The National Rehabilitation Authority stressed the need to distinguish it from public behavior
10 Signs of Teen Addiction
Dr. Anas Fikry: "Symptoms of substance abuse depend on the type of substance and the degree of addiction."
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The National Rehabilitation Center has identified 10 signs indicating the likelihood of adolescents being addicted to drugs, including school problems such as declining school levels, quarrels, theft and absence, deteriorating physical health (excessive sleep, lethargy and laziness), lack of interest in physical appearance and personal hygiene, and a change in behaviors such as surrounding his life and activities. Daily confidentiality, lying, justification and fabricating excuses, being late and spending long hours outside the home, and increasing the spending of money, such as the urge to ask for money without a clear reason for that, the theft of money from the home, the disappearance of prescription drugs for other people in the house, and the frequent acquisition of products containing volatile substances such as Nail dye, glue, hair fixing sprays, means of cleaning engines, changing friends, such as accompanying drug users and those who provide them with the substance and a safe place to use it.
The head of the health education department at the National Rehabilitation Center in Abu Dhabi, Dr. Anas Mahmoud Fikry, said that it is sometimes difficult to differentiate between behavioral changes associated with adolescence and signs of addiction to psychotropic substances in adolescents, pointing out that the symptoms of substance abuse and addiction to them depend mainly on Type of substance and degree of addiction.
Fikri warned that "all these symptoms may not appear on the person using drugs, or they may not necessarily occur as a result of using narcotic substances only. Rather, they may be the result of other health or psychological problems, so care must be taken when noticing them and avoiding wrong conclusions."
He stated, “It is possible to discover that a person (son, relative, friend, co-worker) has consumed narcotic substances based on the specific physical and behavioral symptoms of these substances.
But it must be noted that the symptoms do not necessarily mean that a person has a disease.
He explained that the general symptoms of substance abuse, which is the manner of speaking (conversation) and its manifestations are slowness or speed in speaking, incomprehensible speech, hallucinations, in addition to excessive forgetfulness, extreme irritability, irritability, loss of focus, difficulty in following up with others, frequent gestures, drowsiness, and redness Eyes, dilated or severe pupil constriction, pallor and yellowing of the face, weight loss, inability to balance or groggled while walking, excessive sweating, itchy nose and runny nose, and epilepsy (nosebleeds).
He also referred to the attempt to hide the smell of wine, smoke, excessive consumption of chewing gum, mouthwashes, flavored drinks, use of perfumes, and frequent scarring and wound marks in different areas of the body (as a result of using injections and / or because of the person's attempts to harm himself).
Fikry warned of the behavioral, psychological and social repercussions caused by drugs, as “there are compulsive symptoms and behaviors associated with addiction, as these symptoms begin to appear gradually during the addiction phase, the most important of which is the feeling of wanting to use the substance regularly, and it may reach daily use or several times a day. One, and failure in attempts to stop using, and keenness to possess a sufficient amount of narcotic substance, wasting money in order to obtain the substance despite its high price, and carrying out dangerous and illegal actions and behaviors that a person does not usually do, to obtain the substance, such as theft, And the feeling of the need for a narcotic substance to be able to face daily problems, exposing oneself and others to danger due to the influence of the narcotic substance, including driving a vehicle under the influence of narcotic substances or alcohol, wasting time focusing on providing the narcotic substance and using it in an appropriate place, and concealing the fact of its abuse from family, friends and men Security".
He cautioned that «these symptoms help to identify the patient of addiction.
However, the medical diagnosis of the disease must be carried out under the supervision of specialized doctors and the necessary laboratory tests.
General symptoms of substance abuse:
Slowness or speed in speaking and incomprehensible speech.
Hallucinations and forgetfulness.
Excessive irritability and irritability.
Loss of focus
Nodding and drowsiness
Redness of the eye and dilation or severe narrowing of the pupil.
Pallor and yellowing of the face.
- Weight loss.
Inability to balance, grogginess while walking.
Excessive sweating, itching and nosebleeds.
The most dangerous means of abuse
The National Rehabilitation Center confirmed that the injection of narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances is one of the most dangerous means of abuse and the most transmitting of serious viral diseases, such as AIDS and viral hepatitis.
He added that addiction is a disease like other diseases.
He views the person suffering from him as a patient in need of help, indicating an understanding of the circumstances the addict is going through, and that seeking treatment from the patient is a big step towards achieving recovery.
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