Substance abuse or drug addiction has a massive impact on your health.  It is important to know that this is the beginning of everything going downhill. It begins with minor experiments which later turn to addiction beyond control. The consequences are not confined to your health alone, it affects your family and the society.  The cost of misusing drugs is so heavy that there is no looking back without external help.

According to National Center for Drug Abuse Statistics (NCDAS)

  • 138.543 million or 50.0% of people aged 12 and over have illicitly used drugs in their lifetime.
  • 57.277 million people use tobacco or nicotine products (vape).
  • 25.4% of illegal drug users have a drug disorder.
  • 24.7% of those with drug disorders have an opioid disorder; this includes prescription pain relievers or “pain killers” and heroin).

If you recognize someone on the fringes of becoming an addict, it’s important to act quickly. Some symptoms include, neglecting responsibilities, taking on more physical risks or causing problems in relationships.If you notice these symptoms, take the following five actions to prevent the person from falling deeper into their addictive ways:

1. Communicate

Before seeking therapy, it’s important to help someone on the verge of becoming an addict realize the type of behavior being displayed is dangerous. Many addicts don’t believe what they are doing is wrong. Often, they use drugs as a way to solve a problem, such as the ones described above. Other, they use drugs because it’s give them a high.In order to help someone, they must first accept their drug dependency is a problem. Remember to stay cool, resist the urge to judge and be honest with them. You want them to feel comfortable opening up to you.

2. Seek therapy

There are five stages of drug abuse. People will first begin to experiment with a drug before they regularly use it. Help someone before they become an abuser. First talk with the addict and help them understand that recreational use can turn into dependency. Then, help them recognize that therapy is the best form of treatment.The type of treatment a person receives depends on their needs and problems. A quality healthcare professional will not only treat underlying problems, but explain the dangers of leisure drug use and that they don’t solve mental issues, only manage its symptoms.

3. Maintain a happy, healthy lifestyle

Part of therapy includes helping addicts understand there are alternative ways to solve issues. For example, instead of turning to drugs to manage depression, a professional can help an addict replace drug usage with passions like sports or art. By focusing more on their hobbies, an addict is less likely to jeopardize their life or other’s by using illegal substances.

4. Deal with pressure

Along with replacing drug addiction with hobbies, a professional should help eliminate stress. This is important because stress could be not only one of the reasons they became an addict, but also a factor that would cause them to relapse. Research has indicated that stress often causes the brain to change, similar to changes seen by addictive drugs. This suggests that people who are stressed may be more prone to become drug abusers or relapse. Further, the study proposes addicts are much more sensitive to becoming stressed.A few ways to help reduce stress include exercising, reading a book, volunteering or taking up a relaxing art like painting.

5. Look into the past

According to a study, 40 to 60 percent of the risk for developing an addiction is due to genetics. Other studies have pointed out that the risk may be higher for strong substances such as nicotine or cocaine. If a close relative, such as a parent, has had drug abuse problems, their son or daughter is also a high risk candidate to develop similar health issues.