On a college campus, it is a well-known fact that drugs are readily available in this day and age. If a student wants to get his hands on any type of drugs, there are ways he can do so. Drug use among college students may happen for a number of reasons. There is a lot of pressure that comes with having to perform well on exams. Some students will eventually break under this pressure and look for an outlet to ease their anxiety. One of these outlets could be common street drugs, it would allow them to escape the reality they are in and give them a short term sense of freedom. Free from their obligations and worries. Another reason may be because they want to fit into a certain social group and are being pressured to do so. Drugs are an addictive substance; after someone uses them once, it may be too late to turn back. Having a drug addiction is dangerous as it can damage many vital organs in your body and impair brain functions. Abusing drugs can be a life threatening issue and therefore should be taken seriously. If you believe a loved one or friend is having drug problems but doesn’t want to tell you, there are a few ways to find out for yourself.

What are some of the signs of drug abuse?

There are some clear indicators that can surface if someone has started to abuse drugs in college. One of the most common indicators is having irregular eating habits or infrequent sleep patterns. Once an addiction becomes a daily habit, it can take over someone’s life. This means that they lose sight of other important things throughout the day. Their addiction becomes more important than anything else and therefore could miss meals because of it and can lose sleep most days due to what their addiction has done to them. Another sign is if they are continuously asking to borrow money. Drugs are not a cheap commodity and therefore users need to acquire the money for them somewhere. If they are refusing to tell you where the money is being spent there is a good chance it isn’t being put to good use. Finally, the most obvious sign is if you have found drugs hidden from the public. This means they don’t want people to see what they are up to and may even be embarrassed by their addiction. Drug addicts will try to mask their addiction to the best of their ability so picking up on some of the signs can always be tough. If you are struggling to find some of the signs but are still worried it may be worth learning some of street names for these illegal drugs.

Common street drug names

There are surprising amounts of ways to refer to different street drugs, and therefore, if you aren’t up to date with the modern slang it can be tough to detect what a young adult is talking about. For example, cocaine can be referred to as Blow, C, Coke, Nose, Snow, White, Freeze, Powder, Base, Yayo, 8 Ball, White Girl/White Lady, Key, Crack, Piff, Baking Soda, Sugar, Chalk, Flake, Nose Candy, Base-balling. Heroin is another drug with a lot of slang terms, it can be described as H, Smack, Tar, Junk, Brown Sugar, Skag, Mud, Dope, White Horse, Black Pearl, Black Eagle, Black Tar, Black Pearl, Brown Crystal, Black Tape, Brown Rhine, Dirt, Chinese Red, Chinese White, Smack, Chasing the Dragon. This is a crazy amount of slang names for just two types of drugs. Yayo and cocaine have no resemblance whatsoever so how are you meant to know that they are the same thing. Even after attending college for four years I did not know most of these terms. The best way to educate yourself is to get familiarized with a list of illegal drugs and street names. This is why drug use is so hard to detect as it’s not a simple thing to pick up on. However the more knowledgeable you become about the different types of names and the different signs an addict shows, the more chance you have on picking up on someone’s addiction.

The college weekend

At college the weekend is a time to unwind for many students. No classes to worry about so many students want to enjoy themselves as much as possible. Enjoying the weekend can mean many different things, some students just want to get blacked out and forget about all their responsibilities, others may just want to relax and watch a movie, and there are some students who will take this time to use drugs putting themselves in danger. The college weekend is a dangerous time as there is no telling what a college student may get up to. It can also be the starting point of many additions as a few days a week can slowly become every day of the week. This means picking up on drug abuse early is a key to stopping someone acquiring life damaging habits. Getting in touch with a drug and alcohol rehab center is never a bad idea if you feel a loved one or a friend needs help.

When a friend or loved one starts having issues with drugs and alcohols relationships can become stressed and tensions can rise. It is never an easy task to initiate ‘the talk’ about how you feel; they may need to cut back on what they are doing or even seek helping depending on the circumstances. Nobody wants to see someone they know struggling with these issues and that is why it is crucial that you are educated on the best way to help them. Sometimes an intervention is the exact thing the individual needs to bring it to their attention that what they are doing is seriously harming them. For the individual involved it is very hard to take a step back and see what is going on from an outsider’s perspective, this is why having a family intervention can be the right thing to do and shouldn’t be delayed.

Some reasons a family intervention takes longer than it should

Many people would like to think drug or alcohol issues can be resolved on their own and they will eventually just fade into the background. However this is rarely the case and on most occasions the habits just become worse making it a much tougher problem to overcome when the time comes. Some families are embarrassed that a loved one has such troubles with drugs and alcohol and do not want to open up to others about the situation as they are worried they will be judged. Although I’ve never heard of embarrassment being a threat to anyone’s life, whereas drug and alcohol abuse are serious issues if left untreated. Another reason may be that a parent is also involved in substance abuse, which then makes the intervention much tougher when these issues run in the family. How can someone with the same problem encourage someone else in the family to stop? At that stage it is learnt behavior and can be incredibly tough when more than one member of the family is doing it. This makes it even more important as to why a family intervention is needed, having a few family members step forward and voice their concerns is much more powerful than just one or two. Knowing how to address the issue is vital in those scenarios. If you are in a similar situation and want to confront them but don’t feel comfortable doing it Family First Intervention may be able to provide you with the support you need. Family First Intervention is a drug and alcohol treatment center that works with the family to help identify what needs to change to help your loved one become accountable and willing to accept help. The professional interventionists can help you understand your loved one’s behaviors and how those behaviors are holding you emotionally hostage. The alcohol or drug abuser becomes a professional victim over time in order to continue with the addiction and avoid hitting bottom or wanting help, this need to be stopped before it’s too late.

Signs that your loved one is not trying to change

Many drug addicts and alcoholics use the phrases ‘I’m trying to change’ or ‘this is the last time’, even though these may not actually be their intentions at all. It is important to know when someone is trying to change and when they are bluffing so that you will leave them alone. There are many signs that the individual is still fully invested in their addiction and is not attempting to change. Firstly, if they continue to steal money or items from the house after they told you they were trying to stop, this is a clear indicator that they are not. The money will be used for drugs or alcohol and the cycle of addiction will continue and worsen. Another sign is that their sleeping or eating habits remain irregular. An addiction causes people to do all sort of strange things, wake up at weird times to use, forget about food at times due to their addiction etc. looking out for these continuous irregularities is important so that the individual doesn’t take it too far being an intervention occurs. Finally if you find them lying all the time about the drugs in their possession or their alcohol consumption it means they are not willing to change. If you think some of these signs are present you should take this intervention quiz  provided by Family First. Make sure you find out if it is time for an intervention, it can never be too early when it comes to drugs and alcohol, these substances can be fatal so make sure you intervene before it’s too late.

Graduating college and the cycle of addiction

Many students each year have to transition from college life to real world jobs, which leaves them fending for themselves at this time more than ever. This stress can definitely take its toll on some people and certainly prove too much for others. Instead of facing the challenges that comes with each day, some choose to shy away and turn to vices to fill voids and release anxiety. These types of vices include alcohol and drugs that can do major long term damage to your body; this will quickly start to affect your overall health.

Jobs that are rated most likely to affect alcohol consumption

Some jobs, more than others, has higher risks for alcohol abuse. Based on recent research, few of the top jobs that put a person at higher risk of alcohol abuse are financial experts, lawyers, cooks, construction workers, advertisers, and managers of certain industries. If you have been or are currently involved with one of these jobs you may want to make sure that your alcohol consumption is not an issue. More often than not, people struggling with alcohol addiction (alcoholism) appear to be normal, everyday members of society. Many alcoholics, contrary to social belief are not doing it to be the life of the party and to have a great time. Instead, alcoholism can be attributed to reasons much deeper in a person’s life. These unhealthy drinking habits develop as a response to deep, personal pain or traumatic experiences.

Why younger adults are more prone to these issues

As a young adult entering the world after college, life can sometimes be a bit confusing. They find themselves having to move to an area with little or no friends at all, maybe working in a job they feel they are too good for, or something that is causing too much stress in their life at a young age. The job market today is tougher than ever so younger adults do not have the luxury of freedom when choosing a job, some may have to take whatever comes there way, even if they don’t want to take it. This can lead to them turning to unhealthy means to escape the world they are in and not have to worry about all these kinds of issues. Alcohol is the main culprit for this, as for a rime it can leave you unaware of the world around you and with no worries or stress to care for. Some young adults will start off slowly having a few drinks a day a couple times a week, as we know there is nothing wrong with this. However, it is when the cycle of addiction begins to kick in that it is time to take a step back and make sure the alcohol consumption not becoming too heavy. These few days can turn into every day, and a few drinks can become a lot of drinks, allowing them to escape their reality for periods every day.

Signs that someone is becoming an alcoholic

If you are worried for a friend or a loved one, there are a few signs that alcohol may be more involved in their lives than it should be. Firstly, if they are skipping events more frequently to stay in and be by themselves, it can mean they are trying to get alone time with the bottle. Secondly, if they are more temperamental than usual, and seeming fatigued more and more often, it can mean their sleeping pattern is being disturbed by alcohol and their brain functions becoming impaired. Finally, the most common sign is the need to lie about what they are consuming on a consistent basis. If this is happening there is no sooner time that the present to have a word with them and see what is going on in this period of their lives. It is nothing to be embarrassed or ashamed about and that is something you must stress to them before pursuing any course of treatment.

Alcohol rehab center for those that abuse alcohol

The good news is there are many recovery options for someone struggling with alcoholism. The bad news it is doesn’t make the recovery process any easier for them. No matter how well you have it getting over these issues is a tough task and should be treated as such. No one’s addiction is easier to overcome than anyone else is because of their certain circumstances or position in life. Offer help before we label people with judgement, and for this very reason there are alcohol treatment
centers in Florida.