Drug Abuse and Dependence

When drug use, abuse, and dependence occur, you are more likely to have changes in your behavior than to have physical symptoms.

Changes in behavior

Behavior changes may include:

• Changes in sleeping or eating habits, less attention to dressing and grooming, or less interest in sex.
• Up and down moods, a mood or attitude that is getting worse, or not caring about the future.
• Anger toward others or treating others badly.
• Sneaky behavior, lying, or stealing.
• Poor family relationships, or relationships that are getting worse.
• New problems at work or school, or problems with the law.
• Not keeping up with old friends and activities, finding new friends, and not wanting old friends to meet them.

These signs don't always mean a person is using drugs. The behavior could be because of work or school stress, or it could be a sign of depression or another medical problem. But behavior changes like these are common in people who abuse drugs.

If you think you or a loved one might have a drug problem, use this short quiz to check your drug use:

Drug abuse screening test (What is a PDF document?)

Physical signs of drug abuse or dependence

Physical signs of drug abuse depend on the drug. They may include:

• Red eyes, a sore throat, and a dry cough.
• Needle marks on the arm or other area of the body.
• Small, "pinpoint" pupils in the eyes.
• Losing weight without trying to, or not feeling like eating.
• Changes in how well you sleep.
• Seeing things that don't exist (hallucinations).

For more information on commonly abused drugs, including signs of use, see:

• Marijuana.
• Cocaine.
• Inhalants.
• Ecstasy.
• Methamphetamine.
• LSD (lysergic acid diethylamide).
• Heroin.

Symptoms in older adults

Drug abuse in older adults may go unnoticed, since the signs may be similar to those of aging. Older adults often take more medicines, like sleep medicines and painkillers, that can lead to dependence.

Symptoms of withdrawal

When you are dependent on a drug and you stop using it, you may have physical symptoms known as withdrawal. These symptoms depend on the drug.

Common withdrawal symptoms include feeling sick to your stomach and vomiting and having belly pain, sweats, nervousness and shaking, and seizures. These symptoms may start the day you stop using the drug or start slowly and get worse over several days.