Drug Addiction Symptoms

The physical and psychological drug addiction symptoms can be overwhelming.

Drug addiction is a dangerous and often deadly disease that has various symptoms that are both easy, and not so easy, to recognize. Most of the time drug addiction symptoms can be categorized into one of two types: physical symptoms of drug addiction or psychological symptoms of drug addiction. Physical symptoms of drug addiction affect the physical appearance, structure or health of an addict while psychological symptoms of drug addiction have adverse effects on the psyche of the patient.

Physical Symptoms of Drug Addiction

Physically there are many different symptoms of drug addiction. Some are present with nearly every type of drug addiction while other symptoms may only be common with a particular type of addiction such as addiction to cocaine or methamphetamine. The physical symptoms of addiction affect the patient in a number of ways and can result in additional trips to the doctor or emergency room, days missed at work or school or uncharacterized illness. Below is a look at some of the most common physical symptoms of drug addiction:

Red or bloodshot eyes
Weight gain or loss
Loss of appetite
Contracted pupils
Slurred speech
Sleepiness
Insomnia
Dilated pupils
Hyperactivity
Watery eyes
Impaired vision
Secretions from the nose
Needle marks
Sweating
Vomiting
Nausea
Coughing
Respiratory infections
Twitching

Psychological Symptoms of Drug Addiction

Psychologically drugs have various adverse effects on the way the patient thinks and acts. Drug addiction can cause a patient to be “off balance” psychologically or emotionally. For some, underlying psychological conditions become more prevalent with the use of drugs or alcohol. Some of the most common psychological symptoms of drug abuse or addiction include:

Lack of motivation
Difficulty concentrating
Poor judgement
Irritability
Anxiety
Depression
Irrational behavior
Paranoia
Aggression
Hallucinations
Mood swings
Confusion