Tag: Addiction

signs of addiction

Spot It Early: 9 Common Signs of Addiction You Need to Look out For

Almost ten percent of Americans have used some sort of illicit drug in the past month. Many of those people won't develop any signs of addiction.Typically, people start to use drugs on a recreational basis and over time move from only using in a social setting to using on their own. As time goes on and the disease of addiction progresses, they will begin to exhibit more signs and engage in riskier behavior.Fortunately, there are ways to catch addictions while they are forming. You can approach a loved one before their habit becomes a real problem, but only if you know what to look for. Learn more here. 1. An Increase of Stress and Feelings of Paranoia: Most people turn to drugs and alcohol at stressful times in their life. If you know someone who has a history of turning to substances when they are upset and you find out they are going through a stressful period, you may want to reach out to lend them support.If you reach out and you notice your friend responds with feelings of paranoia, they may be already headed towards developing an addiction. Talk to them about their recent drug and alcohol use. 2. Changes in Behavior: Depending on how often you are able to see your loved one, you will be able to notice changes in their behavior developing.They may start to miss work more, have problems in school, and not care about showing up at social engagements. They may also start to isolate themselves more so that they are able to make more time for using.Their conversations will become dominated by talk of drug and alcohol use. And, they will most likely fall on hard financial times and constantly need more money. 3. Cold or Flu-Like Symptoms: Cold or flu-like symptoms can develop due to long term use of many drugs including meth and opioids. For those who inject the drugs, they will often develop a cough and a runny nose as well as puffy eyes.If you notice that your loved one has some of these symptoms but they don't want to go to the doctor, it could be because they have something to hide. 4. Manipulative Behavior: Drug and alcohol addictions are expensive. Depending on how much access a drug user has to cash, they may frequently be in need of more money to feed their habit.When combined with the threat of withdrawal symptoms, many addicts will choose to steal or manipulate their loved ones in order to get the money they need. They will come up with lies and tell stories in order to borrow more cash. They may also steal valuables from their loved ones that they can sell later for cash. 5. Unexplained Disappearances: Unexplained disappearances are a common indicator of addiction. In order to become an addict, you have to dedicate a lot of time to it. The more time an addict spends high, the less comfortable they tend to feel around friends and family members that don't use.Over time, they may start disappearing for a few hours. After a while, it could become more frequent with disappearances that last for days or even weeks. 6. Dishonesty: If you are using drugs and alcohol frequently, there are very few people in the world who will allow you to openly continue to your behavior. Many addicts feel they have to lie in order to support their habit.If you notice that you keep catching your loved one in lies but aren't sure what's at the root of it all, you should consider whether they might be using drugs or alcohol. 7. The frequency of Use: As mentioned earlier, many people who abuse substances start off by having more control over their use. Over time, they begin to develop a tolerance that causes their body to feel like it needs more just to get high.The more you ingest, the higher your chance of getting addicted. Many addicts feel like they can quit any time they want. This should be a red flag about someone's use since if the problem is being talked about, they probably should have already stopped. 8. Discovery of Drug Paraphernalia: If someone is using drugs, you may not always find their stash. But, you can usually find some evidence of their use, such as drug paraphernalia.Make sure if you confront a loved one about what you have found, that you have all your facts straight before you make the accusation. Most addicts will deny any evidence they are confronted with. 9. Development of a Tolerance: If you have been using drugs and alcohol yourself and you're concerned that you may be pushing it too far, you should consider whether or not you have developed a tolerance to the substances.Tolerance is your body's way of telling you that it has made a permanent adjustment to craving that substance. It's a dangerous indicator of addiction. Other Signs of Addiction: If you have any of the signs of addiction on this list, then it may be time for you to consider a recovery facility. But there is one more major sign left to mention - continuing despite negative consequences.If using substances has been leading to problems in your relationships or finances, then you need to take the problem seriously and get help today. Learn more about rehab here. More Helpful Advice: Now that you know the signs of addiction, you can keep an eye on your loved ones to make sure they stay safe and healthy.For more health and fitness advice, check out our other posts today.Read Also:Famous Alcoholics And The Symptoms Of Their Addiction How To Know If You Have An Addiction: 7 Common Signs Not On The Straight And Narrow: 4 Telltale Signs Of Drug Use In Teens

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how to know if you have an addiction

How To Know If You Have An Addiction: 7 Common Signs

Dabbling in addictive substances is something, unfortunately, that many of us do. For reasons specific to each person, the way that those drugs affect us is always different. There are several aspects to hinter you how to know if you have an addiction in your body.Sometimes environmental factors contribute to our abuse, and sometimes biological differences make individuals have a harder time getting off of a substance. In any case, it's important to know when an issue is forming.How to know if you have an addictionIf you're wondering how to know if you have an addiction, we have some tips for you to look over. How to Know if You Have an Addiction: We'll go through some of the most common signs of addiction. Hopefully, our list will give you a better understanding of where you stand. 1. You Sacrifice for the Substance: One common sign of addiction is that the user will give up things they love to use. Things that you love could be a number of things, and a lot of those things will be mentioned later in the article.The point here, though, is that an addicted person will often put their drug of choice above things that they valued highly when they were sober. 2. You Haven't Been Able to Stop: Sure, it's really hard to stop something if you're addicted. Many people, however, don't take the time to stop because they aren't aware that they have a problem.If you've been using for a long period of time without stopping, why haven't you stopped? Have you been thinking about stopping but are yet to try?Give it a shot and see if you can stop using. 3. Dropping Responsibilities: If you have obligations to your job, family, and friends, beware if you start blowing them off to use.Addiction often leads a person to ignore essential responsibilities such as picking up a child from school. 4. You Have Withdrawals: If you have to stop using your drug of choice, you may notice that you have intense physical cravings. These may also lead to painful, agonizing withdrawals that only seem to stop if you use again.This is a good sign that you should seek help for your substance abuse because many people find that withdrawals are too painful to go through without help.It's essential to go through these to get clean, though. So, how long does a drug detox take? It depends on the drug, but you're going to feel a lot better when it's through. 5. You're in Financial Trouble: Another large red flag is that you have put aside your financial goals, bills, and normal spending habits to make way for your substance abuse.Depending on your circumstances, you may have enough money for this not to be an issue. Still, it is a slippery slope as you begin to use more and more. 6. Your Friends are Concerned: It often takes people a while to confront their friends about a substance problem. If your friends are reaching out to you and asking how you're doing, it's likely that they see a significant change in your behavior. 7. You Rationalize Your Use: Another common trait of someone who's addicted is that they make excuses for why they use or when they will quit.If your users weren't a problem, you would be able to put the substance aside immediately to take care of your responsibilities and reclaim your relationships. Think You Might Have an Addiction? If you're wondering how to know if you have an addiction, that may be a nominal sign that you should try to slow down and stop altogether. If our list has made you feel like you might have an addiction, we recommend that you contact help as soon as possible.Visit our site to learn more about how to get clean, live a healthy lifestyle, and more.Read Also:Cannabis Can Help In The Fight Against Drug Addiction Alcohol Abuse And Alcoholism: Signs, Symptoms And Who Is At Risk? Is Someone You Know Suffering From A Benzodiazepine Addiction? Here’s How To Know

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Best Rehabilitation Center

Addiction Treatment: 11 Tips to Find the Best Rehabilitation Center

When you're in the depths of an addiction or someone you love is, you don't know where to turn. It's a scary, confusing, dark, and overwhelming time for everyone involved.How do you get help? Where do you get help? Can you afford it? Those are all valid questions. Especially if you don't know if you can convince your loved one to go to rehab!All those factors can lead you down a road of what ifs, but there's only one what if that matters. What if you find the best rehabilitation center?Then things will start looking up. Get our guide on where to start and what questions to ask here. What Makes the Best Rehabilitation Center The Best? We can't give you one answer, or one center, that's definitively best. That's because the right rehabilitation center for your loved one isn't the same as the right one for someone else.Some people need a single-gender environment, some need more of a detox, and others need a holistic offering. We'll get more into what all that means and how to tell what they need below.Before we analyze them and their needs, don't take their opinion completely out of the picture. They may be on drugs, but they should get a say in their treatment (except, you know, the sobriety part). 1. Ask A Professional: If you think your loved one needs treatment for addiction, try to get them to a doctor or a professional. There the doctor can diagnose the specifics of the addiction.Maybe they'll run some vitals and decide that your loved one needs a more medically-oriented care setting. Or they can see patterns in their addiction, that the untrained eye can't.You can ask your doctor or professional for a recommendation of the best treatment center. If they don't know any specifics, ask them some of the following questions. 2. How Long of Treatment Do They Need? In theory, the only person who decides how long treatment takes is the addict. The classic programs last ninety days, which gives people time to reform their body, mind, and attitude.But some people can't afford a whole ninety-day stay or maybe their addiction isn't that developed. A thirty-day stay may be more appropriate for a budding addict.Ask your doctor their opinion on length, so you know what programs to look for.If you can't get the addict to a doctor and you've known them a while, think about how they learn and function. Has your addict done well in highly-structured environments?Or do they do better working at their own pace? Think back to school days and the challenges they had in that setting. This can tell you how long and arduous of a program they need. 3. What's The Treatment Approach? On that last note, there are as many types of treatment approaches as there are to teaching or parenting. That's to say, each person believes in a slightly different version than someone else.If you're the addict's mother or family member, this gives you good insight on the type of treatment approach they'll thrive under. Someone who's sensitive and needs coddling won't do well in an orders-barked center.However, someone who went to military school or likes the idea of having structure may like the rules-are-law approach. 4. Counseling Services: What kind of counseling services does the rehabilitation center offer? This, again, is all about the right fit for the addict in your life.In general, there are two types of behavioral therapy: cognitive (ct) and cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT).Cognitive only therapy (CT) is a theory from the 1960's that looks at how the patient interprets the situation. It's the more classic, lay on the couch and talk about what's bothering your type of therapy.Cognitive Behavioral Therapy is different, but only slightly. CBT therapists look at how behaviors and perceptions work together to create interpretations.CBT usually uses more hands-on approaches, if the situation calls for it, like the empty chair technique.They may not get into the specifics of this on their website, so if you care, call and ask. Most therapists use a mix of both theories, while others use different ones altogether.An up and coming method is called kinetic therapy, where the professional urges the client to connect feelings in their mind to parts of their body.If the addict has had luck with therapy before, even if it's not addiction related, this can help you choose the path that's right for them. 5. Medical Comforts: We all know that apart from the emotional turmoil of addiction, the hardest part is the detox. Detoxification symptoms differ by substance.For opioids and painkillers, the addict can feel like they have the flu for five to seven days, fevers and all.For Benzodiazepines such as Xanax, seizures and an increase in anxiety attacks are common.Cocaine withdrawal looks like depression and restlessness, while alcohol withdrawal symptoms include seizures or tremors.The effects of benzos and alcohol can last for weeks, if not months.That said, you may want to choose a rehabilitation center that offers symptom relief. Having a doctor on-site to prescribe non-psychoactive drugs can help ease the detox process.You need to ask this before-hand. Some centers believe in a completely drug-free approach. 6. Residential or Outpatient care: Whether or not your addict needs to be on site all the time is up to them you and your budget.Residential programs are the most expensive since they have to provide things like meals and housing. However, they're also the most full-service and some think the best for advanced addicts.Other things to take into consideration about residential care is the types of patients. Do they only take opioid patients or do they mix people with different addictions?This is another personal preference area. Some people believe that the similarity of the experience leads to a better rehab, while others believe that addicts of the same kind egg each other on.There's no right or wrong answer. 7. Budget: A lot of the time, when you see rehabilitation centers advertised, they say things like "luxury" and "all inclusive". These are centers that charge an arm and a leg - that have money left over for marketing.Their calls of luxury don't mean their the best. They could be, but they could also spend all their money on the amenities and not pay or pick high-quality staff.You want to find rehab centers that have a balance of both. Obviously, you don't want your addict in a falling-apart facility, but is a waterfall in their room really going to aid recovery?Don't over-spend or over-shoot your budget because one looks fancier than the other. A grand pool or beautiful location won't heal your loved one any quicker. 8. Co-Occurring Disorders: The statistics and correlation between people with addiction issues and people with mental illness are staggering. Approx 7.9 million adults in the united states suffer from substance abuse with a co-occurring illness.We call this a "co-occurring" disorder and most drug treatments won't work unless you also treat the other issue. Someone may do a lot of cocaine because they're depressed and cocaine gives them energy.If you take the cocaine away from them, but they don't address the depression, they're going to turn back to cocaine for energy.Find a center that treats co-occurring disorders along with addictions. This combination gives your loved one a better shot at lasting recovery. 9. Visitation Policies: When you pick a center for your loved one, will they allow you to visit them? Some centers believe in isolation from outside sources.Others don't. Figure out which situation will be best for your addict - and your own sanity as someone as that loves them. 10. Financing Options: Does your rehabilitation center offer a payment plan? Most do these days, but some will ask for half or a deposit up front. You know your finances and there's only so much you can do.Most insurance carriers don't cover rehab, but it's worth a call to see if they'll cover a percentage. 11. Ask the Addict: If you've gotten the addict to agree to rehab, good for you and for them! The biggest success factor in rehab situations is whether or not the addict wants to recover.Ask them what kind of treatment center they see themselves in. It'll give you an idea of what to look for. Rehab Centers: Finding The Right One: Did you know that you can tour some rehabilitation centers before you commit to one? The tours may be short or only show you a bit of the facility to protect patient privacy.At the very least, the best rehabilitation centers should offer a consultation with a therapist or an intake specialist. There you can ask them the questions we talked about in this list and any others burning on your mind.We hope you've gotten some good information out of this eleven part guide and that you'll trust us for more advice in the future.Read Also:5 Reasons Why It’s Not Too Late To Get Help Is A Loved One Addicted To Opiates? Here Are Common Signs Of Opiate Use

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