Signs And Symptoms Of Addiction
1,392 views · Published 4 October 2016 · 2:53 · Indexed 28 October 2026
Channel: Life The Basic Manual · 2016 · Education
In this clip, Sian discusses some of the signs and symptoms of addiction. She emphasises that accurately assessing someone’s problem with drugs and alcohol is actually a complex, multifactorial process, for a professional or a concerned other. This is partly because different drugs, including alcohol, have a different ‘footprint’ in terms of their symptoms. Stimulants, for example, may make a person more talkative and active, but they may also make them withdrawn and morose. Sedative drugs may make a person seem sleepy, but if they are addicted to them, they need them just to seem normal. Disinhibiting drugs such as alcohol may produce obvious behavioural changes, but a dependent person may still learn how to disguise their use so they are apparently functioning in their lives and careers. Added to this, a person’s problem with drugs or alcohol may change over time, intensifying and becoming harder to conceal. All of the above leads Sian back to her original insight - your best move at this point is to put your own oxygen mask on first (https://goo.gl/nwgPKk), and get professional and personal help to assess the situation. She also makes the point that it is inherently problematic to trust your loved one’s ‘self-report’ on their use of drugs, including alcohol. Your own gut instincts, taken in the context of your loved one’s life and history, may be the best guide you have available until you have a professional overview of the situation.
