It begins with a simple hit or two then soon you have developed a dependency to drugs. As scary as it may seem, some people don’t realize this until its too late. Here are 10 sure signs that you need to seek treatment for your addiction to drugs.
1. You Have Lost the Desire To Carry Out Daily Tasks
Everything has started to become a burden. Your hobbies are non-existent and the little everyday tasks seem like heavy chores. A person who has an unhealthy attachment to drugs will often neglect their responsibilities and become less affected by the outcomes.
2. You Have Fall into Financial Trouble
Perhaps you have fallen behind on bills. Maybe you even have trouble keeping food on the table or gas in the car. The money that was once dedicated to sustaining your lifestyle is now used to secure your next hit.
3. You Feel Ill When You Haven’t Had A Hit
Similar to a caffeine-addict who has skipped their morning cup of joe, the body will begin to feel physical effects. There might be headaches that quickly progress to migraines, nausea, or even cramping. Emotional disruptions may occur. Drug dependency is quite often linked to insomnia, irritability, and paranoia. Whether the drug “needs” are met or not, depression usually comes shortly after.
4. Your Behavior Has Become Increasingly Risky
You don’t seem to fear the consequences of your actions anymore. You can’t stop lying or manipulating situations to get your way. You may even have taken up stealing or have gotten into legal trouble. You may find no danger in partaking in unsafe sex or have become increasingly aggressive or violent. When you habitually place yourself in harm’s way by behaving recklessly, it is a sure sign that the drugs have taken over.
5. You Have Issues with School or Work
It first starts with showing up late on a normal basis then persists to not showing up at all. Your memory has lapsed and you can’t seem to remember your work schedule or which assignments are due on which dates. You may have even gotten suspended from school or have been terminated from work.
6. You Isolate Yourself
You no longer want to be around your loved ones. Most of your days are spent high and alone. The shame or fear of judgment is too much to bear so you would rather keep to yourself … forever. You may feel like you have nothing in common with those whom you once greatly valued so your incoming texts and calls are consistently going unanswered.
7. You Lie About Your Drug Use
Sure, your business doesn’t have to be shared with everyone but you seem to travel great lengths to cover up your drug use. The lies and excuses have begun to pile up and you will do anything to conceal your new lifestyle.
8. You Have Developed Unhealthy Relationships
Your new friends are a bit sketchy. These aren’t the type of friends that you would call on in an emergent situation, in fact, you probably shouldn’t even leave your purse around these people. If you are only surrounded by people who want to get high and start trouble, it may mean that you are becoming one of them.
9. You Drug Tolerance Continues to Elevate
The number of drugs that you once were taking isn’t enough to get you high anymore so you continue to increase your dosage or have decided to add other substances to the mix to get the job done. You quickly develop a tolerance for that amount and soon begin to crave more.
10. You Want to Stop
Intuitively you know you have a problem, but you have no idea how to stop. Your entire life revolves around substance use and it is tearing you apart. You may have even tried to quit a time or two before but never quite made it to the other end.
No matter how low you are feeling right now, it is never too late to seek help for your drug addiction. There is nothing to be ashamed of as there are thousands of people in your same position who have taken a stand in their lives and have sought out help. There are several confidential rehabilitation programs and therapists put in place to help you regain control over your life and help you win the battle of addiction once and for all.
To learn more about drug addiction, please visit The Recovery Village website.