Some people think that it is almost impossible to tell if a loved one or an employee has a drug or alcohol problem as they hide it so well. This is sometimes the case and most people seek the advice of a health professional to identify a substance abuse issue. We owe a duty of care to those that are close to us and also our employees, to try to identify any drug problems they may be having. By following a few simple steps you will be able to see if there are any warning signs, it is all focused on the patterns and behaviour of the person that we are worried about. Here are five behavioural patterns for you to look out for:
Regular drug use
Whilst regular drug abuse does not always mean that a person is addicted it is a good indicator of there being a serious problem now or one developing for the future. For example, some people enjoy binge drinking at the weekend – they don’t need alcohol daily, but their weekend habits could be a real issue. Frequent drug use can be a problem because it will increase the user’s tolerance to a drug and their dependence. If someone continues to regularly abuse alcohol or drugs the difficulty of them quitting the habit increases.
Class A drug use
This is probably the most serious of abuse because class A drugs tend to be the most damaging to an individual; it will seriously effect mental and physical health. The most dangerous Class A drugs are heroin, cocaine and their derivatives. These are often seen as recreational drugs and are sometimes only taken every now and then; the reality is that they are very addictive. In some individuals it can take only one use to become hooked for life. If someone is using these drugs regularly then you will be able to see then isolating themselves from others and engaging in high-risk behaviour. It is sometimes very clear for us to see our loved ones are abusing class A drugs because the effect on their personality makes them act completely out of character.
Using drugs to escape
There are many reasons why people turn to drugs or alcohol; the effects depend on how, when or where they are used. If a drug user is taking drugs to try to deal with stress or even build their self-confidence then they are taking a very high-risk chance of becoming addicted. Studies have shown that teenagers mainly use drugs to escape from stress or because they are bored. It is interesting to note that teenagers with a high level of stress had more than double the chance of becoming addicted to drugs as opposed to those that had a low level.
If you would like to learn more about this issue and read some in depth scientific research then you should head over to www.matrixdiagnostics.co.uk, it is a very informative website that will give you more details about drug and substance abuse. It is better for us as parents, brothers, sisters and even employers to be aware of how people can begin drug abuse and how we can best help them through their struggle against the abuse.