Wednesday, April 24, 2024

How To Tell If You’re Addicted To Something

Finding Marijuana Addiction Treatment Near Me

How Do You Know If You’re Addicted to Something?

Yes, people do go to rehab for marijuana addiction. While many try to quit on their own, theyll likely replace marijuana with other substances like alcohol, for example. Instead, looking for an addiction treatment center that will treat marijuana use disorder at the source is usually the best option. These programs will incorporate different treatment services, including:

Medical Detox: In this clinically supervised detox process at the rehab center, we ensure the patients safety and make the withdrawal phase as comfortable as possible by minimizing withdrawal symptoms and using medication-assisted treatment services to guarantee a complete detoxification process.

Intensive Outpatient Programs: When patients are looking to seek addiction treatment while maintaining daily obligations like work, school, or caregiving, IOPs are a more flexible option that still gives people access to the help they need.

Group Therapy: Recovering addicts need to build a healthy support system that encourages their recovery and sobriety. Group therapy gives them a safe space to foster these relationships and continue working through their recovery after leaving inpatient treatment programs.

Long-term Recovery Programs: With long-term recovery assistance, patients can have the ongoing support they need to maintain long-lasting sobriety. Recovery programs are crucial to relapse prevention.

Lighthouse Editorial Team

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Avoiding Replacement Addictive Behaviors

Some people find that when they quit or change an addictive behavior, another comes along to replace it. Heavy drinkers and smokers often find themselves overeating and putting on weight. People struggling with sex addiction might find themselves obsessed with exercise.

Addictive behaviors have similar neurological and psychological processes and create rewarding feelings and sensations. So replacement addictive behaviors are common among those trying to overcome an addiction.

The trick to avoiding replacement addictions is to find satisfaction in the experiences of normal life. These experiences may lack the intensity and high of addictive behaviors, but getting to know and like them can introduce a new level of calm you may have never experienced before.

Many people feel they are more in touch with reality and that relationships are more authentic than when they were constantly seeking pleasure.

The other important aspect of avoiding replacement addictions is to address any underlying mental health problems. Addictions can cover up past trauma, or underlying feelings of emptiness, sadness, or fear. Psychological therapies, as well as medications, can provide long-term relief for these problems, which addictions tend to worsen over time.

Emerging Trends In Substance Misuse:

  • MethamphetamineIn 2019, NSDUH data show that approximately 2 million people used methamphetamine in the past year. Approximately 1 million people had a methamphetamine use disorder, which was higher than the percentage in 2016, but similar to the percentages in 2015 and 2018. The National Institute on Drug Abuse reports that overdose death rates involving methamphetamine have quadrupled from 2011 to 2017. Frequent meth use is associated with mood disturbances, hallucinations, and paranoia.
  • CocaineIn 2019, NSDUH data show an estimated 5.5 million people aged 12 or older were past users of cocaine, including about 778,000 users of crack. The CDC reports that overdose deaths involving have increased by one-third from 2016 to 2017. In the short term, cocaine use can result in increased blood pressure, restlessness, and irritability. In the long term, severe medical complications of cocaine use include heart attacks, seizures, and abdominal pain.
  • KratomIn 2019, NSDUH data show that about 825,000 people had used Kratom in the past month. Kratom is a tropical plant that grows naturally in Southeast Asia with leaves that can have psychotropic effects by affecting opioid brain receptors. It is currently unregulated and has risk of abuse and dependence. The National Institute on Drug Abuse reports that health effects of Kratom can include nausea, itching, seizures, and hallucinations.

Resources:

Also Check: What Are The Stages Of Addiction Recovery

You Keep Doing It Even Though There Are Clear Negative Consequences

Pursuing an addiction often means that normal warning signs, like detrimental consequences for other aspects of your life, don’t have the impact they would on more regulated behavior. The addicted brain can ignore or justify the severe problems an addiction is causing, in favor of continuing the addiction. If you’re still getting your fix of a substance even though you’re seeing it create clear issues elsewhere , you may have a problem.

Youre Willing To Take Risks And Make Unreasonable Sacrifices

How to Tell if You

Suddenly, your addiction is the only thing that matters, and youre willing to go to extreme lengths to fulfill it, even if those lengths are risky and unwarranted. The brains of those who struggle with drug abuse may be wired in a way that finds a good reason to take risks. A report published by Science Daily suggests why that might be the case.

People struggling with drug abuse have very strong motivation to seek out rewards,’ the report reads. They exhibit an impaired ability to adjust their behavior and are less fulfilled once they have achieved what they desire, which is why they tend to take risks that others may deem unnecessary and dangerous.

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Be Honest With Yourself

Step one of the 12 Steps Program of both Alcoholic Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous reads this way:

We admitted we were powerless over alcohol that our lives had become unmanageable.

In other words, admitting weakness over drugs or alcohol is the first step toward breaking the cycle of addiction. No one cares to admit complete defeat, as step one continues, but entering a 12-step program for drugs or alcohol gives feelings of guilt a different perspective.

Step one says Only through utter defeat are we able to take our first steps toward liberation and strength. Our admissions of personal powerlessness finally turn out to be firm bedrock upon which happy and purposeful lives may be built.

There is no benefit to denying a drug or alcohol addiction. You only risk prolonging the treatment you need. Because repeated drinking or drug use causes physical, mental and behavioral changes, especially when you try to stop, it can be difficult to hide these signs long-term from your loved ones.

Is Addiction A Disease

The American Society of Addiction Medicine defines addiction as a chronic disease. According to ASAM, it involves a complex interaction between genetics, the environment, brain circuits, and life experiences. While serious, addiction is also treatable.

The current edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders defines addictions to alcohol and drugs as psychiatric disorders, which are patterns of symptoms that result from substance use. These patterns persist despite negative consequences.

The DSM recognizes substance use disorder caused by ten classes of drugs, including alcohol, cannabis, hallucinogens, sedatives, and stimulants.

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How Can I Help Someone Through Withdrawal

Overcoming addiction can be hard. It is important to start the process in a safe and secure environment, such as at home, a detox facility or hospital. If you need to support someone through withdrawal, talk to a doctor , another health professional, or a drug and alcohol service before starting.

If you are helping someone with an addiction, encourage the person to exercise and eat healthy food. Distract them, reassure them and remind them why they want to quit.

Your Addiction Interferes With Your Life

12 Signs Someone Is Addicted to You

However, to drive the point home, lets take a look at how your addiction is likely interfering with your life.

Addictive substance abuse, as discussed, often leads to poor decisions. This could be calling into work or just skipping a shift entirely. It could also mean falling behind on bills, distancing yourself from friends, or allowing yourself to adopt an unhealthy lifestyle.

Even temporarily, these behaviors can be detrimental to your well-being. However, if continued for long periods of time, these behaviors could lead to unemployment, lost relationships, homelessness, and even serious health problems. The final and most permanent repercussion could be a fatal one.

Also Check: What Are The 4 Stages Of Addiction

Dealing With Guilt Vs Shame

In 2010, a TED Talk titled The Power of Vulnerability by Brené Brown went viral. Two years later, Brown was invited to do another TED Talk, this time about the unspoken epidemic of shame.

The thing to understand about shame is its not guilt, said Brown, now an acclaimed researcher, author and speaker. Shame is a focus on self, guilt is a focus on behavior. Shame is I am bad. Guilt is I did something bad.

Brown made another important distinction between guilt and shame as the emotions relate to addiction, violence, aggression and other behaviors. Society and social stigmas often contribute to the shame someone feels when they develop an addiction. Many people attribute addiction to a persons choices or lifestyle. So people experiencing an addiction often feel shame as theyve been told by others that they have a moral failing.Instead, Brown explains that we should focus on guilt rather than shame. Guilt gives a person struggling with drugs or alcohol a redemptive and adaptive quality. Guilt allows you to say, Im sorry. Shame is a feeling that something is wrong with you.

Through guilt, a person can change his or her behavior to match who they want to be.

The ability to hold something weve done or failed to do up against who we want to be is incredibly adaptive, said Brown. Its uncomfortable, but its adaptive.

If youre struggling with substance misuse, herere four empowering ways to tell someone about your active addiction.

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Next Steps Towards Recovery

Its important to have quick access to treatment. If you or someone you know has an addiction, call 1-800-622-4357 for free and confidential treatment referral and information from SAMHSA. You can also seek help from your doctor, local treatment center, or support group.

Addictions often affect many areas of a persons life. The most effective treatments are comprehensive. They often have several steps that vary from person to person. These steps can include detoxification, behavioral counseling, and long-term follow-up.

Here are some ways you can support a friend or family members recovery process:

  • Learn more about the substance or behavior dependency and the treatment.
  • Stay involved, like offering to go to meetings with them.
  • Provide a sober and trigger-free setting.
  • Speak up and express concern when there is a relapse.

While you can treat addiction, in most cases, someone with addiction must want to change for recovery to be successful.

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Poor Coping Skills For Stress

UMMAHSONIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT: How to Tell if Youâre Addicted to ...

Stress is an important risk factor in addiction. It is especially important in the transition from moderate drug use to dependent drug abuse.

Stress is a risk factor for a few reasons. First, the more stressed you are, the more you will want to escape or relax, and that is why people turn to drugs or alcohol. Second, when you are stressed, you tend to do what is familiar and wrong instead of what is new and right, therefore you are more likely to fall back to your old ways.

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Recognizing Signs Of Substance Use Disorders

Interestingly enough, its more common to recognize the signs of drug addiction in others. Even though addicts are experts at hiding their addiction, family members and friends can spot the general symptoms. Its mostly because they often develop behavior, moods, and personality that trigger the warning signs for most friends and family members.

Behavioral Changes:

  • Self-harm thoughts

Tips To Cope With An Addicts Manipulation

When you recognize that the addict in your life is manipulating you, its important to remember that you have every right to protect yourself from harm, physically, emotionally, and mentally. You are entitled to voice your own opinions and needs, and you deserve to be treated with respect. Although the person attempting to manipulate you will not like to hear these things, its essential that you start by setting boundaries.

You can still love your addicted friend or family member without sacrificing your own happiness or giving in to their manipulative ways. In fact, by standing up for yourself and refusing to be manipulated, you may even help them realize that they need to change and should seek help for their addiction.

Here are a few different ways you can immobilize the manipulation of an addict:

  • Clearly state your personal boundaries, such as, I will not give you money.
  • Communicate honestly with the person when you believe they are being disrespectful and let them know right away.
  • Remind yourself that you are not the problem and the addicted person needs to take responsibility for his or her own actions.
  • Keep a healthy distance and avoid engaging with the person if you can.
  • Prioritize self-care so you can be physically, emotionally, and spiritually well enough to face manipulative behaviors.
  • Remember that the addicted person is responsible for his or her own happiness, not you.
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    The Practicalities Of Recovery Are Intimidating

    They could also be afraid of getting help, Cofield says. Whether its outpatient or inpatient treatment, most addictions will require some form of therapy to work through. People struggling may be afraid of the unknown associated with seeking treatment. They could also be worried about how it might impact their lives in other ways as far as jobs, finances, living arrangements, etc.

    Get Help For Addiction

    Overcoming Addiction – The Root Cause Of Every Addiction

    If you or a loved one are experiencing any of the above symptoms, it may be time to seek professional treatment. We at FHE Health want to help you with anything you need. Speak to one of our experienced staff now at 596-3502 . Help is right around the corner, odds are, if you are asking if you are addicted, there may be a problem. Take your life back today.

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    How To Spot The Signs Of Food Addiction

    Being addicted to food is just as serious as any other addiction it’s just rarely taken as seriously.

    More From Good Housekeeping

    “Being a food addict isn’t very different from a normal person who overeats. The food environment we’re in today is actually pretty toxic,” says Vera Tarman, MD, MSc, FCFP, author of Food Junkies: The Truth About Food Addiction. “The food industry makes food intentionally addictive there are even some commercials that say ‘crave.’ So if a person can’t stop at one, it’s not because they’re a food addict it’s because they’re exposed to food that was made addictive.”

    And if addiction runs in the family, it could make someone even more susceptible to developing an addiction themselves.

    “There’s a subpopulation who gets that hook like everyone else, but then they’re vulnerable because of a previous addiction or genetics,” Dr. Tarman says. “It’s like an alcoholic who can’t put down a drink it’s similar with food. Once they get going, they can’t stop.”

    Dr. Tarman uses a series of questions to determine whether someone is addicted to food or not. Some examples are below, but it’s important to note that this is not a medical diagnosis. The questions merely reflect what’s commonly seen in cases of food addiction and help gauge the likelihood of addiction.

  • Do you crave and obsess over food, even when you’re not hungry?
  • Have you ever wanted to stop eating but you couldn’t?
  • Do you eat unrealistically large quantities of food at one time?
  • Questions To Ask Yourself About Your Substance Use

    There are signs that can help you determine if you are addicted to drugs or alcohol. Problems with relationships, your job or school, and even legal issues stemming from substance use can indicate that you have an addiction. If your life has been affected by substance abuse in the following ways, you may have an addiction:

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    Signs Someone Else Is Addicted:

    • Changes in personality and behavior like a lack of motivation, irritability, and agitation
    • Bloodshot eyes and frequent bloody noses
    • Shakes, tremors, or slurred speech
    • Change in their daily routines
    • Lack of concern for personal hygiene
    • Unusual need for money financial problems
    • Changes in friends and activities

    You Cant Seem To Stop Yourself

    Lying Through Addiction: How To Tell When Someone Is On Drugs

    The cardinal symptom of addiction,says Psychology Today,is the inability to limit use of a substance or activity beyond need leading to clinically significant impairment. Addiction is essentially an interference with your impulse control: even if you want to limit your own behavior, and try your best to stop yourself or put down limits, you cant seem to control yourself properly any more. The addiction is calling the shots, and negates your self-control.

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    You Take Risks And Make Disproportionate Sacrifices For It

    The increased capacity of the addicted brain to take risks to get a hit is one of the most studied bits of addiction a February 2016 study actually found that the structure of drug-addicted brains in particular become wired differently, making them much more likely to take incredible risks to reach their high or maintain a supply. The addicted brain has a much lower problem with risk than a normal one: it’ll convince you that it’s a good idea to steal a friend’s bottle of whisky, or nab $20 from your roommate’s purse or play poker online till 4 a.m. when you’ve got a job interview the next day.

    There’s another aspect to this risk-taking, too while under the influence of a high, addicts often have difficulty regulating other bits of their behavior, and do risky stuff like driving fast.

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