13 Major Warning Signs of Addiction

We are master manipulators, liars, cheaters, thieves, burglars, and con artists. When someone is in the grips of addiction they become a different person. They learn to do whatever it takes to get that next fix. Part of this is learning how to hide everything from their loved ones. It doesn’t matter how sly a person is when it comes to hiding their drug use, if you know the signs you will be able to spot it. Drugs cause people’s behaviors to change. 

I lived with multiple members of my family during different stages of my addiction. At first, it was little things like my patience level that my family started to notice. Addiction is a progressive disease, these signs and symptoms will get worse over time. Then the more blatant signs were visible to my family. My mom started to notice I would get super paranoid and think my room was filled with bugs. This was an extreme cocaine paranoia setting in (what are coke bugs?). This was a blatant sign she knew right away. Other signs arent so obvious, here are some of the major signs that your living with a person who is using drugs.

13 Major Warning Signs of Addiction 

1. The person displays wild mood swings

2. Extreme energy spurts, usually followed by excessive sleep 

3. Physical changes (bloodshot eyes, weight loss, slurred speech)

4. Monetary and financial issues/ Lack of financial transparency 

5. Jewelry or other valuables missing

6. Situations that don’t add up or don’t make any sense

7. The person is excessively late and constantly missing appointments/school/work

8. A new group of friends that don’t seem right

9. Disregard for daily hygiene/daily household duties (Shower, laundry, dishes)

10. The person is angry, agitated, leaves for half-hour comes back calm and relaxed

11. Drug paraphernalia left around (hollowed-out pens, razor blades, burnt spoons etc.)

12. Problems at work/school – (Principal or teachers calling home) – (Boss concerned about employees behavior) 

13. Relationship problems, (especially if the problems seem to be totally out of character for this specific person) 

If you are concerned someone you love is abusing drugs or alcohol you need to trust your gut feeling. My parents had a deep unsettling gut feeling something wasn’t right, but they refused to see what was in front of their eyes because they didn’t want to face the truth. Nobody wants to admit their little baby is using drugs or their wife or husband is an addict, but facing reality is the first step towards getting help.

Addiction rips entire families apart. Part of accepting and coping with the fact that someone you love is using and abusing a substance is getting help for yourself. I have seen parents and spouses go insane trying to change their loved one. Literally, go insane! I have seen parents empty their entire savings account, 401K, and retirement on rehabs, to no avail.  If you are the family member of someone in active addiction make sure you take care of yourself. That may sound selfish but it’s the furthest thing from selfish. If you allow it, you will be dragged down with the addict. It doesn’t do you or the person struggling any good if your life starts to fall apart.

Paying attention to detail can be a huge help when looking for signs of drug abuse. You know your family member better than almost anyone else. Watch for signs and symptoms that are out of character for that person.

1. The Person Displays Wild Mood Swings

One of the easiest ways to spot a person struggling with addiction is wild and uncharacteristic mood swings. One moment the person is calm and relaxed the next they are angry at the smallest little detail. Typically an addicts entire mood revolves around them being able to get high or not. I know when I woke up in withdrawal and had no money I would be angry, short-tempered, and extremely anxious. The moment I got a text saying someone was willing to lend me $25 I would get a sense of relief and be a lot calmer.

Pay attention to the person’s mood swings if you think they may be using drugs. Also, know the background of the person as well. Mood swings don’t immediately mean they are using drugs. Depression, anxiety, increased stress, hormonal imbalance, or medication adjustments can all cause mood swings as well.

2. Extreme Energy Spurts Usually Followed By Excessive Sleep

Depending on the substance being abused many drug users get a huge energy burst after they get high. Most uppers like cocaine, meth, and Adderal will cause a big energy burst that can last for hours, sometimes even days. Many downers like heroin, Oxycontin, alcohol, and sometimes even weed will also cause a short energy burst. We see this a lot with alcohol. Alcohol is a downer but people tend to get confidence and energy in the short term when they get drunk. I used to get a 1-2 hour energy burst after I snorted Oxycontin. I would clean up and organize my room, usually getting stuck on one task like folding clothes or vacuuming. This period was always followed by an excessive period of dozing off/sleep.

3. Physical Changes

When someone gets high there are signs their body will show that is very hard to mask. Some of these include:

1. Bloodshot eyes, watery eyes, large or small pupils
2. Extreme weight loss/gain
3. Appetite change
4. Lack of personal care/hygiene 
5. Bruises or marks on arms, neck, feet (track marks) 
6. They have an odor of smoke, alcohol, burnt materials
7. Always tired (crazy sleep cycle) 
8. Slurred speech
9. Nodding out (half falling asleep at unexpected times and places)
10. Persistent cough and runny nose
11. Itching and scratching excessively 

Pay attention to these symptoms in conjunction with the rest of the list in this article. Anyone of these issues alone probably is not a red flag of drug use. We all have money issues or a runny nose from time to time. The key is looking for multiple of these physical symptoms at the same time, and trusting your gut feeling.

I thought I was a master at acting normal once I was high…Wrong!! My family will tell you times I was nodding out at the dinner table, or the smell of excessive smoke (not cigarette smoke) on my clothes, also I lost 40 lbs in less than 90 days and I was never working out. I thought my family had no idea I was nodding out at dinner.

If the person is an IV drug user they will wear long sleeved shirts all the time. I would wear long sleeved shirts on a 90° day in an attempt to hide my track marks.

4. Money Issues

Money problems are inevitable when someone’s addiction is getting worse. Even celebrities who have millions of dollars get into financial trouble when they abuse drugs or alcohol. If a person who is usually good at paying their bills and monitoring their spending seems to be losing a grip on their financial situation this could be a sign of drug use. Typically the person in question will become very defensive and secretive around their financial situation.

I used to get paid cash on Fridays. I got roughly 5-6 hundred and by Sunday morning I would be broke from bingeing all weekend. My family noticed that by the beginning of the week I was asking to borrow money. My bills at this point were minimal. There was no reason to be spending that much money in 2 days.

5. Jewelry Or Other Valuables Missing

When someone’s addiction starts to really get bad is when the person becomes increasingly desperate to get their fix. This will result in stuff going missing around the house. Anything of value that can be pawned, traded, or sold. They will most likely start with things that they think won’t be noticed or missed but as their addiction progress’s so will their stealing. You also might notice they have traded in their new phone or computer for an older much cheaper one. These are telltale signals something is wrong.

6. Situations That Don’t Add Up Or Make Sense

Certain things just don’t feel right. If you have ever lived with an addict you know this feeling.  Four flat tires in a month, cable bill not paid when they said they did it already, their boss is late with their weekly paycheck, need to borrow money for a new phone (yet they are still using that old cracked one 2 weeks after they borrowed the money). Anytime there is a situation that doesn’t seem or feel right you should investigate further.

I told my dad one time I got into a car accident and that the guy was willing to settle it without insurance companies. Because I didn’t have the best driving record at the time this was ideal. But when it was time to pay the guy I refused to let my dad come with me to meet him and when he was helping me write the check I wouldn’t give a company name or auto shop just a persons name which didn’t fit. My dad was very suspicious and investigated further to find out I didn’t owe an auto shop money, there was no accident, I owed a drug dealer. 

7. The Person Is Excessively Late And Constantly Missing Appointments/School/Work

I was always a few minutes late to most places, but as my addiction progressed so did my tardiness. Instead of my usual 5 minutes late for dinner or work I was 20-30 minutes late. Whenever I called or texted to say I was running late I always had odd excuses. The worse my addiction got the worse my reliability was. I would routinely be an hour late and then just start not showing up to appointments or school.

There is this weird confidence drug users have. We always think we can go get high, and not be late. Anyone who has ever bought drugs knows 9 times out of 10 the drug dealer is late. Every time I told myself it would take 20 minutes, it usually took an hour or two. What makes it worse is even if I got the drugs right away, as soon as I got high I lost track of time. Either way, I was always late.

8. A New Group Of Friends That Don’t Seem Right

If you’re a parent or family member, you usually have a pretty good idea of your loved one’s group of friends. If you notice that your loved one is starting to hang around less desirable people this is a sign of something more going on. This is especially true for teens. Many adults who are struggling with addiction and trying to keep it hidden tend to use drugs by themselves or maybe with one other person. Teens heading down the wrong path will start to hang with groups of people you never expected. These new friends don’t fit with your child’s likes and social activities.

My first 2 years of college I was on the football team. My entire group of friends and roommates were somehow involved in athletics. Around the end of my 3rd year in college, I started hanging with 3 people who didn’t go to the school and none of them had jobs. My roommates will tell you about the day they came home and I had a “friend” over. This guy had no teeth, a black eye, and was 120 lbs of skin and bones. He looked like the picture in the dictionary next to meth addiction. My roommates confronted me after that night and I was very defensive and said I was helping him get his life back on track. This was of course a lie. I was buying and using drugs with this guy and his girlfriend. 

9. Disregard For Daily Hygiene/Daily Household Duties (Laundry, Dishes, Etc.)

If you start to notice that your loved one is leaving the house before taking care of basic hygiene this is a red flag. Usually, the person will leave the house in a rush and come back at some odd time and then in a spurt of energy, try to do everything they need to like cleaning, showering, etc. As their addiction gets worse so does their hygiene and reliability.

As my addiction got worse, my normal daily tasks got put on the backburner. I would wake up in the beginning stages of withdrawal. This meant I had to find some money and find some drugs. If you’re in recovery or are still struggling with addiction you know how long and time consuming this process can be. Some days I would leave the house at 9 am and I wouldn’t get home with my drugs until 4-5, even though I only intended on being gone an hour.

10. The Person Is Angry And Agitated, Leaves For Half-Hour Comes Back Calm And Relaxed

This is one everyone should know and keep in mind. It doesn’t matter what substance someone is abusing, when they are craving it, they will show some consistent symptoms like anger, agitation, short temper, and lack of focus. If you see the person in question leave the house in a fluster of anger and irritability, then return home a half-hour later all calm and relaxed this is a huge red flag.

When addicts are craving our substance and beginning withdrawal is starting it literally hijacks our brains. Scientist and researchers have shown how prolonged drug use alters the brain and creates full-blown addiction. (Source). When a person is craving a drug everything else in their brain is just a passing thought. Every second their brain and body are screaming at them, “we need more, we need to get that chemical, let’s go get high now”. 

11. Drug Paraphernalia Left Around

Most people who use drugs try to keep it hidden from their loved ones.  Especially Teens and young adults will go out of their way to keep any paraphernalia hidden, but after they get high, people tend to forget things. If you think someone you love is abusing drugs look for things related to drugs left around their room or car. Things like burnt aluminium foil sheets, burnt spoons, excessive lighters, hollowed-out pens, etc. For a great list of items addicts use, check out this article I published a few months ago: 16 Common Items You Didn’t Know Drug Addicts Use.

The more serious my drug use got the more items I would leave laying around. In the beginning, it wasn’t too hard to keep it hidden from my family because I was snorting one pill a day. By the end of my using days, I was shooting up heroin and cocaine 5-6 times a day if not more. I would routinely leave spoons, cotton balls, lighters and other things laying around. I was using so many times a day it simply became a chore to attempt to hide all my paraphernalia every time and get it back out a few hours later.

12. Problems At Work Or School

Very few people can abuse drugs and not have it affect their outside life. When someone is drinking or using drugs to excess in most cases their work or schooling will be drastically affected. Pay attention to your child’s grades and attendance if you think they are abusing drugs. Typically they will skip more classes and start to slack in areas they previously did well.

One sign my family caught onto quick was my slacking at work. Before my drug use, I never called in sick and was rarely late to work. When my addiction got worse I was late almost daily and called in sick at least twice a month. During these sick days, I was never home resting as a sick person should be. I was out chasing drugs and my family started to notice something wasn’t right. It’s not uncommon for someone to be late or miss a few days here and there for stress or health issues. But this combined with other issues on the list or persistent sick days and tardiness is a big signal.

13. Relationship Problems

Relationship problems happen to everyone at some point in time. The key is, pay attention to drastic unreasonable changes. What I mean by unreasonable is when someone starts to fight about things that don’t make sense or show no care for issues they normally should be concerned about. Typically if one person in a relationship is using drugs or drinking to excess it’s going to cause major friction. 

These relationship problems will usually show up early on in the form of the previous items on the list such as anger, agitation, and financial issues. As they get worse they will start to cause issues in any relationship that the drug user is in. This may be problems with a boyfriend/girlfriend or it may be problems between brother and brother or mother and daughter.

Outside Point Of View

These signs are all clear red flags when it comes to someone you know potentially using drugs. If this person is a family member or good friend you need to take a step back. Family and friends are typically the last ones to accept the fact that someone they love is abusing drugs. All the signs and signals are right in front of them, but they tell themselves lie’s and makeup excuses for the addict because they don’t want to accept it.

If you think something doesn’t seem right, take a step back and look at the signs and signals from an outside perspective. If someone you didn’t know very well was acting and behaving like the person in question what would you think or conclude? Use this view with your loved one so your own bias doesn’t come into play.

Many of my family members made excuses for months even years to pretend I wasn’t an addict. They knew I was showing many of these signs and symptoms from the previous list, but they refused to believe or accept their little boy, star football player, great student, was abusing hard drugs.

-Kyle Ruggeri- 

Related Questions

What Should I Do If My Loved One Is Abusing Drugs Or Alcohol? 

It is very important to talk to a professional ASAP to see what your options are. If you think its heroin or any opioid your loved one is abusing you should get a Narcan kit immediately. Even if you don’t know which drug they are using, but you know they are using drugs it’s better safe than sorry to have a Narcan kit it could save their life. You can go to any pharmacy and get a Narcan Kit, just ask the pharmacist. Many places have free Narcan training and they give out free kits at the end of the training.

Check your local government webpage and see the options available. Go to https://www.samhsa.gov/find-help/national-helpline for info about addiction and treatment services or call the addiction helpline at 1-800-662-4357.

Yelling at or getting mad at the person in question usually makes the problem worse. Speak to them normally. Tell them how you’re concerned and see if they will be open and willing to do some type of treatment.

I Think I Have A Drug Problem But I Can’t Tell Anyone Because I Can’t Afford To Lose My Job Or Leave My Kids For A 2 Month Rehab?

 This is a very tough situation. One thing for sure is if you don’t get help the problem is only going to get substantially worse. The way I look at it is if you take a month or two off of work now to get help it will be way easier than waiting 2 years at which point you may have caused irreversible damage.

With the opioid epidemic of the past decade, many laws and regulations have been put in place to protect people just like you. Employers in many states can’t fire you for seeking treatment if you come clean to them. If you wait until you make a major mistake at work, then they probably will fire you first. Check your state laws to see what your rights are.

My view after going through this many times is anything you put ahead of your sobriety you will lose. This video explains why you must put your sobriety first.

If you think your job or your kids are more important than your sobriety than you will most likely lose them. This is very tough for people to grasp. I’m not saying your kids aren’t the most important thing for you. What I’m saying is if you had cancer you would get help and treatment so you can be there for your family. If you refuse treatment then the problem is only going to get worse. This is the same with addiction. If you don’t get help your addiction will slowly kill you and destroy your family.

Thank You former Rochester crime lab scientist Jim Wesley for some of the information for this article.