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The amount of drug addicts in the United States has been steadily increasing for years. There are many addicts that have found ways to blend in well with the rest of society. This can make it difficult to realize if someone that you know is an addict. Perhaps you suspect that your room mate or you partner is using drugs but you are not sure. There are some common ways to tell if you are living with a drug addict. These are helpful so you can have some evidence if you need to confront them and help them seek a drug rehab.

Although drugs affect different people in different ways, there is still a basic pattern that addicts follow. Slowly but surely, the drug becomes more and more important to a user. Finally, the drug is the most important thing in their life – above relationships, friends, family and even their own body. First, let’s examine some of the behavioral symptoms that could help you recognize an addict.

A person using a drug like opiates or barbiturates will often have slurred speech or a decrease in motor function. They may appear to be disoriented or confused. Many times, they will have a slow reaction time and they may have trouble answering simple questions. At first glance, they may appear drunk – but they will often times move slower than someone that is intoxicated.

People who use stimulants will show signs of increasing energy. They may have a lot of energy or be extremely restless. Often times they will have a lot of trouble falling or staying asleep and may stay up into very late hours of the night. Cocaine and meth will work to ‘rev up’ the body and cause someone to seem hyper or overexcited. Sometimes they may seem to feel ’supreme’ or act like they can not be injured. If cocaine is snorted, users may experience frequent nose bleeds or sinus problems.

As far as physical signs, you may be able to notice that someone who uses drugs has gained or lost a lot of weight in a small amount of time. They may also change the type of clothes that there wear, opting for long sleeves that cover their arms where they may ’shoot up’. The existence of unexplained drug paraphernalia often accompanies these changes. Syringes (needles), spoons with burn marks and safety pins with burn marks are all common items that may be in the home of a drug addict.

If you are living with an addict, it is important that you confront them in an appropriate way. Your help may be the very thing that saves their lives. If they are suffering from a dangerous addiction, do not be afraid to suggest that they seek out the help of a drug rehab program. It can be very difficult to confront someone about their drug use, but they may be waiting for someone to notice. If you do not attempt to step in and show them that you care by lending them a helping hand, their addictions may continue to get worse.