Hawaii Island Recovery 
Drug addiction is a devastating disease that impacts the physical and mental health of those living with it. It also does profound damage to personal relationships, families, and entire communities. However, understanding drug addiction, how it impacts a person, and the warning signs of substance abuse in a loved one can empower those living with the disease and their families to explore new and effective approaches to healing. Meanwhile, working with loved ones and a professional treatment facility like Hawaii Island Recovery is the best approach to understanding the signs someone is on drugs and taking action to begin a life of change.
What Is Substance Use Disorder?
Substance use disorder, or SUD, is a diagnosed condition where a person’s use of addictive substances like alcohol, methamphetamine, amphetamines, benzodiazepines, opioids, or any other form of drug or addictive substance becomes uncontrolled, bringing significant challenges to daily life. Despite negative consequences to a person’s health and wellness, those living with SUD will still find it difficult to stop using, often resulting in further challenges. Professional treatment is often necessary to challenge drug misuse and the signs of addiction to overcome not just the effects of SUD but also the underlying mental health needs, stresses, and unique challenges that led to the use of drugs in the first place.
Those living with SUD will also experience withdrawal symptoms when not using addictive substances, and may begin to compromise other areas of life, like personal responsibilities or professional obligations, to continue using, despite mounting negative consequences.
How Does Drug Addiction Develop?
Drug addiction is not something that appears overnight. Rather, it takes time to develop. Familiarizing oneself with the various stages of the development of drug addiction can help address addiction and its destructive effects before more drastic consequences occur.
First, being in an environment that enables potential drug use can result in curiosity or experimentation with drugs, resulting in first use. A person may begin to develop a positive relationship with these substances from this first use, such as feeling less anxious, or using it to relieve stress, even if these substances do not address the underlying source of their stress. This can turn this first use into regular use, where a person begins to use drugs more frequently or incorporates them into certain patterns of use.
However, drug addiction does not simply stop developing, and can often continue to worsen as long as it remains unaddressed. While there can be signs someone is on drugs during these initial stages, these signs can become more prevalent as addiction continues to develop. A person may begin to engage in risky use of drugs or use drugs in more dangerous situations. Driving under the influence, skipping work to use drugs, or neglecting household responsibilities to engage in drugs more often are behaviors that are often part of this stage of drug addiction.
It then becomes dependence, where a person will perceive the use of drugs as necessary for daily functioning. Regular use, paired with increasing tolerance, withdrawal symptoms, and routines built around substance use in daily life, is common. Professional treatment is necessary to address these effects. Without intervention, dependency can quickly become an addiction, where a person’s use of drugs becomes wholly uncontrolled, despite mounting consequences, financial problems, legal trouble, and more. Meanwhile, treatment programs, detox, and professional help are often necessary to overcome dependency and addiction in daily life.
Is Drug Addiction Genetic?
There is a genetic component to addiction, but it is not the only factor. Those whose parents have been diagnosed with addiction are at an increased risk of developing an addiction themselves, either to drugs or other addictive substances or behaviors. However, just because a person does not have a history of addiction in the family does not somehow make a person “immune” to developing the disease, nor does having this genetic predisposition guarantee that a person will develop the disease themselves; it just means that they are at an increased risk of the disease.
Recognizing The Signs of Unhealthy Drug Use in Loved Ones
Drugs can devastate a person’s well-being, affecting everything from mental health and behavioral health to physical appearance. Knowing how to tell if someone is on drugs can empower supporters and family members to take action to address drug addiction quickly and effectively.
Signs of Drug Use or Intoxication
The first signs of drug use come with the immediate effects of the drugs. While the symptoms can change depending on the kind of drug used, with stimulants, hallucinogens, cannabis, prescription drugs, or depressants, xanax, and more, each having unique symptoms, there are some universal signs that a loved one may be using drugs. These signs can include:
- Slurred speech
- Drowsiness, hyperactivity, or drastic changes in energy levels
- Bloodshot or glassy eyes and dilated pupils
- Sweating, shivering, or reacting to extreme temperatures, even when in a room-temperature environment
- Compromised coordination, focus, and motor skills
- Anxiety, depression, moodiness, or intense mood swings
Physical Signs
There may also be physical signs that persist even after the immediate effects of drug use have worn off. These physical signs of drug use in a loved one include:
- Sudden weight changes, especially weight loss
- Changes in sleep patterns, or exhaustion and fatigue related to lack of sleep
- Flushed skin
- Thinning hair
- Inability to regulate body temperature
What Are Common Behavioral Signs That Someone Might Be Using Drugs?
Changes in behavior are also common as a result of drug use. As drug use continues to impact daily life, a person may begin changing regular behaviors and routines to accommodate their increasing use. For many, this means calling out of work, neglecting hygiene and responsibilities, or adopting a more secretive lifestyle by locking doors. A person may also get defensive about their schedule or coming and going, and express a lack of motivation in personal endeavors and goals.
Isolation from people or social groups who may actively disapprove of their use is also common, and typically includes family members. Those living with SUD may also express a noticeable increase in tolerance, and may take active efforts to conceal their drug use, such as hiding drugs, drug paraphernalia, or other signs of drug use from others, especially if using drugs alone.
Family & Relationships
How can you tell if someone is on drugs? In addition to the risk factors associated with drug use, there can also be signs in how a person’s relationship with family members, friends, and loved ones may be changing. Asking oneself some questions can help explore these changing relationships and encourage concerned family members and loved ones to contact a professional treatment facility to learn more about drug addiction, alcohol use disorder (AUD), or drug abuse. These questions can include:
- Has there been a change in your loved one’s relationships with you and family members?
- Do you see changes with the people or friends they socialize with?
- Are they experiencing difficulty at work or school?
- Have their social activities changed?
- Are they participating in riskier behavior?
Noticing these changes can be a reason to learn more about addiction and the detox and recovery process. However, supporting a loved one during this time can be difficult, and there can be many barriers to helping a loved one see the effects of their drug use and commit to treatment themselves. Working with professionals to approach the situations delicately, or hosting an intervention if absolutely necessary, can be a major step in helping a loved one begin their transformative healing journey.
Staging an Intervention
An intervention is a drastic attempt to help a loved one realize the extent to which addiction has impacted their life and the lives of those around them. Deciding to host an intervention is a huge decision, and before beginning that process, it is paramount that families and loved ones consult a treatment facility and a professional interventionist to prepare for the challenges ahead.
Staging an intervention can be risky and should not be the first option explored to address drug addiction in a loved one. They are intense, and an unsuccessful intervention can make it difficult to provide support in the future. However, a successful intervention can help a loved one not only understand the need for change but also recognize the need to fully commit to treatment themselves.
How Can I Plan for An Intervention?
Planning an intervention is complicated, and there are a lot of factors involved. Talking to a professional and creating a safe environment is an important first step. This means choosing the right time and place. While it may be tempting to want to schedule an intervention as soon as possible, picking the time deliberately can provide more advantages. Scheduling a time where nobody will be interrupted and that doesn’t conflict with other obligations is necessary. Likewise, a neutral place or a place where a loved one feels comfortable is also important, especially one without too many distractions, such as noise, lights, or the potential to be interrupted or disturbed during this time.
Practicing what each person wants to say, taking time to edit words, and knowing the goal of each intervention are also crucial. An intervention is a highly emotionally-charged time, and practicing words and emotionally and mentally preparing oneself for resistance, stress, and intense emotions is necessary for the success of these interventions while staying structured and on-message.
Express Feelings With Care
During an intervention, it is important to be honest, even with difficult experiences. However, expressing feelings and challenges with care is necessary. Interventions are not lectures or a time to place blame, anger, or guilt. Rather, it is a time for honesty, openness, sympathy, and care. Expressing feelings with honesty while also expressing love, caring, and support is part of what can make an intervention successful, situating oneself not as a barrier to future drug use, but instead as a unified support for change.
What If My Loved One Becomes Upset?
A loved one may become upset or defensive during an intervention, and this is normal. Interpreting an intervention as an attack on a person or their character is common, and a loved one may become angry or lie to get out of a clearly stressful situation. This is why practicing language beforehand is so important, empowering families to stay consistent and direct in the goals of the intervention.
However, allowing a loved one time to speak, to voice their anger, and more is also part of the process. This continues to reinforce that support over blame can help ease the situation. These times can get intense, and having a professional interventionist present during this time can ensure that each person is treated fairly and help manage the atmosphere during this time.
Gather Resources For Support
The goal of an intervention isn’t just to show the need for change, but to empower a loved one to take action themselves. Having resources, pamphlets, or information on local detox and inpatient drug treatment facilities, the evidence-based treatments and holistic healing options available, and options for treatment amenities and facilities are all important, and can help reduce the barrier to treatment, encouraging them to see their options and make a decision on their own interests.
Collecting resources for a loved one can empower them to choose their treatment for themselves, and can help avoid feeling like a person is thrown into treatment, but rather given the opportunity to explore it themselves. These resources also help keep the focus on drug addiction as a disease, rather than personal attacks on an individual.
Be Ready for Change in Yourself
Addiction recovery is a complex process, and while those living with SUD will benefit from having professional support and peer support groups available, there is also change to be made at home. Family members still have a role to play in the lasting success of drug addiction treatment.
Making changes at home, working with professionals to establish boundaries, consequences, communication strategies, and more, is all part of the healing journey. Hawaii Island Recovery offers an extensive family therapy program to help manage the effects of addiction inside and outside of the walls of the facility, empowering supports to encourage healing at home after treatment, and maintain their mental health throughout the process.
This education and change are necessary, and committing to treatment alongside a loved one can further reinforce the importance of togetherness and solidarity, rather than blame and guilt, overcoming the challenge of drug addiction together.
FAQs About How To Tell If Someone is on Drugs
Can Drug Use and Addiction be Prevented?
Yes, it is possible to prevent drug addiction with early intervention. However, it can be challenging, and family members and loved ones must be familiar with the potential signs of drug use to address it in earlier stages, such as experimentation or regular use. Nobody is “guaranteed” to develop addiction, and with the right support and education, prevention is always possible.
What is the Hardest Addiction to Quit?
Each addiction is unique and often involves a variety of personal factors. While drugs like heroin can be intensely challenging to overcome, no addiction to any drug or substance is “easy” to overcome. Likewise, addressing the underlying mental health issues, trauma, stress, and other personal factors all contribute to the difficulty of overcoming the disease.
Rather than comparing the intensity of different substances, working with professionals to establish personal needs, challenges, and goals is the best approach to overcoming addiction and making sustainable, lasting changes for a sober life.
What is the Hardest Stage of Addiction Treatment?
Addiction is a disease that affects every part of daily life. Many people are met with some of the most intense challenges right at the beginning of their journey, during detox and the beginning of residential treatment. This is when withdrawal symptoms are at their most intense. Paired with still-developing coping strategies and techniques, overcoming this stage of addiction and treatment is difficult.
However, with the right support, it is never impossible. Personalized treatment options, a dedicated medical detox program to provide health care, health services, emotional support, and medication as necessary to manage specific withdrawal symptoms, are available to support a person through this time. Personalizing a treatment program from the beginning with Hawaii Island Recovery can also increase the chances of success while developing skills and strategies pertinent to each person’s unique goals, history, and needs in treatment.
Knowing the signs someone is on drugs is just the first step in an effective healing journey. At Hawaii Island Recovery, we are prepared to help you and your loved one begin this important journey together, with comprehensive treatment programs across the entire continuum of care. We blend medical detox and an intimate, eight-person residential facility with evidence-based care and uniquely Hawaiian holistic healing opportunities. Our approach to drug addiction recovery embraces the personalized journey of change, giving you the tools to make the most of your hard work and effort in recovery for transformative, lasting change, from improved physical and mental health to newfound spiritual wellness. Learn more by calling us today at (866) 390-5070.
