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At what point does partying turn into a problem? Are you just experimenting and having fun, or have you begun to develop a dependence on some of the substances you are using? Sometimes it is difficult to differentiate between a carefree lifestyle and that which has become dangerous to one's health. Within a matter of months, an addiction can drain finances and take its toll on family and work relationships. The general rule is: when drugs or alcohol begin to cause problems in your life, then you have a problem. Fortunately, there are also some other ways to detect the symptoms of these addictions in order that they may be properly treated. Listed below are 13 telltale signs of addiction.
1. Need for Normalcy
You use drugs or alcohol to feel normal. Getting buzzed, drunk or high was once fun, but as time goes on; it takes more and more to get to that feeling. Now you need the substance just to feel “normal”, or you need to consume drugs or alcohol just to get through your day. This shows that your body has established a high tolerance and dependency on the substance and requires its stimulants to function.
2. Irritability 
If you cannot use drugs or
alcohol, you become extremely irritable. You feel anger and
helplessness when you cannot get drugs or alcohol right when you want
it. You develop an emotional dependancy on the way the substances cause
you to feel. This has the effect of equating substance abuse to your
being content.
 Blacking out or missing memory during drinking is a sign of alcoholism. You can still function, yet not remember what transpired in the hours during your blackout. This means that your body and brain are working together but not in the way they should. If you are unable to remember what you had done while intoxicated it is likely that your level of self-control was compromised as well. Experiencing this loss of memory consistently is indicative of an addiction.
4. Secrecy
Hiding how much you drink or
use from friends and family is a sign that you have a
problem. You become agitated when friends or family members
question your abuse, which results in hiding it from them.
You don't want to accept what they have to say so you will will avoid
any and all conversation regarding your usage. You believe that
limiting the extent to which your problem is made known is in itself a
solution to the problem.
5. Apathy
 
Addiction often leads to decline in work performance and struggle in personal relationships. There is a general apathy with addiction, or at least a re-prioritization of your goals, hopes and even relationships. This can cause you to lose interest in things you once enjoyed and likely will make your addiction your first priority. You may choose certain occupations and friendships based on their being compatible or complementary with your addiction to avoid conflict.
With prescription pain killers,
you might be anxious to make sure that you have enough pills and to
refill in a timely manner to continue using. There is often
anxiety about what will happen if you were to run out, or where the
next prescription will come. You may fear being in a situation where
you do not have access to the drugs.
 A sure sign of addiction is when you have had one or more failed attempts at quitting or you use an excuse to continue using. You may often find yourself making up a reason to use, so that it sounds better to yourself and to others. After a long day at work, you feel like you deserve a drink, or that it is normal to drink because you have already worked.
8. Moral Compromise
Obtaining the substance by any
means necessary is a sign of addiction. You become a person
who does things you wouldn’t normally do such as steal money,
drugs, alcohol or deceive doctors into giving you more
prescriptions. You may become an entirely different person to
prevent your substance abuse from being compromised in any way. This
inevitably leads to loss of trust, unstable relationships and even
criminal prosecution.
9. Financial Difficulty
 Struggling financially is often
a byproduct of addiction. When addicted to a substance, the
first priority is not to pay a bill on time; it is to make sure you
have enough drugs or alcohol in supply. You pay your bills
late or not at all because you don’t care or the drug or
alcohol tricks you into thinking that you don’t have a care
in the world. Your subconscious may cause you to believe that your
addiction is just as important in servicing as your bills.
10. Irresponsibility
 You continue to use drugs or
alcohol even though you realize it might result in your job termination
or expulsion from school. At this point your addiction has gone beyond
a recreational part of your life, and has become your only priority.
You become indifferent to risks and consequences, therefore failing to
take care of that which is truly important.
 You schedule your day around doing drugs or using alcohol. It may be necessary for you to use drugs in order to function normally. You allot time to consuming drugs that otherwise would have been spent productively. You plan your transportation and errands, making sure you are never too far from somewhere to get your fix.
12. High Tolerance
 Your tolerance has increased so you must consume increasing quantities to get the same effect from the drugs or alcohol. As your body has become accustomed to the presence of certain chemicals in your system, the drug or alcohol induced state becomes your natural homeostasis. Your body becomes physically dependent on said chemicals so the levels required to get you drunk or high increase greatly over time.
13. Putting Yourself at Risk
Engaging in risky behavior such as sharing needles or having unprotected sex shows that you have become so fixated on your addiction, that your personal health and saftey becomes a minor priority. Your concern for your own use can lead to your complete disregard for the physical well-being of yourself and for others. Your abuse may take preeminence in your life to the point where the possible consequences of your actions seem bearable should they not disrupt your addiction. |