Warning Signs of Drug or Alcohol Use at Home

Addiction rarely announces itself. Families usually sense that “something is wrong” months before they can name it. The signs below are the ones that come up most often in de-addiction OPDs — one sign alone means little; a cluster of them appearing together is what matters.

Changes in behaviour

• Withdrawing from the family — eating alone, staying in the room, avoiding conversation.
• New friends whose names and whereabouts are never shared; long unexplained absences.
• Money and small valuables going missing; borrowing that keeps increasing; lying about small things.
• Irritability or rage over trivial issues, especially at a fixed time of day.
• Sleeping through the day, awake at night.
• Losing interest in work, studies, farming or business; frequent absence.

Changes in the body

• Weight loss, dull skin, unkempt appearance, poor hygiene.
• Red or heavy eyes; very small or very large pupils.
• Trembling hands, sweating, restlessness — often eased suddenly after they step out.
• Marks on arms, frequent “cold”, sniffing, or unexplained sores.
• A chemical or unusual smell on clothes or breath.

Things you may find

• Foil, small pouches, syringes, unfamiliar tablets, glue tubes, whitener bottles, empty cough-syrup bottles.
• Hidden bottles or packets in the bathroom, the water tank, above the almirah, or in vehicle tool boxes.
• Repeated chemist bills for medicines nobody was prescribed.

The signs that need same-day action

What to do — and what not to do

Do not confront the person while they are intoxicated, search their belongings in front of others, or announce it to relatives and neighbours. Shame drives use up, not down.

Do write down what you have noticed with dates — it helps the doctor. Then read how to talk to someone who is using, and speak to a counsellor yourself even before the person agrees: family counselling can start without the patient.

Sources: WHO, NDDTC-AIIMS · Medically reviewed by: Dr. Brij Kishor Saini, MBBS, MD (Psychiatry) · Translated from the doctor-reviewed Hindi original · Last updated: August 2026 · Next review: August 2027