1. Does your loved one look forward to getting high at the end of the day?
2. Does your loved one brag about their high tolerance to using drugs and seem to be proud of this ability?
3. Has your loved one ever told you that they are not addicted, that they can control their consumption if they want to, but you feel that their behavior and actions indicate otherwise?
4. Does it appear that it is difficult for your loved one to enjoy themselves in social situations unless they are under the influence of drugs?
5. Does your loved one use drugs to help them sleep?
6. Does your loved one fail to keep promises about their ability to control their drug use?
7. Has your loved one ever missed work because of their drug addiction?
8. Does your loved one ever display a low self-esteem if not intoxicated?
9. Does your loved one show any signs of paranoia or become overly worried about minor issues?
10. Does your loved one seem to be tired most of the time?
11. Has your loved one ever expressed to you that drugs makes them “feel better” or "relaxed?"
12. Have your ever found yourself defending, making excuses or agreeing to the reasons for which they use?
13. Does your loved one ever say “I apologize. It will never happen again.” Yet the behavior continues?
14. Does your intuition tell you that the information the addict is giving you could be a lie?
If you answered “yes” to three or more of the above questions, it is time to take the next step towards helping your loved one. There is hope! There are ways to get around these typical excuses and explanations! The first step is to intervene and stop the destructive path of addictive behavior.