How to Identify Depressant Addiction

When a person starts to take medication or decides to experiment with drugs, there is a strong possibility that they can develop an addiction. When this medication acts as a depressant, it can have serious medical ramifications. Before a person can treat the addiction, he has to identify that there actually is a depressant addiction.

Instructions

• 1

  Verify that the potential addict continues to take the depressant despite no physical or psychological reason. There are instances where continued use does not point to addiction, but when you couple this with other factors, it is strong identifier of depressant addiction.

• 2

  Make note of physical symptoms of withdrawal when the person stops taking the depressant. If they experience shaking or his coordination suffers dramatically, this can be a sign of depressant addiction. However, physical symptoms can wane as the person develops a physical tolerance to the drug's affect.

• 3

  Check to see if the person increased the prescribed consumption of the depressants. Sometimes a person can become addicted during the course of a prescribed treatment. If the potential addict is now taking twice the level prescribed by a doctor, this is a strong indicator of depressant addiction.

• 4

  Note that when the person suddenly stops taking the depressant that they have any of the following symptoms, which could indicate addiction: anxiety, nightmares, insomnia, high pulse rate, rapid breathing, high fever or seizures.

• 5

  Confirm that the potential addict often slurs his speech, has trouble walking or difficulty remembering things. These can also be noticeable indicators of a depressant addiction.