Recognizing Alcohol and Drug Abuse

  • Change in overall personality, overly sensitive and resentful
  • Secretive calls and text messages
  • Withdrawal from family members
  • Change in friends; secretive about new friends
  • Unexplained need for money
  • Excessive or unable to account for spending
  • Frequently breaks rules
  • Wants privacy and never available
  • Not managing to do what you should at work, home or school
  • Giving up important social, occupational or recreational activities

Common warning signs of opioid abuse:

  • Very small or pinpoint-sized eyes,
  • Often sick with the flu, but spontaneously better,
  • Nodding out at inappropriate times,
  • Wearing long-sleeved shirts and long pants to conceal track marks even in hot weather,
  • Empty prescription bottles or pills missing from another’s pain pill prescription,
  • Social signs include difficulty maintaining relationships with family and friends because the person is spending more time and effort finding and using drugs.