Signs and Symptoms of Drug and Substance Abuse

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Physical Signs

These include:

  • Slurred speech, staggering walk due to lack of co-ordination body movement, blurred and double vision, bloodshot eyes, watery eyes and drowsiness, unusual rashes and sores around the mouth and nose
  • Sudden change in eating habits such as loss of appetitive or eating too much Burnt fingers, burnt holes in clothes ans injection marks
  • General poor health
  • Dry mouth or constant licking of lips Persistent cough
  • Emergence of gangsterism with same mannerisms, for example , hair cut Untidiness-becoming untidy or tidy all of a sudden
  • Gathering in groups in isolated places or dejected buildings

Psychosocial signs

 These signs include:

  • Withdraw from the family members and friends. Being involved with other company and that is of suspicious behavior
  • Mood swings. Victims may sometimes become violent, excessively excited or argumentative
  • Confused conversation, impaired judgment and lack of proper concentration given tasks
  • Behavior change where some may present extreme changes in behavior and
  • personality e.g. being untidy or very neat all of a sudden
  • Others may present blank, dreamily expressions, fear of lack of sleep Truancy and refusal to go to school
  • Despair and loss of interest in life, which may lead to depression
  • Mental sickness may set in. Victims experience hallucinations and delirium such as seeing things that are not real.
  • Drugs could also lead to suicide Compulsive drug seeking



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