How Do You Know If You Have An Addiction?
How do you know if you have an addiction? Do you have to wait until you hit rock bottom and find yourself in a bad situation? Do you have to get to the point where you are committing crimes or risking your health? Sadly, many people believe that you do not have an addiction until you have reached these critical stages.
Casual Alcohol and Drug Use
With the casual use of alcohol and some drugs being more widely accepted, it has become even harder for people to step back and look at their lives and determine if they have an addiction.
Addictions can be spotted quite easily and early in the process if individuals chose to be honest with themselves and their loved ones are not afraid to face the truth.
Addiction is a Medical Condition
Addiction is just like any other medical condition or disease. The sooner you catch it and provide treatment, the better the chances are for a full recovery.
How do you know if you are causally using drugs or alcohol in a social setting or have an addiction? The American Psychiatric Association has come up with the following signs and symptoms of addiction. If you answer yes to two or more of these symptoms or signs, you may need help from an addiction recovery center.
Signs and Symptoms of Addiction
– You have thought that you are using more drugs or alcohol than you should or more frequently than you should. However, you continue to use these substances against your better judgment.
– You have tried to cut down or completely stop using these substances without the help of drug rehab and have been unsuccessful.
– You devote a lot of your time to seeking out these substances or placing yourself in situations where these substances are readily available.
_ Work, school, and social events are being affected by your drug or alcohol use. You are often missing events, work, or school because of your substance use.
– Friends and family members have been making casual comments about your substance use. Maybe even hinting that you should talk to a substance abuse counselor or think about drug rehabilitation.
– You find yourself craving the substance.
– You experience withdrawal symptoms when you have gone too long without using the substance.
– You make decisions based on being able to obtain or use the substance.
– You have experienced health problems or issues as a direct result of the substance use, but you continue to use the substance anyways.
– You place yourself in dangerous situations because of the substance such as drinking and driving or operating machinery under the influence of drugs
– You find yourself always thinking about the substance and finding more ways to incorporate its use into your daily routines.
– You have begun putting stashes of drugs or alcohol in different places around your home, school, or work so that you always have access when you need it and without other people knowing.
– You feel that you may have to hide your use from loved ones because you do not want them to judge you.
You Can Overcome Any Addiction
If you have found yourself answering yes to two or more of those statements, or if you have answered yes related to the sanctions of a loved one, it may be time to consider an addiction recovery program.
Don’t get caught in the vicious cycle of addiction and depression. You can overcome an addiction, any kind of addiction, with the proper help. Learning about your addiction, learning what led to these problems, and discovering how to fix and overcome these issues can help you break the cycle of addiction for good.
New Addictions vs Old Ones
Your addiction may be a new thing, or you may have been struggling with it for years – it does not matter. You can recover from addiction and regain control of your life and your future. Recovery is all about moving past the bad things and making room for the good.
Working with substance abuse counselors in a drug rehabilitation setting can help you overcome the issues that have led to the addiction. Drug rehab is more than just overcoming physical addiction. It is about overcoming the physical, mental, and emotional addiction to a substance ad creating a stronger person.
Unsure if You Have an Addiction?
If you are still unsure that your drug or alcohol use (or even prescriptions such as Fentanyl) is an addiction, take a moment and reread the list. Be honest with yourself. If you have answered yes to two or more of the points, consider a drug rehab program and help yourself enter recovery.
