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Signs of Drug Use in a Spouse

You've been with your spouse for years and think you know him or her inside and out. But suddenly your spouse seem more irritable, is staying up late and is disappearing for hours at time. It's possible that your husband or wife is hiding a secret. If you suspect that your spouse may be using drugs, before jumping to conclusions, see the following characteristics of drug abuse below.

  1. Abrupt Mood Changes

    • If your spouse is abusing drugs, especially those such as methamphetamine, cocaine and crack, he or she may become easily irritable and angry. These drugs also cause a person to feel euphoric and overly excitable. If a person suddenly stops taking opiates such as Oxycontin or Vicodin, he or she could become depressed.

    Unusual Sleeping Patterns

    • Many drugs interfere with sleep. Opiates cause fatigue and drowsiness. A heroin user may be found nodding off frequently. Those who abuse speed will desire less sleep and may have a lot energy that they typically haven't had in the past.

    Lying

    • To conceal drug use, a person will need to have excuses for how he spends his money, where he goes when he's getting high and reasons to explain mood swings. Unless your husband or wife is being honest, he or she will probably blame illness or claim to have to run errands or have appointments. If pressed for more information, he or she may provide conflicting information or become annoyed.

    Physical Appearance

    • When people use drugs for several months or years, it will begin to show. After prolonged used of methamphetamines, users lose a lot of weight. They seem to age years in only a matter of months. Users have been known to lose teeth. Heavy drinkers, on the other hand, may gain a lot of weight, and heroin users may have scabs and black and blue marks on their arms from injecting the drug.

    Behavior Changes

    • Drug users who can no longer control their addiction will start showing signs of trouble. People lose their jobs when they can no longer concentrate at work or call out sick often due to hangovers. Drug users engage in risky behaviors that could hurt themselves or those around them. Accidents occur more often when a person drives under the influence of alcohol and drugs.

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