It can be difficult living with someone who is abusing a substance such as drugs or alcohol. When you are suspicious of their substance use, you may also wonder how it will affect you and your family. There are some signs you can watch for when wondering if your husband is using drugs. You can also get help for your loved one and for yourself.
Drug Use Behaviors
When someone uses drugs, they exhibit behaviorthat may make them seem like a different person than they used to be. Your husband may have changed the way he acts as he deals with his drug issues. He may spend more time alone, choosing not to spend time with family members or friends anymore. He may have developed some new friendships, ones that appear to be negative influences on him.
Your husband’s hygiene habits may have declined as he is not taking good care of himself now. He may not take showers, brush his teeth, or change clothes as often as he used to or as often as he should. He probably has lost interest in doing other things, such as a favorite hobby.
Watch for changes in your husband’s mood as well, including:
- Being really sad and tired
- Being very energetic, saying things that don’t make sense, or talking fast
- Being in a bad mood or quickly changing from feeling good to feeling bad
- Sleeping at strange hours or not at all.
Signs that your husband is using drugs may also include problems at work, such as missing appointments or issues with relationships with a boss or co-workers.
Common Danger Signs
If your husband is using drugs, you may notice some tell-tale signs. These can be behavior on his part or issues that are causing damage to your relationship. Watch for these signsof a substance use problem in your marriage:
- You notice his drug use or drinking habits and the two of you argue about his behavior frequently.
- You also have arguments about issues related to his behavior, such as money problems, his shirking of responsibilities, and his staying out late on numerous occasions.
- You’ve had to cover for him more than once because you know he has been using drugs or drinking. You make excuses for him, to his boss, co-workers, friends, or family members and may even need to call in “sick” for him at work.
- It seems your husband has to use drugs or alcohol in order to feel or show any signs of affection toward you.
- Your husband defends his use of drugs or alcohol, saying he needs them to reduce the stress or tension of your arguments, which are probably mostly about his drug or alcohol use.
- As a family, you have become more isolated from friends and family.
- You experience episodes of domestic violence that may be fueled by your husband’s drug or alcohol use.
Substance Use and Domestic Violence
For your own safety, it is important to know the signs of drug use and to reach out for your help when you see that your husband is using drugs. Substance use has been found in a number of studiesto contribute to domestic violence incidents.
Substance use co-occurs in 40-60% of violence between intimate partners, according to the research. The drug use can be the cause of violence or can make it worse. Many incidents of domestic violence involve the use of drugs, particularly illegal drugs, or alcohol. On days of heavy drug use, physical violence is 11 times more likely to occur in cases of domestic violence.
It is critical that you seek help if you are the victim of domestic abuse as well. Being the victim of abuse is a predictor of developing a substance use issue, as substance abuse is more prevalent among women who have experienced violence by an intimate partner. If your husband is using drugs, he may try to coerce you into using with him.
Help for Drug Abuse Issues
Your husband’s drug use can be hard on you in many ways. At Hope by the Sea, a southern California addiction treatment center, we work with you and your loved one to begin the journey of recovery from drug abuse as well as mental health issues. We specialize in treating the whole individual, and the affected family, so everyone can embrace recovery with as much support and momentum as possible.
Our team continues to follow federal, state, and local public health guidelines regarding COVID-19 to ensure our clients’ safety. Please contact us today to learn more about our programs and services. Hope Starts Here!
