Signs of Substance Abuse in A Family Member

If someone is engaged in substance abuse in your family they usually try to keep their behavior a secret. You might have a teen that is acting strange – but you can't quite tell what is going on or what is wrong.
There are tell-tale signs that they might be user. These symptoms include
• Bloodshot eyes or pupils that are 'pinned' or dilated
• Changes in appetite that result in sudden weight loss
• Bad breath and unusual body or clothing smells
• Deterioration of physical appearance and grooming
• Clumsiness and impaired coordination
• Tremors
• Slurred speech and an inability to be able to focus
• Always in need of money
• Engaging in secretive or suspicious behaviors
• Leaving people on a 'need to know' basis and being uncommunicative
• Frequently getting into trouble including fights and accidents
• Suddenly changing friends, hobbies and places to hang out
• Sudden mood swings, irritability or angry outbursts
• Unexplained changes in personality or attitude
• Being unusually giddy or hyperactive
• Appearing lethargic or spaced out
• Expressing anxiety, fear or paranoia for no good reason
• If the individual suspected of being into substance abuse is a teenager then look for these signs of addiction as well
• Denying you entrance to his or her room, drawers or certain possessions
• Being secretive about friends and whereabouts
• A sudden interest in offbeat fashions or music that seem out of character
• Avoiding eye contact with you or even making direct eye contact with you while you know the person is telling a lie
• Skipping class and declining grades
• Drugs are missing from your filing cabinet
• Money is missing from your purse
• Your teen spends a great deal of time sleeping
• Your child seems unusually withdrawn and depressed and isolates from friends and family
• Using a lot of incense, perfume or air freshener to conceal the smells from using drugs
• Uses eye drops frequently to mask the look of bloodshot eyes or dilated pupils
• Uses mouthwash a great dealt to conceal smoke or alcohol use.
If an adult or teen in your family has any of the above symptoms of substance abuse it might be time to seek professional help or counseling or consider talking that person in going to rehab.

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How to Find a Rehab in Your Area

Finding in alcohol rehab facilities in your area does not have to be a challenge. This is particularly true of the secret, highly functional drinker who is smart enough to know he or she has a problem but does not want anyone to know about it. Guess what else? Some of the trickiest, secret drinkers are always going to be our teenage kids.

One of the simplest ways to find alcohol rehab facilities is to simply go online and do a search. Put in the name of the town or region that you are hoping to find help in and then search. There are also many comprehensive sites online that list all of the rehab centers in the United States by State and Region. Some specialize in helping adolescents and pre-teens with addiction problems of all kinds –including drinking.

If you do not wish, for reasons of staying private you can look up rehabs in an area where you might wish to go to recover in peace; far away from the usual pressures and family and social influences that may be causing you or your kid to drink in the first place.

It sounds absurdly simple but the plain truth is that most alcohol rehab facilities in your area will be listed in your local Yellow Pages. After you 'let your fingers do the walking' talk to someone at the facility to find out what a stay costs and what kind of treatment they offer.

It may seem painful to send your kid away for treatment but sometimes their best chance of getting well.

There are all kinds of health professionals that can recommend alcohol rehab facilities and detox units to people who are genuinely interested in recovering from their addiction. Psychiatrists, psychologists, therapists and physicians of all kinds will generally have recommendations about what are the best alcohol rehab facilities in your area.

Many Al-Anon and A.A. meetings are held in churches and most priests or pastors are more than willing to recommend alcohol facilities that may have helped other people in your community who were in need of help with an addiction.

The bottom line is you should never be hesitant to seek help for your drinking problem or be shy about asking for resources to help you find the alcoholic rehab facilities that you need. You should also get immediate help for a kid who has a drinking problem. It is their best chance of getting well.

Parenting Tips
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