Sometimes it’s difficult to distinguish normal teenage moodiness or angst from signs of drug use. Possible indications that your teenager or other family member is using drugs include:

• Problems at school or work: frequently missing school or work, a sudden disinterest in school activities or work, or a drop in grades or work performance
• Physical health issues: lack of energy and motivation, weight loss or gain, or red eyes
• Neglected appearance: lack of interest in clothing, grooming or looks
• Changes in behavior: exaggerated efforts to bar family members from entering his or her room or being secretive about where he or she goes with friends; or drastic changes in behavior and in relationships with family and friends
• Money issues: sudden requests for money without a reasonable explanation; or your discovery that money is missing or has been stolen or that items have disappeared from your home, indicating maybe they’re being sold to support drug use

Addiction occurs when a chemical dependency to a drug is combined with an overwhelming urge to use the substance. There are numerous reasons why people begin using drugs. Some people simply begin using drugs simply to see what the drug high is like. No matter the reason, drug use can quickly become drug abuse, which eventually leads to a chemical dependency to the drug.

This happens because the body can become tolerant to a drug relatively quickly. What this means is that it takes more and more of the drug for the user to feel the same effects. In seeking that initial high, the body becomes dependent, and thus addiction takes hold.

The problem is often perpetuated by the desire to avoid the very uncomfortable and sometimes life-threatening withdrawal symptoms that can occur when a user suddenly discontinues use.

Treatment for Internet addiction includes a variety of inventions with a primary focus on cognitive-behavioral and interpersonal psychotherapy techniques to moderate Internet usage and to address underlying psycho-social issues that often co-existent with this addiction (e.g., social phobia, mood disorders, marital dissatisfaction, job burnout, childhood sexual abuse). Internet addiction therapy should utilize time management techniques that help the client structure and regulate internet sessions and strategies that help clients develop alternative activities that take them away from the computer.

An addicted person finds it hard to see whether he/she is addicted. However, the following questionnaires may help you understand whether you’re addicted or not.

1. Do you ever use alone?
2. Have you ever substituted one drug for another, thinking that one particular drug was the problem?
3. Have you ever manipulated or lied to a doctor to obtain prescription drugs?
4. Have you ever stolen drugs or stolen to obtain drugs?
5. Do you regularly use a drug when you wake up or when you go to bed?
6. Have you ever taken one drug to overcome the effects of another?
7. Do you avoid people or places that do not approve of you using drugs?
8. Have you ever used a drug without knowing what it was or what it would do to you?
9. Has your job or school performance ever suffered from the effects of your drug use?
10. Have you ever been arrested as a result of using drugs?
11. Have you ever lied about what or how much you use?
12. Do you put the purchase of drugs ahead of your financial responsibilities?
13. Have you ever tried to stop or control your using?
14. Have you ever been in a jail, hospital, or drug rehabilitation center because of your using?
15. Does using interfere with your sleeping or eating?
16. Does the thought of running out of drugs terrify you?
17. Do you feel it is impossible for you to live without drugs?
18. Do you ever question your own sanity?
19. Is your drug use making life at home unhappy?
20. Have you ever thought you couldn’t fit in or have a good time without drugs?
21. Have you ever felt defensive, guilty, or ashamed about your using?
22. Do you think a lot about drugs?
23. Have you had irrational or indefinable fears?
24. Has using affected your sexual relationships?
25. Have you ever taken drugs you didn’t prefer?
26. Have you ever used drugs because of emotional pain or stress?
27. Have you ever overdosed on any drugs?
28. Do you continue to use despite negative consequences?
29. Do you think you might have a drug problem?

The severity and duration of withdrawal are influenced by the level of dependency on the substance and a few other factors, including:

• Length of time abusing the substance
• Type of substance abused
• Method of abuse (e.g., inhaling, smoking, injecting, or swallowing)
• Amount took each time
• Family history and genetic makeup
• Medical and mental health factors

A general overview of certain drugs and their withdrawal timeline is as follows:

Yaba: Withdrawal begins within 24 hours of the last dose, peaks within 72 hours.

Heroin: Withdrawal begins within 12 hours of the last dose, peaks within 24-48 hours, and lasts a week to up to a few months.

Benzodiazepines: Withdrawal may begin within 1-4 days, peaking in the first two weeks. In some cases, protracted withdrawal can last months or even years without treatment, per the Comprehensive Handbook of Drug and Alcohol Addiction.

Cannabis / Marijuana: Marijuana withdrawal symptoms can begin anywhere between a day up to three after last use. Usually, the set of withdrawal symptoms lasts from a few days to a few weeks.  Moreover, marijuana symptoms of withdrawal can peak at around two to three days. And once they begin, they can last anywhere from a few days to a few weeks.

Cocaine: Withdrawal starts within hours of the last dose, peaking in a few days and lasting from a week to 10 weeks, per the Australian Government Department of Health.

Alcohol: Withdrawal usually begins between eight hours of last drink up to a few days after drinking, peaks within 24-72 hours, and can last a few weeks, according to the S. National Library of Medicine.