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.