It seems like everyone drinks. Most people seem to have a medical marijuana card or smoke weed without one. A lot of people are using too many of their prescription painkillers or benzos or stimulants. Maybe heroin or cocaine use aren’t as common, but wherever you look, you might get the impression that people are using all kinds of substances and doing just fine. So why should you worry about your own substance use?
The lecture you might have gotten as a child applies here, too: Just because everyone is doing it doesn’t mean you should. We would add: Just because people who misuse alcohol and drugs seem fine doesn’t mean they are.
Chances are that if you suspect you or a loved one is becoming addicted to your substance/s of choice, you probably are. But that quiet voice inside that questions your behavior is an easy one to ignore, at least for a while. Sooner or later, though, the consequences of addiction will pile up, and you may find yourself wondering why your job, your relationships, and getting out of bed every day seem so hard.
How can you know if you or someone you love is heading toward or suffering from addiction? One sure way to find out is to try to stop using the substance/s you’ve been using. Does stopping use make you feel sick, angry, and afraid? Do you have such strong cravings to feel “normal” again that you start using soon after you quit?
Tolerance and Dependence
How quickly you can become addicted to a substance depends on the substance, how much you use, how long you’ve been using, your personal risk factors, and more. But the general rule is that the more and longer you use a substance, the higher the amount you’ll need to use to feel what you want to feel (high, euphoric, numb, relaxed, etc.). This is called tolerance.
As your tolerance develops, you’ll be using more of the substance, which increases the chances of becoming dependent on it. You’ll know your body has come to need the substance when you get withdrawal symptoms anytime you stop using. Withdrawal symptoms vary by drug but typically include:
- Sweating and/or chills
- Headaches
- Stomach problems, including cramping, nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea
- Loss of appetite
- Insomnia or increased fatigue
- Rapid heart rate and palpitations
These symptoms are your body’s way of telling you that it relies on the drug in order to function. Once this dependence develops, addiction often follows.
Addiction
The simple definition of addiction set forth by the American Society of Addiction Medicine is this: “Addiction is a treatable, chronic medical disease involving complex interactions among brain circuits, genetics, the environment, and an individual’s life experiences. People with addiction use substances or engage in behaviors that become compulsive and often continue despite harmful consequences.”
The key phrase that separates dependence from addiction is in the second sentence: “…and often continue despite harmful consequences.”
When you have developed an addiction, not only is your body dependent on the drug, but you develop a psychological dependence as well. You know the substance is harming you and your life and you want to quit using, but you find yourself unable to do so.
Signs of Addiction
If you worry that you’re developing an unhealthy reliance on substances that might become an addiction, give your honest answer to the following questions:
- Do you use the substance regularly (daily, or several times a day)?
- Do your cravings to use the substance block out other thoughts?
- Are you using more of the substance than you used to, to get the same effect?
- Do you regularly take larger amounts of the substance over a longer period of time than you intended?
- Do you spend a lot of energy and money making sure that you maintain a supply of the substance?
- Are you spending money on the substance that you can’t afford to spend right now?
- Are you falling short of meeting your obligations at work or at home? Are you avoiding social or recreational activities you used to enjoy because of substance use?
- Do you keep using the substance even though you know it’s causing problems in your life and in your health?
- Are you doing things to get the substance that you wouldn’t normally do, such as stealing?
- Are you driving or doing other risky activities when you’re under the influence?
- Do you spend much of your time using the substance and then recovering from its effects?
- Have you tried and failed to stop using the substance?
- Do you experience withdrawal symptoms when you stop using the substance?
If it’s your loved one’s substance use that concerns you, you can still use these questions to assess the level of their addiction and initiate a conversation about your concern.
Getting Help
If you believe you or a loved one is suffering from dependence or addiction, it’s never too late to get help. Addiction is not curable, but it can be successfully treated, and long-term recovery is possible. Treatment generally involves medical detox, in which doctors and nurses keep you safe and as comfortable as possible as you withdraw from the substance, followed by residential or intensive outpatient care to explore the roots of your substance use and develop strategies to avoid relapse.
Because addiction is often accompanied by a mental health disorder, our team at Northern Path will do a thorough biopsychosocial assessment to determine your risk factors, diagnose any underlying mental health complications, and prescribe non-addictive medications as needed to help support your healing journey.
Northern Path Recovery Center is here for you and eager to help you or your loved one regain your health and well-being. Contact our team in Fort Wayne, IN, to learn more.
