Some symptoms, such as red eyes, weight loss, sudden mood swings, and even loss of interest in daily activities, can help identify whether someone is using drugs. However, depending on the medicine used, these symptoms may vary.
Thus, while some drugs, such as cocaine, mainly cause behavioral changes, others, such as marijuana or LSD, cause psychological changes, such as aggression, depression, arousal or mood swings. In addition, almost all medications cause physical symptoms, such as red eyes, weight loss, or tremors, for example.
Learn about the different types of medications and their effects on the body.
All medications manifest differently in the body, however, these are the most common physical signs and symptoms:
In addition, people who use drugs regularly also often stop worrying about their image, when they start wearing the same clothes all the time or not preparing before leaving home, for example.
Drugs have a significant effect on the proper functioning of the brain, causing changes in its behavior and even on the emotions it expresses. Some of the most common changes are:
Another very common sign is the desire to always want to be alone, avoiding activities such as leaving home or being with friends. It is usually during these times that the person feels the privacy necessary to resume using the drug, without anyone knowing.
This type of sign may be more evident in certain types of drugs, such as marijuana, LSD or ecstasy, as they are able to cause strong hallucinations, which alter the perception of what surrounds them. These signs include:
These changes can also be symptoms of certain psychiatric conditions, such as depression, bipolar disorder, or schizophrenia, for example. For example, it may be necessary to see a doctor who knows the person or then take them to a psychologist to understand the real cause of the changes.
People of any age, sex or economic situation may be tempted to try a drug and even become addicted. However, some factors are related to an increased risk of starting to use drugs.
Some of these factors include having a history of drug use in the family, having a psychiatric disorder, such as depression or attention deficit, having a group of friends in which some people use a certain type of drug, feeling lack of family support, being exposed to medication for an extended period of time, suffering pressure from others, or using them early.
In addition, drugs are also used more by those who need to escape reality, such as those suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder or who have anxiety or panic attacks, for example.
When a person is suspected of using drugs, the most important thing is to talk to that person to try to understand if the suspicion is well founded. Whatever the answer, it’s important to show the person that they’re available to help with what’s needed and seek the help of an expert if needed. In the case of adolescents you have to be careful because, in addition to the changes that the drug produces in the body, age-related changes also occur.
Em casos em que a pessoa já está viciada na droga, é muito comum que tente mentir, no entanto, mostrar-se disponível para ajudar é a melhor forma de tentar chegar na verdade. Nestes casos, a única forma de tratamento é procurando uma clínica de reabilitação ou um centro de acolhimento, como o Centro de Atenção Psicossocial (CAPS) do SUS.
In most cases, it will take a lot of time, patience, and compassion to help a friend or family member stop substance abuse.