Knowing the signs and symptoms of drug abuse is key to help an individual struggling with addiction to get help and achieve sobriety. Abused drugs range from over-the-counter cold remedies to cocaine, heroin, and methamphetamines. Symptoms of abuse vary widely between different drugs. One thing they all have in common: an inability to manage life once addiction takes hold.

The following article describes some common signs and symptoms of drug abuse and what to look for if you suspect someone of being addicted to drugs.

Drug addiction continues to be a major concern for society, and the concern grows with every passing year. As drug and alcohol addiction ruin lives of those most closely affected, but society at large suffers from addiction's rippling effects. The following article explains the effects of drug addiction on individuals, families, neighborhoods, and society overall.  Drug addiction's debilitating effects range from financial, to functional, to emotional and should by no means be taken lightly.

Although the initial decision to take drugs or alcohol is usually voluntary, there is a common misconception that drug addiction is indicative of moral or ethical failure, or a lack of willpower to resist the use of drugs or "do the right thing." When someone is suffering from addiction, the brain is functioning differently than it did prior to the addiction. Drugs change the way the brain functions, specifically in the mesolimbic dopamine system (the brain's reward center), making it extremely challenging for an addict to resist compulsive urges and cravings for more drugs. Because compulsive drug use alters this system, urges and cravings for an addict's drug of choice rarely completely go away, even after years of sobriety.

Dual diagnosis treatment is a treatment methodology that treats substance abuse in conjunction with a co-occurring mental health disorder. These mental health disorders can include: depression, anxiety, bi-polar disorder, mania, and disassociative disorders. It is important to understand that the behavioral unmanageability associated with drug and alcohol addiction is not specifically a sign of dual diagnosis, as it will improve with the treatment of the addiction.