Narcotic Abuse Warning Signs

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Narcotics are by far the most dangerous group of drugs when it comes to the potential for abuse. These medications, which mostly include opioids, are designed to reduce severe pain and anxiety. They can also be used to induce sleep. In all cases, they work by acting on the central nervous system (CNS).

Recent research shows that more than 70 million people in the U.S. misuse prescription narcotics every year. Learning how to spot narcotics abuse warning signs can help you or a loved one avoid the painful pitfalls that go with a lifestyle of addiction.

Narcotic Abuse

Narcotics abuse warning signs can save you from a more damaging addiction.

Narcotic abuse involves using a drug for recreational purposes. While the recreational use of narcotics may start as fun and games, their effects on a person’s body and mind can be fairly more serious than intended. Granted, someone who abuses narcotics may not necessarily be physically dependent or addicted to a drug. With ongoing abuse, though, it’s a matter of time before a person becomes dependent and then addicted to narcotics.

With each use of a narcotic, the body builds up a tolerance to the drug’s effects. This means it will take increasingly larger doses to achieve the same desired effects. Meanwhile, the brain becomes less capable of carrying out normal biochemical functions. When this happens, a person starts to experience cravings and withdrawal symptoms. They may also develop a preoccupation with finding more of the drug.

Visible Signs

Visible signs of narcotic abuse tend to appear gradually unless a person is using large quantities of drugs at a time. At first, you may only notice that the individual looks uncharacteristically untidy and disheveled. Narcotic abuse also takes up more and more time, so relationships with friends and family will start to thin as he or she spends less time with them. Eventually, narcotic abuse can lead to missing work or school or losing a job altogether. Often, the person using the narcotics remains unaware of any outward changes due to the effects of the drugs on his or her awareness.

Withdrawal Symptoms

When someone using narcotics hasn’t used them for a while, the body starts to go through withdrawal symptoms. Withdrawal symptoms from narcotic abuse can vary in severity depending on the amount of drugs used and how often a person uses. The type of drug used can also affect the types of withdrawal symptoms experienced.

Some of the specific warning signs to look out for include:

• Agitated or anxious behavior
• Rapid breathing
• Nausea and/or vomiting
• Confusion
• Sweating
• Abdominal cramping
• Loss of appetite
• tremors

Narcotic Withdrawal Symptoms You May Be Experiencing

When you take narcotics for a while, your body becomes dependent on them and you will experience withdrawal when you try to stop. Narcotics withdrawal involves nausea, sweating, insomnia and more, though symptoms subside in a week or so.

Physical Problems

Someone with existing health conditions may start to develop additional physical problems from narcotic abuse. Physical problems can also develop in someone who’s been addicted to narcotics for a long time. Physical problems can take different forms depending on the type of drug used and the method of ingesting the drug.

People who inject morphine intravenously may develop skin infections from repeated piercings. Someone snorting the drug may start to develop fluid in the lungs or experience frequent and repeated bouts of a bloody nose. Women, in particular, may also stop menstruating due to the effects of drugs on hormone levels.

Ignoring any of these warning signs will not make them go away. The sooner a person takes steps to reduce or eliminate narcotic abuse, the better chance of regaining control of his or her life. To learn more about treatment options in your area, check out our website or reach out to us today.

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