One thing that many people don’t understand about addiction is that someone with a substance abuse problem can become very adept at hiding their behavior. They will often go to great lengths to ensure that the people around them do not know they are addicted. It is possible for even their own spouse to have little knowledge of the extent of their substance abuse.
Behavior changes in your Spouse
When your spouse is addicted to drugs or alcohol, you might know that something is wrong and feel that they are hiding something. They might lie about where they have been, make excuses for things and disappear at times without knowing where they are. Spouses often have an idea that something is wrong but they may have missed many of the signs and symptoms of addiction.
An addict may show subtle physical signs that they are addicted to drugs or alcohol such as dilated pupils, sniffling, physical marks on their body, weight gain or weight loss and other symptoms. You may notice that your spouse has extreme mood changes and they act erratically at times with no explanation. They may either be very lethargic and unmotivated or unusually active depending on the type of substance abuse they are involved in.
When a spouse is addicted to drugs they will act suspiciously and be secretive about things. It may be difficult to get them to tell the truth or admit what is really going on. It can be hard for spouses to find out exactly what is happening with their loved one’s addiction as they become very skilled at hiding what they do.
It is important to be aware of specific signs of drug abuse so that you can identify when someone is an addict and not miss the clues that they need to get help.
