How to Tell Your Partner Is Addicted to Prescription Drugs

We’ve all had those days when we’ve had to fetch our partner’s prescription because they’re suffering. It’s never nice to see a loved one in pain and the support you give can be hugely helpful.

We all have periods in our life where we need a prescription to overcome an ailment, but in some cases, that can lead to misuse and addiction. And it can be difficult to spot too.

While prescription medication is of course in place to aid in the recovery of ailments, many people become too reliant upon the drugs and form an addiction with them. This is particularly the case at present with a real crisis when it comes to the use of prescription opioids, with the FDA evening opening a review on the matter.

But with it often going unrecognised, even amongst those people closest to people suffering from prescription drugs addiction, what are the tell-tale signs so you know when to get someone help?

The psychological symptoms

First and foremost, you’ll start to notice changes in their behaviour as addiction to prescription drugs starts to affect their psychological state. This can be subtle at first but it will start to grow as the drugs take a firmer and firmer hold on a person. You’ll start to notice:

• An increased irritability about them: Things that wouldn’t normally agitate your loved one will start to cause problems in your relationship. This can increase to see severe mood swings and create quite a hostile environment.
• Depression and Anxiety: Like many drugs, including alcohol, addiction can lead to increased anxiety levels and depression, as well as a lower mood day-to-day.
• Inability to concentrate or focus: Often the side effects of prescription drugs can lead to a lack of concentration, while attention will often turn to the next dose, which can also cause a lack of concentration on what should be core focuses.

The Behavioural Symptoms

Changes in a loved one's actions can also be a key tell that someone is addicted to prescription drugs. You’ll notice certain trends beginning to occur in many cases, such as:

• Visiting multiple doctors with the same condition: This isn’t to get a second opinion, it’s to try and get multiple prescriptions.
• Ordering prescription drugs over the internet: You’re not going to get judged or advised from the internet!
• The inability to stop taking prescription drugs: If you’ve challenged a partner to stop taking them and they can’t, then that’s probably the biggest sign you need to know they are addicted.
• Neglecting responsibility: Equally, you’ll find that those addicted to substances will shirk responsibilities, often due to side effects, memory loss or prioritising their addiction first. This can have a real impact on your everyday life and cause tension within a relationship.

If these signs are beginning to appear, then it could be time to start thinking about confronting your loved one and getting them the help they need.