A Substance? An Activity? 10 Signs of Addiction Say You’re Hooked

Addiction-TreatmentHere you are, up at 3 a.m. indulging your secret pal – buying one more shirt on QVC (such a great price!); smoking a couple of joints or cigarettes, just enough to get you through the night; checking your Facebook one more time because who knows when something really important will be posted; plumping up a vein or downing just a couple of drinks to keep the itching need at bay. Are you addicted? If you’re asking the question, if you’re reading this blog post, if these signs of addiction hit home, chances are good you are.

Signs of Addiction

  1. I can’t stop. Maybe you’ve tried stopping before, maybe you’ve tried and failed several times. Cold turkey, you think, and find you can’t think of anything but your addiction. Maybe you have tried to cut back gradually. Both approaches have benefits. If you quit cold, the phase when you really, really crave your addiction will be shorter (this approach works best if there is a substitute to ease the physical transition, like a smoker’s patch). The gradual approach gives you time to adjust your mind and body; the proviso is that if you drag out the process the odds are that something will add stress to your life and you may relapse.
  2. I suffer when I try to stop. If you are addicted to a substance, you’re probably familiar with the discomfort that comes when you try to quit – racing heartbeat, sweating, nausea, shaking, trouble breathing, tight muscles, headaches, insomnia. If your addiction isn’t physical, you may experience depression, inability to focus, anxiety, and irritability.
  3. I know it’s hurting me, but I keep on. It may be illogical to keep doing something you know is harming you, but addiction doesn’t respond to rationality. It distracts you with temporary pleasure, confuses you with muddled thinking.
  4. I make sure to have access, always. Do you take your phone to bed with you to make sure you don’t miss a tweet or an email? Do you hide bottles or candy bars or pornography so it’s always at hand?Do you engage in risky behavior to ensure your addiction is available to you?
  5. I’m having money troubles as a result. Gambling and shopping addictions are obvious culprits, but drugs and alcohol can stretch a budget, as well. If your addiction affects your performance at work, you may find yourself without income and an addiction that won’t quit.
  6. I don’t believe I have a problem. If people in your life repeatedly question your behavior, they may know more than you do about what’s going on. Addiction doesn’t like to be seen, particularly by the one person who can do something about it – you. Hiding signs of addiction from yourself usually works — hiding them from others, doesn’t.
  7. I prefer my addiction to my friends and family. Bunch of nags. They’re always looking at you that way when you try to indulge in their presence. They’d rather do something that makes your addiction impossible, so why waste time with them?
  8. It affects the rest of my life. Trouble sleeping, increased or decreased appetite, problems at work, fights and personality changes are all signs of addiction. You may lose interest in your appearance, forget important information, fidget and pace. Try as hard as you do to keep it contained, addiction works its way into every aspect of your life.
  9. I need more just to feel the same. The draw of addiction grows over time. The amount that used to satisfy you now just gets you started. One more drink, or two. Another piece of pie followed by some chips. You limit yourself to 15 cigarettes a day, until it becomes 20.
  10. I need it to get through my problems. Trouble comes to each of us, increasing streaddiction-treatmentss and unhappiness. Some people turn to friends to help, some go to church, and some take a run. You turn to your addiction. Even if the addiction is the source of your problems, it looks a lot like the solution when you’re stressed out.

These signs of addiction are not just “indications you may have a problem,” they are red-flags that you have a serious problem. It’s not a problem you can solve on your own. With the help of friends, family, and, especially, a substance abuse counselor, you can erase these signs of addiction from your life for good.

David Shanks, LCSW is a therapist in Carrboro/Chapel Hill

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