Signs Of Addiction

Key takeaways

• Alcohol or drug addiction can be difficult to recognise at first, but increasing use, secrecy, denial, and relying on drugs or alcohol to function are strong warning signs.
• Physical changes such as shaking, nausea, poor sleep, sudden weight changes, red or watery eyes, and withdrawal symptoms may indicate that the body has become dependent on a substance.
• Behavioural and emotional changes, including mood swings, anxiety, depression, paranoia, memory loss, lying, isolation, and neglecting responsibilities, can all point to a deeper substance use problem.
• Addiction and mental health conditions often occur together, which is why professional assessment and treatment should look at both substance use and mental health, rather than treating them separately.
• If you are worried about someone, it is best to approach the conversation calmly, avoid shame or accusations, and seek guidance from an addiction professional before considering an intervention.

When does social alcohol or drug use become an addiction?

Social drinking and drug use are common, especially for young people, so how do you know when you or someone you know is addicted? Can you recognise the signs of addiction? It’s often harder than you think.

Addiction is a disease, and like other health conditions, it often comes with patterns that can be recognised, including changes in behaviour, physical health, mood, relationships, money, work, and daily routines.

Why these signs and symptoms appear

It helps to understand, even briefly, why these signs show up in the first place. Repeated use of drugs or alcohol changes the way the brain’s reward system works. Dopamine, the chemical largely responsible for feelings of pleasure and motivation, gets released in much larger amounts than the brain is used to, and over time, the brain adjusts by becoming less responsive to it.

This is why tolerance builds, why someone needs more of a substance to feel the same effect, and why ordinary sources of pleasure, like spending time with family or doing a hobby they once enjoyed, can start to feel flat by comparison.

The behavioural changes that follow, secrecy, irritability, withdrawing from people who care about them, are often the brain prioritising the substance over almost everything else, not a deliberate choice the person is making with a clear head.

It’s often around this point, when the brain and body have adjusted to a certain level of substance use, that the signs become harder to miss. If the person goes without their usual amount or the drug wears off, even for a short stretch, withdrawal symptoms can set in: shaking, sweating, nausea, irritability, or a noticeable dip in mood. These episodes tend to be when family and friends first connect the dots, because the change is sudden and physical rather than something that’s crept up gradually over weeks or months.

Someone who seemed fine the night before might wake up unwell, agitated, or desperate to use again, and it’s this kind of visible shift that often prompts the worried phone call or the difficult conversation. Recognising drug or alcohol withdrawal for what it is, the body’s response to a substance it has become reliant on, rather than a separate problem, can make those moments easier to understand and easier to act on.

Signs of addiction: Alcohol or other drug use

• Increasing drug or alcohol use
• Denial about extent of drinking or drug use
• A reliance or dependence on drugs or alcohol to function
• Inability to stop using drugs or alcohol despite negative consequences

Signs of addiction: Physical changes

• Sudden weight changes
• Marks on the skin
• Changes in sleeping habits, including insomnia or sleeping more
• Headaches
• Dilated pupils
• Red or watery eyes
• Trembling/shaking
• Slurred speech
• Poor physical condition
• Nausea
• Changes in eating habits
• Pale, flushed or puffy face
• Poor coordination

Signs of addiction: Behavioural changes

• Mood swings
• Depression
• Paranoia
• Anxiety
• Blackouts
• Memory loss
• Telling lies
• Arguing
• Stealing
• Borrowing money
• More secretive
• Neglecting personal hygiene and presentation
• Avoiding friends and family members
• Missing organised events or recreational activities
• Drinking or using drugs to relax or improve getting to sleep
• Drinking alone
• Aims to conceal drinking/drug use

Addiction and mental health disorders commonly occur together, particularly depression and anxiety.

When a mental health problem and drug dependence occur together, it’s known as a dual diagnosis, and each condition tends to increase the risk of the other becoming more severe. A mental health professional can help identify this early, so both conditions are treated together rather than one being missed.

Signs of addiction: Social changes

• Inability to focus
• Neglecting school or work responsibilities
• Relationship problems or social isolation
• Financial problems
• Withdrawal from activities and events that previously were a source of enjoyment

Signs of addiction: Drug paraphernalia

You may find objects that are commonly used for drug use. These can include:

• Pipes – These can be made from various materials, including glass, wood and plastic
• Needles – These are used for intravenous drug use, for example, injecting heroin
• Cigarette papers – Used most commonly to roll a cannabis cigarette, called a “joint” or “spliff”
• Bongs – Typically used for inhaling cannabis, more commonly referred to as “smoking cones
• Small clipseal bags – often used to store a wide range of drugs, and may be clear or have images printed on them

I think someone I know has a substance use disorder. What do I do now?

If you feel your loved one’s use of drugs or alcohol has become an addiction, there are ways you can help, but recovery from addiction can only happen if the addict is willing to make changes in their life. With support, they can start to get their life back on track.

Broaching the topic of addiction is tricky, and there’s rarely a perfect way in. Someone who doesn’t want to stop taking drugs or alcohol will likely deny there’s a problem, at least at first, even when the evidence is hard to ignore. They may get angry with you, become defensive, or remove themselves from the situation entirely, so you need to approach it with care and not with shame or anger.

It helps to pick a moment when the person isn’t under the influence and isn’t already stressed or distracted, rather than raising it in the heat of an argument or right after an incident. Leading with specific observations rather than accusations tends to land better too: noticing that they seem more withdrawn lately, or that you’ve been worried about how often they’ve been drinking, says something quite different to telling them outright that they have a drug problem. The aim isn’t to win the conversation in one go. For most families, this is a process that unfolds over several conversations, not a single decisive one, and a defensive reaction the first time round doesn’t mean the message hasn’t landed somewhere.

You may be considering a family intervention, but it is important that you speak to a drug and alcohol addiction professional first, as, to be successful, an intervention needs to be carefully planned and orchestrated. Going in unprepared, even with the best intentions, can do more harm than good: the person may feel ambushed or ganged up on, which often hardens denial rather than breaking through it.

A professional can help you think through timing, who should be in the room, what to say if things don’t go to plan, and what support needs to be lined up afterwards, since the conversation itself is really only the first step. Getting that guidance beforehand tends to make the difference between an intervention that opens a door and one that keeps the door closed. 

Available support services and professional treatment options

For immediate advice, Australians can contact the National Alcohol and Other Drug Hotline (1800 250 015), a free and confidential service providing counselling, information and referrals to local support services.

In urgent situations, Lifeline (13 11 14) or the Alcohol and Drug Information Service (1800 177 833) is available 24 hours a day for emotional crisis support.

Hader Clinic Queensland offers addiction treatment that follows a structured three-phase approach: medically supervised detox within a licensed private hospital accredited by HDAA, where needed, followed by residential rehabilitation with programs of four, eight, or twelve weeks, and then ongoing aftercare and outpatient support to provide continuity through the transition back into everyday life.

The rehabilitation program is independently accredited by QIP and draws on evidence-based approaches across counselling, psychoeducation, physical therapy, and peer support groups through the therapeutic community model.

If you are worried about your own substance use, or you are trying to support someone you love, you do not need to have all the answers before reaching out. Hader Clinic Queensland can talk you through what you are seeing, what treatment may involve, and what the next step could look like.

Learn more about addiction treatment at Hader Clinic Queensland

Dr Mel Symon

Director, Hader Group QLD

Dr Mel Symon is the Director of Hader Group QLD, leading both Hader Clinic Queensland and Hader Clinic Queensland Private. With more than 30 years of experience in human services and over 20 years as a founder and business leader, Mel has played a central role in establishing and growing Queensland’s leading addiction treatment services.

Mel holds a PhD in Addiction Treatment from the University of Queensland, along with a Master of Mental Health, Master of Professional Management, and a Bachelor of Social Science. Since 2016, she has overseen the development of the 40-bed Hader Clinic Queensland residential rehabilitation program and, in 2021, the creation and opening of the 25-bed Hader Clinic Queensland Private Hospital.

Passionate about lifelong recovery, Mel is dedicated to evidence-based care, meaningful change, and supporting individuals to rebuild their lives through sustainable recovery pathways.

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