1. OTC and Prescription Drug Abuse Slideshow Pictures
2. Health Risks of Alcohol Abuse Slideshow Pictures

Medical Author:

Roxanne Dryden-Edwards, MD

Roxanne Dryden-Edwards, MD

Dr. Roxanne Dryden-Edwards is an adult, child, and adolescent psychiatrist. She is a former Chair of the Committee on Developmental Disabilities for the American Psychiatric Association, Assistant Professor of Psychiatry at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, Maryland, and Medical Director of the National Center for Children and Families in Bethesda, Maryland.

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Medical Editor:

Melissa Conrad Stöppler, MD, Chief Medical Editor

Melissa Conrad Stöppler, MD, Chief Medical Editor

Melissa Conrad Stöppler, MD, is a U.S. board-certified Anatomic Pathologist with subspecialty training in the fields of Experimental and Molecular Pathology. Dr. Stöppler's educational background includes a BA with Highest Distinction from the University of Virginia and an MD from the University of North Carolina. She completed residency training in Anatomic Pathology at Georgetown University followed by subspecialty fellowship training in molecular diagnostics and experimental pathology.

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Friends and family may be among the first to recognize the signs of substance abuse. Early recognition increases chances for successful treatment. Signs to watch for include the following:

• Giving up past activities such as sports, homework, or hanging out with new friends
• Declining grades
• Aggressiveness and irritability
• Significant change in mood or behavior
• Forgetfulness
• Disappearing money or valuables
• Feeling rundown, hopeless, depressed, or even suicidal
• Sounding selfish and not caring about others
• Use of room deodorizers and incense
• Paraphernalia such as baggies, small boxes, pipes, and rolling paper
• Physical problems with unclear cause (for example, red eyes and slurred speech)
• Getting drunk or high on drugs on a regular basis
• Lying, particularly about how much alcohol or other drugs he or she is using
• Avoiding friends or family in order to get drunk or high
• Planning drinking in advance, hiding alcohol, and drinking or using other drugs alone
• Having to drink more to get the same high
• Believing that in order to have fun you need to drink or use other drugs
• Frequent hangovers
• Pressuring others to drink or use other drugs
• Taking risks, including sexual risks
• Having "blackouts," forgetting what he or she did the night before
• Constantly talking about drinking or using other drugs
• Getting in trouble with the law
• Drinking and driving
• Suspension or other problems at school or in the workplace for an alcohol- or drug-related incident

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