Even the students of elementary grades today know about the dangers of drugs , but, despite this fact, the problem of drug addiction is still relevant in the modern world. It is traditionally believed that adolescents, dysfunctional people, all who lead an asocial lifestyle are at risk. But in fact, each of us can try drugs, often quite by accident. From such a first experience it is not far from addiction, to cope with which without professional help is sometimes completely unrealistic. What signs of drug intoxication can a layman notice? How to understand in time that one of your loved ones is using drugs?
Indirect Signs of Addiction
Often, at the initial stages of taking narcotic substances, it is difficult to notice something by external signs and behavior of a person. Today, there are many types of drugs, and after taking each of them, the effect is unique. The duration of the state of acute narcotic intoxication - “coming” or “high”, as the users themselves call it, also varies. When taking some narcotic mixtures, a person may look completely normal after a few hours. But if the patient uses drugs systematically, changes in his appearance, behavior and psyche are obvious.
So, what are the most noticeable signs of drug intoxication in everyday life ? Most often, people living together with a novice drug addict notice increased irritability and sudden mood changes. When taking many psychotropic substances, absent-mindedness is observed. A person who is sick (and drug addiction is precisely a disease) can forget words, constantly “soar in the clouds”, and look sleepy. Very often the drug addict’s eyes are cloudy, his eyes are blurred, but if you turn to him, he immediately reacts, though often irritably.
Change of priorities and rhythm of life
It is easy to see that people who are materially dependent on you started using drugs. To meet his new needs, he regularly needs money. At the same time, asking for the next amount, the addict behaves aggressively, and in case of refusal, a tantrum can happen to him. The prepositions are very different, often quite absurd. A person who uses drugs can leave home for a long time without telling where he is going and avoiding all interrogations. Drug addicts prefer to spend time with their own kind.
Pay attention, did the suspect addict have new acquaintances, or maybe someone from old friends is behaving unusually? The longer a person uses drugs, the more he loses touch with the outside world. If your relative was previously distinguished by responsibility and punctuality, and suddenly he began to have problems at work and study, the cause may well be drug addiction. The deterioration of relations with relatives and friends is another clear indicator.
Fear of exposure
Most potent drugs are administered intravenously. Accordingly, the presence of traces of injections on the human body can be considered almost absolute proof of their use. Injections are made into veins, but the choice of a specific part of the body depends on the addict’s personal desire. Red dots, bruises and specific puffs on the veins can also be on the legs, in the groin area, and even on the scalp hidden under the hair. And yet, most beginners choose hands because of convenience and simplicity. Accordingly, the traces of his "hobby" have to hide.
Addicts often, fearing exposure, even on the hottest days, wear long-sleeved clothes, try not to undress at home with relatives. Most consumers are also afraid of meetings with representatives of law enforcement agencies in a state of alcohol or drug intoxication. A law-abiding person should not avoid the police and any civil servants in official form. If a person uses drugs, then it is natural for him to be afraid of being exposed, because the laws of our state provide for criminal penalties for the possession, use and sale of prohibited drugs.
External manifestations of addiction
There are a number of signs that make it possible to identify a drug addict in a crowd with high probability. However, it is worth noting that they are all relative. The eyes of a drug addict can be distinguished by dilated or narrowed pupils, with almost no reaction to light. In people who use psychotropic substances, hair, nails, skin and teeth are stably affected.
For drug addicts, the world around it with its usual joys and worries often simply ceases to exist. Over time, patients cease to monitor themselves, look messy. Obvious signs of drug intoxication are inhibited speech or, conversely, too high activity, causeless excitement.
Rapid tests
Suppose you think that someone close to you has signs of drug intoxication from time to time (or constantly). How to confirm or refute your guesses? We hasten to disappoint you, the conversation "heart to heart", most likely, will not give the desired result. With alcohol or drug addiction, the patient is most difficult to recognize the fact of the disease and realize the severity of the problem. Remember the first rule: before attacking with reproaches, try to find out exactly whether the use of psychotropic substances actually takes place. An affordable option is express tests. You can buy them in clinics involved in drug treatment and patient rehabilitation, and in some pharmacies. Outwardly, such tests resemble strips familiar to many to determine the onset of pregnancy.
Testing can be done at home. A special device must be lowered into the urine of a person suspected of using drugs. If the test strip shows two lines - all your suspicions are unfounded, but one mark signals the presence of a narcotic substance in the body. Attention: each test is designed to identify traces of drugs of a particular group.
Narcological examination
The most reliable and reliable way to determine whether a person has used drugs is a medical examination. The examination is carried out in a specialized medical institution. It is important to understand that this is an official procedure.
Drug research is one of the types of forensic science. To carry out such a procedure, an official request from representatives of justice or the Ministry of Internal Affairs is required. Accordingly, the study may be appointed by the court or law enforcement agencies in exceptional cases (for example, traffic police when detaining the offender). Unfortunately, a test for drug intoxication cannot be carried out at the request of even the closest relatives, as this violates personal human rights.
What to do with a positive result?
Suppose you were able to find out that your family member actually had a drug condition or is observed from time to time. What to do if the fact of drug use is confirmed? If possible, try to find out as many facts as possible from the “medical history”. What exactly does the patient use, what is his “experience” and other important data. All this information will be useful in the treatment and subsequent rehabilitation.
Narcological assistance should include removal of physical and mental dependence, symptomatic treatment of pathologies caused by drug use, and psychological rehabilitation / assistance in returning to a normal and full life.
Narcological care for patients and their families
Experts argue that the main secret to a successful cure for drug addiction lies in the patient's awareness of his problem and the desire to return to a full life, refusing drugs once and for all. The first stage of treatment is to remove the manifestations and symptoms of physical dependence. Already at this stage, the patient should be led to the idea that a full life is much more interesting and rich than a constant stay in captivity of a drug dope. Of great importance at the moment is communication with relatives and support from them. During treatment, disruptions must be carefully prevented. For this reason, specialized clinics are so popular in which doctors tightly control all the contacts of their wards with the outside world.
Rehabilitation and return to a full life
Drugs cause not only physical addiction, but also significantly affect the human psyche. Rehabilitation of drug addicts is a rather complicated and lengthy process, which should be carried out under the supervision of experienced psychologists. A person who has been taking psychotropic substances for a long time is in an altered state of consciousness. In order to again become a full member of society, he needs help and appropriate adaptation.
Rehabilitation of drug addicts is not only in group and individual classes with specialists. Also, patients may be offered training in a new profession for them, the opportunity to express and express themselves in creativity. The most important thing is that the patient and his family come to the clinic with a firm belief that the problem can be solved and a cure will happen. Everything else will be done by specialists who need to be strictly observed at all stages of treatment.