Signs and Symptoms of Abuse

RECOGNIZING SIGNS and SYMPTOMS OF SUBSTANCE ABUSE/ADDICTION
(Submitted by Bradford Health Care)

FAMILY ISSUES
 DCS Involvement
 Divorce or Separation
 Isolation
 Spousal Insistence at Counseling
 Fighting/Persistent Stress with Spouse
 Attempted Family Intervention
 Missing Family Events such as children’s activities, family get togethers, holidays, school functions, birthdays, anniversaries
 General Unreliability
 Family Complaints of Mood Swings or not “acting like themselves”
 Lateness
 Forgetfulness
 Paranoid Thoughts
 Blaming Others
 Suicidal Thoughts
 Drop in CHILDREN’S grades or problems at school
FINANCES
 Bankruptcy
 Bill Collector’s
 Unusual Sudden Need for Money
 Borrowing Money
 Feeling of being overwhelmed by money issues NOT attributable to layoff, lost job, change in prior earning abilities, family illness, etc
 Pawning items
 Friends or family “missing” items
 NOT making plans to change financial situation via a budget, overtime, 2nd job, change of jobs
LEGAL
 Theft Charges
 DUI’s/PI’s
 Possession Charges
 Failure to pay child support
 Garnishment of wages
 Assault/Domestic Disturbance
 Child Neglect or Abuse
 Police called to home or bar/club to investigate
FRIENDS
 Lack of Close friends
 Friendships that have “faded away”
 No time for prior friendships
 Type of Friends
 What/Where individual does/goes for fun or relaxation
 Change of friends
 NOT having friends/family over to the house
MEDICAL HISTORY
 At the Doctor more than in the past?
 Type of problems individual is experiencing? Stomach, Insomnia, Back/Neck Pains, Anxiety, Persistent Colds, High Blood Pressure
 Number of times at ER in past year? Months?
 Number of times going to walk-in clinics
 Injuries on/off the job
 Prior treatment for A&D
 Difficulty starting the day
 Running out of med’s before time to refill
WORK
 Absenteeism (Monday’s and Friday’s)
 Performance issues/Written up?
 Supervisory Meetings to Discuss performance
 Tardiness
 Longer than Normal Breaks at Lunch
 Lost Jobs in Past Few Years
 Change From Day to Night Shift
 Not Working
 Type of Friendships or Lack Thereof at Work
 Abnormal Number of Sick Days
Do you recognize any of these behaviors in a family member, friend, fellow employee or someone close to you? If so, please feel free to contact Bradford Health Services at 1-866-246-3216 24 hours a day/ 7 days a week for a FREE, confidential consultation or go to our website at www.bradfordhealth.com. For more than 30 years, Bradford's proven treatment programs have been helping adults and adolescents get back on the path to a full, rewarding life - free of alcohol and drugs. Through our unique blend of knowledge, experience, and understanding, we offer an innovative, surprisingly affordable continuum of inpatient and outpatient care that provides individuals and their families hope, healing, and a safe haven for recovery.

Springtime...Inside and Out

My mom delights in spring. She gazes at the emerging life around her as though seeing them for the first time. Each tree, daffodil, and tulip strikes her as a personal triumph. What if we were that excited about the new things in our own lives? Most of us are too busy re-examining the old twigs and branches of the latest winter to do so. For some of us, spring hasn’t visited our inner lives in a quite awhile. How do we create something fresh inside us while we watch the wonder erupting in beauty and newness around us? Here are some easy ways to bring spring to our minds and emotions:
• Create a personal Start, Stop, Keep List. Many people use this organizational technique to improve on work projects. Use it for yourself by asking what you’d like to start doing—it may be creating a monthly one day vacation day, visiting relatives you haven’t seen lately, or beginning a new exercise program. You may want to stop something in your life that is taking too much of your time and energy. And lastly, it may be that you have found something that works well for you and want to continue it.
• Learn a new skill. I once took a short course in the Japanese alphabet in high school. To this day, I can still write my name in Japanese. Some people take up knitting, others learn sign language. Learning a brand new skill can make life more interesting and give you a sense of pride and accomplishment.
• Invite more art into your life. Art has a way of creating thought provoking discussion and inspiring the observer. Visit a museum, a gallery, or a part of town that emphasizes art. Purchase something you find interesting. Let it give you a new perspective. Happy Inner Spring!