How to Recognize Prescription Drug Abuse

How to Recognize Prescription Drug Abuse

Prescription drug addiction is sometimes less noticeable than illegal drug addiction.
Are you wondering how to recognize prescription drug abuse? Sometimes it is not easy to recognize a prescription drug addict because they are not thought of as a drug abuser, and most of the time they have never used drugs before. Family and friends may notice unusual behavior, but if they are not aware of the drug use, they may not know what is causing the behavior.

MOOD SWINGS - Watch the behavior of your friend or loved one to see if he or she has mood swings. If one minute he or she is laughing and the next minute crying, you may want to investigate further. It is not easy to recognize prescription drug abuse and it cannot be concluded from just one behavior or incident.

VIOLENT BEHAVIOR - Ask yourself if your friend or loved one has exhibited violent behavior that is uncharacteristic of the individual. Violent behavior is a characteristic of drug addiction. Addicts cannot control their behavior and can be violent.

RECENT INJURY OR ILLNESS - Ask yourself if your friend or loved one has had a recent injury or illness that he or she may have received a prescription drug for. The injury or illness may have been a year ago or more. If so, any drugs that your friend or loved one were prescribed may now be an addiction. Does your friend or loved one take prescription drugs in front of you and then make up lies or excuses about taking them?

UNCHARACTERISTIC BEHAVIOR - Observe your friend or loved one to see if they have been exhibiting behavior that is extremely uncharacteristic for them. Are they stealing? Are the lying? Are they trying to hurt themselves or others? Extremely odd behavior can be a clue.

DIAGNOSIS - Ask your friend or loved one if they are taking prescription drugs. The above symptoms can be part of a different illness, so you will need to verify that it is prescription drug abuse. This is not something that you can easily diagnose, but hopefully you can come to the right conclusion after you have investigated and collected evidence. Your friend or loved one may admit that they have a prescription drug problem. Knowing how to recognize prescription drug abuse will help you make the decision.

INTERVENTION - Have an intervention only after you have confirmed that your friend or loved one has a prescription drug problem. You should definitely hire a professional to help you do an intervention. It is imperative that you help your loved one overcome their prescription drug abuse and if an intervention is the only way, then you have to do it. Knowing how to recognize prescription drug abuse can help you save the life of a loved one.