Here are the top seven issues that may be physical signs of drug activity:
1) Sleep issues – People who are constantly awake, get up at strange times of the day or sleep far longer than the typical eight to 10 hours without any increase in physical activity or who work long hours may have a drug problem.
2) Changes in appetite – The pendulum can swing both ways on this one. Some drug addictions cause appetite loss and a gaunt appearance. Others create enormous appetites, sometimes termed “the munchies” for the prodigious amounts of food consumed. Extreme deviations are usually a sign that something is going on.
3) Cold, sweaty, shaking hands – There’s something to be said for a warm, firm grip. The opposite is also true, as an addict may present with a weak handshake.
4) The eyes have it – Clear eyes with little signs of redness are the mark of sharpness. Red, watery eyes with dilated or tiny pupils are an indication that something else is affecting these windows to the soul.
5) Smells – As with alcohol, unusual breath can be a telltale sign of drug problems. Plus, addicts don’t usually hang out in the cleanest areas, so clothes may capture the stench, and the lack of bathing may give it away.
6) Hyperactivity – The grandiosity created by some drugs may induce a user to non-stop talking, walking, hand-waving and other frenzied manifestations of the drugs coursing in their veins.