Denying addiction is part of the problem. Eventually, you are so far down the rabbit hole that it’s too late. So how can you spot the signs before you get so far down the rabbit hole that it’s impossible to climb back up again?
In this quick piece, I’m going to give you 10 ways you can spot if you are addicted to anything, and that it’s getting more chronic.
It’s obviously not scientific, but it’s based on my experience. You’ll need honesty, and you’ll have to monitor your doses, frequency of doses, and how you feel on the other side over several weeks to see if things are just getting worse.
1. You keep pretending you still have a health problem when you don’t
Getting addicted to prescription meds can be a real problem. People won’t admit it, and can even convince their doctor they are still unwell in order to keep getting the drugs. They can even convince themselves they are still in need of them when they are not.
If your doctor is telling you that you are getting better, and your body/mind is telling you are getting better, yet you still keep telling yourself you are not, then it could be related to addiction. Of course, you might still be unwell, but take a step back and look if there is a possibility that you just keep wanting the drugs.
2. You need more and more to get the same feelings you use to
Whatever you are into that first time can often be the best. The times after that are great as well. If you are a few weeks or months down the line and you are taking significantly more than you were to chase the same high, and you simply aren’t getting the same feelings, then you could be building up a tolerance.
Tolerance is where you need more and more of a substance to get the same hit. It’s a mix of your body getting used to the drug you are taking, and also it’s the dopamine spike diminishing as your body cuts back on its production.
If you feel this is happening to you, then you really need to address the problem because building tolerance means that your habit could be spiraling out of control.
3. You feel worse and worse whenever you are on the comedown
Initially, things will be too bad on the other side of the experience. But the more you do it, the worse it gets.
You’ll feel stranger every single time you come down. Worse sweats, worse headaches, tired, with a lack of hunger. You can be confused, shivering when you are sweating, and unable to regulate your body temperature.
Whatever the symptoms on the comedown, if they are getting worse (keeping a diary is good at this point or filming yourself and talking about it), then it’s a sign that you are taking bigger doses more frequently, and your body is struggling more.
4. You can’t stop thinking about the drug
You find yourself spending more and more time thinking about the drug you are getting addicted to. Thoughts will start to intrude into every part of your life. You’ll think about how it feels, and how you can get more. When can you get the time to enjoy it soon?
You’ll also consider how much you can buy, and when. You will think about your finances and how much you can spare, and then a little more.
You will also spend more time thinking about how bad it is and how you feel afterward. Deep down you know it’s becoming a problem, and you can’t stop thinking about the good and the bad.
5. You keep smashing your self-imposed limits
If you find you are taking more and more drugs when you said you wouldn’t. That’s a big warning sign.
Also, he said you would only take them every now and again just to feel good and have fun, but now it’s happening more frequently. What started off as a rare treat has crept into more and more frequent use.
It could also be monetary limits getting smashed. You could have set an amount in mind you can spend each week or month, and that’s now been ignored as well. Lack of money is a huge sign of dependence building.
6. You’ve lost interest in the things you like to do
You will find you start to lose interest in things you used to enjoy doing, and also the people that you used to hang around with, who weren’t into drugs.
Everything will now be about the drugs and the people you take them with, or the people you hang around with in this situation is where you take end up taking them.
Your passion for everything normal in your life will diminish in importance. Sports, friends, children, partners, hobbies, parents, it will all start to seem less important and fade into the background and be replaced by a focus on drugs.
7. Completing daily tasks and responsibilities are getting tougher
Maybe you’ve started to find it harder to go to work or focus while you are there. It’s very common that work just becomes something in your mind that blocks you from getting close to drugs as quickly as possible.
You may find that you literally drift through your days without really achieving anything, maybe starting to pick up warnings at work as well.
Outside of work, the family could become less important to you. People could pick up on that and there could be more arguments and more accusations.
You may find that stuff like the washing and household chores are mounting up. You are always struggling for plates and cups because they are always laying around and washed. Basically, your domestic situation is beginning to be hand-to-mouth and deteriorating.
8. You start taking risks while under the influence of drugs or alcohol
Whether it’s one drug, alcohol, many drugs, or a combination, you will find more and more at times that you are taking risks while using them.
It could mean you are driving under the influence for example. Or you could be looking after children, or going to work. Basically, the boundaries between right and wrong, good and bad, and different parts of your life are blurring due to your desire to take what you need. Not to mention you can lose your job due to drug testing at work (to learn how to pass a urine test, click here).
Those risks can also extend your relationship. Risky behavior with other people, such as unprotected sex behind your partner’s back. Behaviors which are just not you, but are obviously risky to your happiness.
9. You start to lose control of your finances
You will start to fall behind on your bills. This will happen more and more frequently as you are buying drugs rather than paying the bills. A key symptom of drug use is struggling financially.
Drugs will be more important than food and clothing as well. This can be for you and other members of your family. Making it the spiraling problem that affects everyone around you.
You could also end up borrowing money from people and not paying them back. Deep down you may know that you never will, even if you try and convince yourself that you will. You may feel you have no pride left.
When you are in deep you will shamelessly come back to those people to beg for more money, lying through your teeth with any reason you can come up with to try and get as much out of them as possible, even if they are in need of the money themselves. Your scruples and morals will be going completely out of the window.
You could even start stealing money. Or stealing things to sell to get money for drugs. At the very least you could start selling your possessions to get money for drugs.
10. People will say you have changed
If you have any sort of normal lifestyle and aren’t just surrounded by people in the drugs scene, then people start to notice the changes in you.
The subversion, and anger, your actions, the selfishness, they will notice and comment. Your response will be anger and denial, and in your head you will tell yourself that they are the problem and not you.
You will start to shun the people who challenge you about the changes to surround yourself with people who instead enable the drugtaking.
Deep down you will know that you are changing. You are living more and more for the drugs. But not just for the drugs, but you are starting to submerge yourself in the culture and the people as well. You will find that you are living more for drugs and the people who take them, and supply them, than for the people you care for.
When that happens alongside ruthless use of money that is needed elsewhere, then you will undeniably know that you have significant drug addiction that is going to completely sink you unless you stop and change direction.
