Photo: ChernobylBob / Flickr

You may think you’d know if a loved one was addicted to something, whether it be drugs, alcohol, gambling, or even food. When people think of addiction, they imagine desperate social misfits who would do anything for a fix. But many people can have an addiction problem and still hold down a job, stay in a relationship, and seem, on the surface, to be doing fine. It may not be easy to spot so-called ‘functioning addicts’, but knowing these surprising warning signs could help you intervene and even save the life of someone you know.

When a little is never enough

The biggest warning sign of an addiction problem is when addicts, because they have built up a tolerance for a drug, need increasing amounts of it. In someone who abuses alcohol, the biggest sign that they may be in trouble is that they will offer seemingly good excuses for being topped up more frequently than others. Someone who abuses prescription medicine like painkillers or sedatives may ‘lose’ their prescriptions frequently, claim that pharmacists have ‘shorted them’ on their pills, or somehow ‘lose’ the pills themselves.

Getting a head start

If someone you know starts drinking alone before meeting up with friends, this could be a serious warning sign of an addiction problem. Alcoholics often drink at home before going out, so that they can have more alcohol than everyone else while seeming to drink the same amount. This is because they physically ‘need’ more alcohol than others to ‘get to the same level’.

Money problems

An addict will do just about anything to get hold of his or her substance of choice, and drugs and alcohol, and even consuming large amounts of junk food, can be expensive. So watch out for unusual behaviour when it comes to finances. If bills aren’t being paid, possessions are being sold, and money keeps going missing from wallets, it is a good idea to look out for other warning signs, too.

If you suspect someone you know might have an addiction problem, get all the facts before confronting them. It may be a good idea to speak to a therapist or addiction counsellor, who will help you approach someone with a drug or alcohol problem in the most effective way. Finally, every addict will deny having a problem. This doesn’t necessarily mean the problem doesn’t exist.

Tags: addiction, alcoholic