Worrying about loved ones typically comes with the territory of having family and friends. Of course, you may have more than the typical concerns for one of your loved ones. A sudden change in behavior may have you worried that your loved one has become addicted to drugs.
Unfortunately, addiction affects numerous people in Texas and across the country. The changes that you see in your loved one may have you wondering what you can do to help. It may be difficult to accept, but in some cases, it can take a serious event in order for a person to want to change and seek help for an addiction.
Do you see these signs in your loved one?
You may never have anticipated your loved one having a substance abuse problem, but this issue could affect anyone. Your loved one may have tried a substance, thinking of it as a one-time experience, only to become instantly hooked, or he or she may have taken a medication prescribed by a doctor and became addicted over time. In either scenario, you may have begun seeing the following changes in your loved one:
- Depression
- More aggressive attitudes
- Becoming irritated more easily
- Sudden and drastic changes in habits
- Lethargy
- Sleeping changes
- Unkempt appearance
- Bloodshot eyes
- Weight changes
Any of these symptoms could present cause for concern. Even if you try to discuss your worries with your loved one, you may only face backlash or denial of a problem.
Has the situation escalated?
Unfortunately, part of the behavioral changes that addiction can bring about is participation in criminal activity. Your loved one may come under suspicion for drug possession or conducting drug deals or other illegal actions as he or she tries to keep up with the negative and dangerous habit that has taken control of his or her life. As a result, he or she could face serious criminal charges.
You may want to help your loved one address this predicament and hope that it will be the wake-up call he or she needs to make positive changes in life. If so, you may want to gain information on what criminal defense options could help your loved one address the allegations. Encouraging him or her to speak with a Texas criminal defense attorney about how to handle this ordeal may be a step in the right direction.
