Drug Abusers Have Trouble Interpreting Facial Expressions

Spanish scientists report that individuals who abuse drugs may have difficulty identifying the emotions of others from facial expressions, according  to Consumer Affairs. 

In the study, conducted at the University of Granada, researchers found that 70 percent of drug abusers displayed some type of psychological deterioration.

Researchers looked at the relationship between drug abuse and the interpretation of basic emotions such as happiness, surprise, anger, fear and sadness.  Their analysis showed that drug abusers experienced difficulty identifying anger, disgust, fear and sadness by facial expression.  Additionally, individuals who regularly abuse alcohol, cannabis or cocaine saw trouble with cognitive fluency and decision-making. 

The University of Granada’s study is the first to investigate the widespread presence of psychological deterioration in drug abusers enrolled in therapeutic communities.

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