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How to know if someone is a drug addict?

Discussion in 'General Support and Advice' started by Ralphtruco, Sep 15, 2013.

  1. Ralphtruco

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    First of all I really don't know if this should go here but it seems to be the best fit xD...
    Anyway my ex (who I'm kinda still in love with) is doing drugs...or at least I think he is (a friend of mine told me how he is always braging about how he did Marijuana and how awesome LSD is and stuff like that...)
    Since I only get to see him like twice a year given he lives in another city I just recently started noticing some changes that I don't know if it may have something to do with drugs (EXTREME loss of hair, he is getting more skinny everytime I see him to a point you can totally see his cheeckbones) And just recently I figured out how deep in this he could be if those are symptoms of drugs...
    Of course, he would never talk to me about this, given that he knows how strongly against I fell about drugs so my only source is my friend (who I seriously doubt would lie to me about this) Oh well he mentioned once but he was kinda drunk so...
    I dunno...he is back to his city where I imagine his dealer is and I worry it might be the last time I get to see him, or at least healthy
    I just wanted to know what would be the best course of action, i tried talking with my friend about doing some kind of intervention but he bassicaly said that he doesn't care that much about him and neither should you, given that he will just say to f*** off
    u.u I just watched Nurse Jackie and it's almost the only thing i could think about the past couple days u.u
    Sorry for long post xD
     
  2. Chip

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    Unfortunately, there isn't much one can do for someone who is abusing drugs.

    First, you want to be absolutely certain there's really a problem before you start organizing an intervention. LSD and marijuana, while not healthy, are also typically not very addictive for most people (LSD is pretty much not addictive at all by the nature of it.) Nor would they cause the symptoms you're describing with weight loss and hair loss.

    However, more serious, dangerous drugs (cocaine and meth, in particular) will cause those symptoms, are highly addictive, and difficult to get off of. And therein lies the problem. Unless you are certain there's an issue, you can't really accuse him with nothing to back it up or he'll just lie about it.

    Additionally, if you do manage to do an intervention, unless he is genuinely ready and willing and prepared to actually do the work, he's not going to stay sober, so it may end up being a huge waste of time.

    You might consider just reaching out to him, having a conversation, talking openly, and see if he'll open up to you about what's going on. The best results come when the addict feels that someone cares and is concerned, rather than someone is trying to help them, cure them, or judge them.
     
  3. srslywtf

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    Really what you've described is nothing to worry about.

    Some people smoke alot of marijuana for periods of time in their life, but they dont lose all their weight or hair, it generally has very little impact on their lives besides them sitting around not doing much while they're doing it. Most people never go to that level though.

    LSD is not a drug of abuse at all. It's not physically addictive.
    Secondly, people take addictive drugs to cover up or escape problems in their lives, LSD just does not work that way - its not a drug that makes you go from feeling bad to good when you take it, you can't use it to cover up problems, you can't take it days in a row because it doesn't work that way, etc etc.

    Honestly it sounds like you've just got an idea in your head due to not knowing much about drugs in general.

    Drug use and drug abuse are two very different things and the vast majority of drug users are not addicts - just like most people who drink aren't addicts.

    Keep an eye out if you like, but talking about interventions at this point and worrying.. no need.
    Things you want to look for are - money problems - stealing/etc, and someone needing to use/disappear for a bit every day... if they can go for a day or 2 without anything and without getting sick, they're not physically addicted.

    (Also for the record, an intervention isn't going to have any effect at all on an addict - and I've never known any addicts - and I know a lot - who've lost hair)

    When someone says marijuana, weightloss and hair loss, something entirely different comes to my mind...

    I think you should just talk to him. and not like "do you have a problem" - you've admitted that you don't really know anything about drugs, so just be curious and ask him to explain it to you because you have no idea.
     
    #3 srslywtf, Sep 16, 2013
    Last edited: Sep 16, 2013