How Can I Tell if My Friend Has a Drinking or Other Drug Problem?

If your friend has one or more of the following warning signs, he or she may have a problem with alcohol or other drugs:

• Getting drunk or high on drugs on a regular basis
• Lying about things, or about how much alcohol or other drugs he or she is using
• Avoiding you in order to get drunk or high
• Giving up activities he or she used to do, such as sports, homework, or hanging out with friends who don’t drink or use other drugs
• Planning drinking in advance, hiding alcohol, drinking or using other drugs alone
• Having to drink more to get the same high
• Believing that in order to have fun you need to drink or use other drugs
• Frequent hangovers
• Pressuring others to drink or use other drugs
• Taking risks, including sexual risks
• Having “blackouts”-forgetting what he or she did the night before while drinking (if you tell your friend what happened, he or she might pretend to remember, or laugh it off as no big deal)
• Feeling run-down, hopeless, depressed or even suicidal
• Sounding selfish and not caring about others
• Constantly talking about drinking or using other drugs
• Getting in trouble with the law
• Drinking and driving

What Can I Do to Help My Friend?

The first step of getting help is for your friend to talk to someone about his or her alcohol or drug use, which hopefully will result in admitting that there is a problem. They will then need to agree to stop drinking and/or using other drugs completely. Your friend will need a lot of support and understanding during this time, as well as someone who can be trusted. Remember, you cannot force a friend to seek help, but you can encourage and support your friend in this process.

If you are worried about your friend’s abilities to seek help, it is important for you to speak to someone in private who is knowledgeable and reassuring. By telling someone, you are not being disloyal to your friend. In order to properly help, it is important that you know the facts about his or her situation. Do not try to help your friend on your own without first consulting someone you can trust-a teacher, nurse, doctor, parent, counselor, coach, or other responsible adult. You do not need to tell this person who your friend is, just talk about the problem in general. Talking to a more experienced, trustworthy person will better help you to figure out what the best steps are for you to take in assisting your friend.

Finding Help at School

Are you or a friend struggling in school? Would you like to get help from trustworthy adults regarding a number of issues you or a friend might be facing? If so, your school’s Student Assistance Program (SAP Team) is a good place to seek help. The SAP team is available to all high school and middle school students, and can help to point you or a friend in the right direction in terms of helpful services as well as guidance.