neatness of the clothes they wear. In their wardrobe, there are dark-colored things, most often completely covering the body, which allows them to hide the injection sites. Their faces look tired, pale, and their gaze is most often detached, expressionless. Depending on the type of drug used, the pupils may be narrow or dilated.
Rash and spots appear on the skin of drug addicts. Regular use of drugs affects all internal organs and systems, as a result of which a person experiences constant malaise. Long-term use of psychoactive substances leads to a significant decrease in body weight, cardiovascular disorders, gastrointestinal disorders, paroxysmal cough.
The main groups of dangerous drugs
The symptoms of drug addiction differ depending on the type of drug used.
Opium-containing drugs, such as heroin, morphine, methadone, are potent (heavy) substances that are quite expensive drugs. Their action is accompanied by a relaxing effect, a person experiences a feeling of euphoria, “nirvana”. Addiction in this case forms very quickly (2-3 doses of drugs are enough). Most of these drugs are administered intravenously. Signs of opiate use are sluggish speech, drowsiness, poor memory, increased pain threshold, and pupillary constriction.
Cocaine, unlike opiates, does not cause drowsiness, but is a means of stimulating the nervous system, causes a surge of energy, increases the physical activity of a person. It quickly forms dependence, and with prolonged use it has a destructive effect on the cardiovascular system, disrupts the digestive tract, and leads to insomnia. A common symptom of cocaine use is a decrease in the sensitivity of the muscles in the face and neck.
Psychostimulants: caffeine, ephedrine, amphetamine, ecstasy, etc., are taken to increase physical endurance and activity. With prolonged use of psychostimulants, a person becomes extremely irritable, aggressive, suicidal thoughts visit him, and in some cases an increase in libido is possible.
Psychedelic drugs (LSD) are characterized by extremely negative effects on cerebral circulation. Their use leads to visual impairment, hallucinations, tachycardia, numbness of the extremities.
Smoking mixtures – “weed” (marijuana, hemp, hashish) – are very popular drugs among young people, which are considered safe without reason. Smoking these mixtures for a while improves mood, causes unbridled laughter. Dilated pupils, reddened whites of the eyes, increased appetite and thirst are characteristic signs.
What diseases are drug addicts predisposed to
People who are addicted to drugs are always at risk. All systems and organs of the body experience the destructive effect of drugs. Among the complications that are most common in drug addicts are:
- disorders in the cardiovascular system;
- blood poisoning;
- gangrene of the limbs;
- frost disease;
Addicted people rarely pay attention to deviations in health, which, as a result, leads to death. Even with full awareness of the possible consequences of drug use, drug addicts do not seek help from specialists. With prolonged use of narcotic substances, a person begins to experience severe pain from withdrawal, so over time he becomes indifferent to what the root cause of his suffering is: concomitant diseases or withdrawal symptoms.
Seeking help from loved ones does not give a feeling of shame, and in some cases – a lack of understanding where such a lifestyle can lead. That is why their self-destructive path most often continues until their relatives turn to specialists for compulsory treatment.
Can drugs be banned?
It is almost impossible to quit drug use on your own. Physical dependence, which develops as a result of long-term use of psychoactive substances, makes the suffering of the addict when refusing them simply unbearable. Most addicts are afraid of withdrawal, because it is widely believed in their environment that it is impossible to survive. This is actually not the case.
According to doctors, withdrawal symptoms can be experienced on their own, but not everyone can withstand such tests. Therefore, this process should take place under the supervision of narcologists. At the first stage of withdrawal, the addict experiences sensations that are similar to those during a cold – the skin becomes dry, a cough and a runny nose appear. Further, they are joined by severe pains throughout the body, numbness of the limbs. Then the person falls into a borderline state: he does not respond to external stimuli, is completely immobilized.
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Treatment of drug addiction, alcoholism and other addictions in the Rehabilitation Center “Transformation”
The first step on the path to healing should be the awareness of the problem and the desire to seek help – this is one of the principles of the unique 12 Steps rehabilitation program, which has become the basis of the treatment course practiced by the Transformation rehabilitation center. Anonymous drug addiction treatment in our center is carried out with the participation of specialists in the field of narcology, rehabilitation, psychology, psychotherapy.
Effective drug treatment should consist of three stages: detoxification (cleansing the body of toxins), rehabilitation and resocialization (adaptation of addicts in society after undergoing the main course of treatment). The Transformation Center for Drug Addiction Rehabilitation offers comprehensive treatment and home assistance, which motivates addicts for treatment.
We pay special attention to working with relatives of drug addicts, whose participation in the process of restoring the mental and physical health of addicts is difficult to overestimate. Our drug treatment clinic guarantees a stable remission in at least 30 percent of drug addiction cases, which is one of the highest results.
The Drug Addiction Assistance Center offers individual treatment programs, the composition and duration of which depends on the length of service, the type of drugs, the state of health of the clients, and their individual characteristics. Even after the end of the main course of treatment, all our wards remain in our field of vision, which allows us to avoid relapses.
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