Drug abuse continues to be rampant in the Philippines, but what might sometimes go unacknowledged is the fact that it affects not just the person taking illegal substances, but his or her loved ones as well. An article in the LA Times discusses how it disrupts the lives of family members and creates interpersonal problems like emotional trauma and violence or even cheating and separation.

Worried that someone close to you might have a drug problem? Scroll through the gallery below for five signs to watch for.

To read about specific drugs and the symptoms that go with each one, visit the website of the American Council for Drug Education and the US National Library of Medicine.

Note: Observing some or even all of these symptoms in a loved one does not necessarily mean that person is a drug abuser; however, taken together, they are a good indication that something is wrong. You may want to urge the suspected abuser to open up and talk to you or a counselor. It's also a good idea to read up on more symptoms at the websites listed above, which you can compare to your friend or relative's behavior in order to be surer of whether or not he or she is a drug abuser.

Have you confirmed that your loved one is a drug abuser or dependent? Malyn Cristobal of the Living Free Foundation advises the affected person's family members to first stop living in denial and acknowledge their loved one's drug problem. "Partners or loved ones have to stop being the safety nets of their addict," she says. "As families continue to enable they, in a way, continue to support the addiction."

(Originally published as "Lovi Poe's rumored BF Ronald Singson jailed in HK for drug charges + 5 signs of drug abuse" by Belle Yambao on Female Network)


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