How do I know if my child, friend or partner needs help?

There are no hard or fast rules to go by to tell if someone is using drugs or has become addicted, however there are warning signs. A person’s behaviour is the main thing to assess.There are no hard or fast rules to go by to tell if someone is using drugs or has become addicted, however there are warning signs. A person’s behaviour is the main thing to assess.

• How do they look?
• What is their appetite like?
• Are they hanging around with a new crowd?
• What are their sleep patterns like?
• How are they communicating?
• Drugs and alcohol cost money – are they getting through a lot of cash?

There are a number of factors that you can use as a guide to help you assess if your child or a friend might need help. We have listed some key indicators below. This list is not exhaustive as everyone deals with using drugs or alcohol in different ways.

Remember, some of these behaviours and feelings are experienced by teenagers and young adults as a natural part of growing up. Many of these signs and symptoms may also be caused by stress, depression, or other life problems, so make sure you don’t jump to the wrong conclusion.

Consult your doctor or a family support worker if you want to get some professional advice – they will help you with a referral to a specialist service if necessary. The sooner you seek help, the better, not only for your child or friend, but also for your own well-being.

If you answer yes to many of the questions, it may be wise to seek help for your child or friend now:

Are their moods always changing? Are they over-sensitive, or nervous? Do they have mood swings: one minute excited and extremely happy or giggly, the next depressed? Do they have illogical or extreme episodes of anger? Has their behaviour changed in some dramatic way? Have they become manipulative, self-centred, sneaky, dishonest, unreliable, flamboyant or careless? Do they sleep a lot? Do they complain that they are tired all the time? Do they have trouble sleeping? Do they tend to stay awake at night when you are sleeping and sleep during the day?

• Do they have good attendance and punctuality at school or college? Do they often call in sick to work? Have their grades dropped at school or has their performance disimproved at work?
• Do they still hangout with their old friends? Do they have a set of new friends who they are not keen for you to meet?
• How is their motivation towards everyday things? Do they exhibit an ‘I-couldn’t-care-less’ attitude? How is their self-esteem?
• How is their attention span? Do they tend to forget things a lot?
• Do they seem paranoid or suffer from blackouts, flashbacks or delusions?
• How are they eating? Have they stopped eating or lost a lot of weight?
• Do they ask you for money all the time? Do they seem to go through a lot of money regularly, but don’t have a good explanation for how they spent it? Do they suddenly have more money or valuables than usual?
• Are you missing any money either in the house or from your bank account? Do you have all your bank and credit cards? Are items of value going missing from your home?
• Look out for tools of the trade. Have you found rolling papers, pill bottles, capsules or packets, syringes, tourniquets, burned tinfoil or spoons in the house or on the premises? Sometimes, a person will try to disguise the smell of burning drugs or drinking alcohol by using air fresheners or incense. Others use mouthwash to hide the smell of drink?
• Look out for physical signs. Are they often sick? Do they have pinprick marks or bruising (needle tracks) on their arms, legs or the soles of their feet? Are they self-harming, by cutting themselves, leaving scars on their skin? Do they complain or obviously suffer from nausea, sweating or headaches? Do they often look ‘unwell’, puffy faced or pale? their hands or feet? Are their eyes red, bloodshot or watery? Do they have larger than usual pupils or a blank stare? Is their speech slurred? Do they have poor coordination or stagger about? Have they become accident prone, often getting physical injuries? Are they neglecting their personal hygiene.

Watch Dave’s video diary to see how as a parent, he was supported through his son’s addiction.