There are many unique drug addiction signs. Most of these signs and symptoms will vary based on the substance user as well as the drugs that they take. However, there are several indicators that might potentially show that you are struggling with a substance use disorder, otherwise known as addiction.
Drug addiction signs refer to the symptoms that you will display as a result of developing tolerance, dependence, and addiction to a drug or alcohol. Addiction, on the other hand, refers to the psychological or physical need to continue taking a drug or alcohol even after you start realizing that it has been causing dangerous or harmful consequences in your day to day life.
Most of the signs of addiction appear quite often. As a result, it is worth noticing as well as responding to them with the right treatment and rehabilitation approaches. This is because addicting is an illness that will affect your behavior and brain. It will also make it impossible for you to control your use of drugs and medications. While addicted, you will continue taking these substances in spite of the harmful effects that they cause.
In many cases, drug addiction will start with the experimentation of recreational drugs, such as during social situations. Over time, your use of these substances will become increasingly more frequent than it used to be.
If you are taking opioid drugs, for instance, addiction will often arise because you were exposed to a prescription medication. You might also have received the drugs from relatives and friends who had valid prescriptions.
The risk of developing a substance use disorder as well as the speed at which this problem develops will vary from one drug to another. Some substances, including opioid pain relief medications, come with a higher risk of addiction. They can also cause this problem to develop much faster than if you were taking other drugs.
With the passage of time, you will find that you have to take your preferred drug in higher doses before you can experience its effects - the high that it produces. Soon thereafter, you will find that you have to take the substance before you can feel good or normal in your day to day life.
As you increase your drug use, you may soon come to a point where it becomes increasingly difficult for you to go for any period of time without taking the substance that you prefer. When you reach this stage and you try to stop using the drugs, you will experience physical illness in the form of withdrawal symptoms. Further, you will suffer from intense cravings from your preferred substance of abuse.
At this stage, the only way that you are going to be able to stop abusing the drugs that you have been taking would be through a qualified addiction treatment and rehabilitation center. The fact that you have been displaying some of the drug addiction signs should be enough to get you to this realization.
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Most of the typical drug addiction signs will include changes in behavior. For instance, you may loss interest in the activates and hobbies that you used to enjoy. Further, you may withdraw from your friends and family. In the same way, drug use may lead to a decrease in your performance at school or work or a slacking in your sense of responsibility at home.
However, there are also some physical signs of addiction that might be easier to spot. They include changes in eating and sleep patterns, poor hygiene, poor coordination, slurred speech, and shaking.
That said, drug addiction signs will largely depend on the substances that you have been taking. This is because certain drugs will cause some really specific symptoms. For this reason, it is important that you recognize the various signs of addiction. By so doing, you will be in a better position to get help as well as reduce your risk of developing the other negative consequences of addiction.
The important thing to keep in mind is that substance abuse and misuse is a serious problem that often leads to many adverse effects. If you abuse a drug, you will be misusing it. This could come in the form of taking medications to cope with negative emotions or just you are trying to self-medicate the various signs and symptoms of a mental health disorder.
You may also take prescription or illicit drugs for the sole purpose of experiencing the euphoria and pleasure that it causes - to get help. Alternatively, you could use prescription drugs in ways other than a doctor would typically recommend.
That said, drug abuse often gives rise to the development of tolerance, dependence, and addiction. This condition, once it has set root, will be difficult to manage. For this reason, you need to learn how to recognize and understand the typical drug addiction signs that might arise.
It might be easier for you to conceal your behavioral drug addiction signs. However, this is not going to be possible with most of the physical symptoms that arise as a result of your ongoing substance abuse. Some of these physical symptoms include:
In case you have been abusing substances, you will experience some behavioral changes. Irrespective of the type of substances that you have been taking, they will often lead to significant changes in the ways in which you normally behavior.
Most of the common behaviors of addiction appear in almost all addicts. However, people are different. Even so, you need to watch out for any behaviors that are unusual, new, or difficult to explain by another factor, such as a traumatic experience or illness. That said, the following are some of the behavioral signs and symptoms of drug abuse and addiction:
Most of the typical psychological signs and symptoms of substance abuse and addiction are varied. However, if you display any combination of the following symptoms, it is highly likely that you might already be struggling with a substance use disorder:
Apart from the above listed drug addiction signs, there are number of other adverse effects that you will suffer as a result of ongoing substance abuse. This is because drugs will completely take over your life if you do not manage them. Some of the effects and consequences that you can expect with ongoing drug taking, to this end, include:
If you have noticed any of the above drug addiction signs after having abused drugs or alcohol for some time, you need to consider getting help for the problem before it gets further out of hand.
While struggling with a substance use disorder, you may deny the fact that you have a growing problem. You may also be reluctant to seek help because you lack support, are apprehensive about the cost of treatment, or just feel afraid.
Either way, it is imperative that you overcome your reservations until you are ready to get the help that you need. When this happens, you will have a choice between inpatient and outpatient addiction treatment - or a combination of both.
Outpatient addiction treatment will typically involve rehabilitation at a facility that will allow you to go back to your home or check into a sober living home after you have received help for your substance abuse and dependence. This type of treatment will also give you enough flexibility and freedom so that you can continue managing your other obligations even as you attend rehab.
Typically, it will be accompanied by the following services:
Residential or inpatient treatment, on the other hand, will require that you live at the rehabilitation center for the entire duration of your treatment. Typically, you would be advised to start with this form of treatment. This is because it will allow you to leave your temptations so that you can completely focus on achieving sobriety.
Inpatient addiction treatment will also offer round the clock medical care, support, and supervision - where required. Further, you will be immersed in an environment where other people will be seeking help for their substance abuse. This will allow you to benefit from the shared experienced, support, and hope provided by the recovery community at the residential rehabilitation center.
While enrolled in inpatient care, you can expect the following services:
It is recommended that you seek help from a substance abuse treatment and rehabilitation facility if you have been displaying any of the drug addiction signs that are listed above.
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