Drug addiction is the inability to control your use of drugs, whether they be legal or illegal. It is both a brain disease, involving the circuitry related to stress, rewards, and self-control, and a behavior disease — meaning that those who suffer from it continue to use the drug, despite the wreckage it causes in their lives.
By the time someone realizes they have a problem with drugs (and remember, alcohol is a drug) and tries to quit, they often discover they cannot quit everything entirely or, they cannot stop and stay stopped. Addiction has taken root of them physically, mentally and spiritually. They may be astonished to learn that they can no longer function without their drug.
Does this sound like you or someone you love? If you are wondering if you or a loved one might be addicted to drugs, keep reading. This article explains the signs of addiction.
Many of the physical signs of drug addiction will vary, depending on the drug being abused. Some of the signs are the same across the board. These include:
Withdrawal symptoms are also clear indicators of addiction. Withdrawal happens when an addict has developed a physical dependence on a drug, and has now cut back or out the drug. Withdrawal symptoms include headaches, fever, seizures, paranoia, hallucinations, depression, insomnia, fatigue, shaking, trembling, and loss of appetite. These symptoms manifest differently depending on the drugs abused, and detoxification should be monitored closely by medical professionals.
Drug abuse interferes with the normal functioning of the brain, and an individual’s cognitive strength gets compromised. The psychological/emotional signs of addiction include:
Drug abuse can cause wild and unhealthy behavior. Changes in behavior could include:
Addiction signs are numerous, and while they’re not limited to the ones mentioned above, this is a pretty complete picture of the signs of addiction. If you think that you or someone you love is addicted to drugs, please reach out. The caring team at Cornerstone Healing Center can help you find recovery and get back on the path to a healthy, happy life. Help is available — contact us today.