5 Telltale Signs That You Need Addiction Therapy
Addiction is a debilitating illness with far-reaching effects. Addicts struggle with physical and mental health issues, some of which are potentially fatal. Besides, addiction can be detrimental to your interpersonal relationships and even affect the community since it affects individual productivity. If you are concerned that your loved one might be dealing with a substance use disorder, a Glendale addiction specialist can help. Addiction specialists identify and treat the root causes of your addiction problem and address the withdrawal symptoms you experience as you discontinue your addictive traits. Meanwhile, here are some key pointers that may necessitate addiction therapy.
1. You Have an Increased Tolerance for the Substance
Recreational drug usage is prevalent, and it is where most people begin. Initially, you use medications in little doses and infrequently.
When you begin using the drug often and realize that you must take a greater dosage or use it more frequently to achieve a similar effect, your body has developed tolerance. Developing tolerances to “soft” drugs, such as marijuana, could frequently result in using more potent substances.
Increased dosage raises the risk of major health issues, including overdose and lasting brain damage, particularly in adolescents and young adults. Therefore, seek care immediately if you observe increased tolerance for any drug you use.
2. You Avoid Hobbies or Activities You Love
If you spend less time engaging in activities you once enjoyed, you might need to seek treatment for your substance usage. After you develop a drug addiction, you might spend all your time purchasing, consuming, and concealing your drug usage. You might expend all your energy and get fixated on attaining the next high. This insidious loop will leave you with little energy and time for activities you once loved.
3. You Experience Notable Mood Changes
Mood swings are abrupt and severe changes in an individual’s mood, often triggered by specific circumstances or perhaps nothing. Once mood swings become a regular phenomenon, the underlying reason is typically substance abuse, mental health issue, or occasionally both.
Substance abuse can trigger mood swings since drug chemicals alter the brain’s reward system. As such, an individual with a substance use disorder tends to repeatedly seek out the emotional “high.”
4. You Experience Withdrawal Symptoms
Numerous substances, including cocaine, alcohol, and opioids, are extremely addictive. With time, your body and brain will crave these substances, and you will experience severe physical withdrawal symptoms if you abstain. These withdrawal symptoms can vary from a minor headache to severe nausea and pain. While you can simply overlook these withdrawal symptoms, they often point to a drug addiction problem that needs prompt medical attention.
5. You Notice Declined Performance or Efficiency
Have you begun to prioritize drug usage over your schoolwork or professional obligations? Do you disregard your duties or other responsibilities just to find your drugs? If so, your substance abuse is unhealthy.
Any substantial life change is difficult, but addiction is especially difficult to confront alone. Numerous excellent support networks and programs are available to assist you in making permanent improvements.
Not all addictions are the same. Sadly, media representations of how an individual with a substance abuse disorder looks or conducts are filled with inaccurate stereotypes. Besides, individuals do not frequently recognize that they have an issue, and family or friends are the first to observe a change. If you are concerned that your beloved is addicted, uncertainty renders it hard to progress. However, if you identify any issues highlighted in this post, do not hesitate to consult an addiction specialist.
