Substance abuse and family problems

Family is important and helps a person in thick and thin, happy and sadness. Family members are people who love unconditionally and support each other in every endeavor, no matter if it is positive or negative. But sometimes a lack of support may cause several problems including substance abuse. It's not a coincidence that drug use and family problems often go hand in hand. Emotions often play a key role to both.

People who have experimented drugs and alcohol during their teenage are likely to get addicted of substance abuse and family problems. There are those who feel pressured at home to make more money or work harder to get a promotion. They turn to cocaine stating it makes them more productive. Others prefer alcohol as a means to forget about their problems at home.

Access use of drugs may spoil life completely. In almost 89% of domestic abuse cases reported in 2008, the abuser was impaired by either drugs or alcohol at the time of the abuse. It's been studied that children of parents who abused drugs and alcohol are likely to do so themselves. Also children of divorce are more likely to have a substance abuse problem. Therefore, chances of a child of parents who divorced and may develop substance abuse problems are quite easily.

Symptoms of Drug Use

It is a common fact that most drug users won’t accept that they are suffering from an addition. Drug abuse can occur without physical dependence.

Following are some prominent symptoms of this illness:

• People indulge into repeated work, school, or home problems due to drug use

• Continued use of drugs even though it means risking physical safety

• Recurring trouble with the law related to drug use, including impaired driving

• Continuing to use drugs despite drug-related problems in personal relationships


Drug abuse often progresses to drug dependence. Symptoms of drug dependence include at least three of the following:

• Craving for the substance

• Inability to stop or limit drug use

• Tolerance—taking greater amounts to feel the same effect

• Withdrawal symptoms that occur when the drug is stopped

• Significant amounts of time trying to acquire drugs and recover from their effects

• Giving up activities to use drugs or recover from the effects

• Drug use continues even when it causes or worsens health and/or psychological problems

Physical Signs of Drug Abuse

Most people believe that if a child is showing some negative behavior, he or she must be using some kind of drugs. But, it is not always true. The presence of some of these behaviors could be an outcome of adolescent stress. Others may be symptoms of depression or a host of other problems. Whatever the cause, they may warrant attention, especially if they persist or if they occur in a cluster.

Following are few signs of drug abuse:

• Decrease in appetite, increase in appetite, improper eating habits, unexplained weight loss or gain.
• Poor physical condition contributing
• Improper walks
• Insomnia. Awake at odd times, feeling extreme laziness
• Eyes look dulls and watery
• Some people simply stare for hours without any aim
• Hand movement unstable and becomes plumy and sweaty
• Puffy face that loses shine
• Smell of substance on breath, body or clothes.
• Extreme hyperactivity; excessive talkativeness.
• Runny nose; hacking cough