It can be hard to tell if your patient or client is misusing drugs.

We’ve put together some advice on how to spot the signs of drug use, and what you can do to help.

Spotting the signs

It’s not always easy to spot when someone is struggling with drugs. Any drug can become problematic, whether it’s something illegal like cocaine or cannabis, or prescription painkillers. They don’t have to be taking it every day, either. Dependence on a drug can be physical, psychological, or both.

Some of the warning signs to look out for include:

• Drug-seeking behaviour. This might be someone asking for an increase in their medication dosage without a good reason, or reporting pain that you can’t find any evidence of.
• Asking for additional medications when there’s no medical need. If someone asks for a specific strong medication, or an opiate-based medication, it might be a sign of dependency.
• Changes in behaviour, mood and personality. They may be acting more aggressive, anxious or have become depressed.
• Poor hygiene and not taking care of their appearance.
• Issues in their personal life and relationships.
• Making choices that mean they get hurt or get into trouble.

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How to start a conversation about drugs

• Find out more. Ask them about their habits with drugs, as well as their health, relationships and work. This will help you to build up a picture of what’s going on with them.
• Ask open questions that don’t have a yes or no answer. ‘How are you feeling?’ instead of ‘Are you feeling okay?’ is a simple example.
• Explain your concerns. Try to open up a discussion by explaining a bit more about the things that have given you cause for concern. Be specific and give examples.
• Listen to what they have to say. It's important to show you're making an effort to understand how they’re feeling.
• Talk about next steps. Ask them if they want to get some help, rather than telling them what to do. If they do want help, talk to them about what they want.

Keep in mind that people will often be in denial, and might not be open to your advice. If someone isn’t willing to talk, it’s not your fault. Even if they are not ready to talk about it now, but you may have made them more likely to open up in the future.

How to help someone

You can suggest these tips for cutting down or stopping drug use. These include simple steps like keeping a diary of their drug use, and using mindfulness to distract from cravings.

If someone has built up a tolerance to their prescribed pain medication, you can get in touch with a prescriber or other medical professional at your local Change Grow Live service. Your patient will stay under your care, but we will be able to advise on the best prescribing plan for that person.

You can refer someone to Change Grow Live if we have a service in your area. Our services provide a range of help and treatment options for people struggling with drugs, from peer support to detox and rehab.

You can also share the resources listed below.