Signs of Addiction

Identifying drug addiction, especially opiate drug addiction, can be very difficult. The individual suffering with addiction may appear normal, even highly productive. Simultaneously he or she can be obsessed with obtaining increasing amounts of the drug to feed the addiction while keeping the addiction secret from family, friends, and business associates.

Awareness of the behaviors and issues which are indicative of addiction is the first step in supporting those who are addicted to get the help they need to return to a drug-free life. Although the signs and symptoms of addiction vary by person, the combination of any of the following list is reason for concern.

Behavioral signs/symptoms
Increased irritability	Irresponsibility
Decreased attendance at work or school	Borrowing money frequently
Decline in performance at work or school	Stealing at home, work, or school
Doctor shopping	Building a store of extra medication
Association with known substance abusers or suspicious new acquaintances	Inability to make eye contact during conversations
Frequent trips to the bathroom, basement, or other storage places where drugs can be hidden	Taking more pain medication than is needed to treat pain
Wearing sunglasses unnecessarily	Wearing long-sleeved clothes in hot weather