Recognizing the Signs of Addiction
Understanding the Behaviors and Symptoms of Addiction
Often those in active addiction are not going to be open with many in their lives about them being at the point of full active addiction. Many will downplay any substance misuse as still being recreational or hide the usage altogether. This makes it very difficult for those who love the person to know where they are at with addiction and to provide the support needed. And this applies to any substance misuse, whether it be opioid addiction or any other substance. Earlier on in addiction, this is especially true as often the person suffering from addiction is not at such an obvious point that the average person will be able to pick up on the signs of the addiction. Always if you are curious about another person who may be struggling with addiction, it is important to reach out to a professional. As much as this blog is here to provide you with information, every case is unique and should be assisted by a trained individual in the addiction medicine field. If you are concerned about a loved one who may be suffering from opioid addiction, please Contact Us at Recover Clarity and we can help you understand a little better and provide some resources.
Addiction is not something that happens overnight as many may think. Often there is a gradual build-up towards full active addiction. There are times though that addiction can happen rather quickly in as little as a couple weeks, this all depends on the quantity of substance(s) and frequency of which they are taken. Everyone will start with lower quantities as tolerances are built over time for most substances. As tolerances increase then the quantity needs to increase as well as the frequency of usage will as well increase. With opioid addiction often individuals start with a medication that was prescribed by a medical provider. When looking at addiction two important concepts need to be understood, which is the difference between psychological addiction and physical dependence.
Both physical dependence and psychological addiction will play a role with each other in the overall picture of addiction. There are some substances that do not have a true physical dependence, per se, as with some substances like alcohol, benzodiazepines, and opioids or opiates. All the previously mentioned substances have a physical dependence once becoming addicted and have severe withdrawal symptoms, but other substances such as cannabis (marijuana) or psilocybin (magic mushrooms), which do not have any physical withdrawal symptoms associated with addiction, outside of the psychological aspects. There may be some minor physical dependence on any substance, often not truly enough to drive the addiction despite many other glaring problems with continued usage.
Psychological Aspects of Addiction
Psychological addiction is usually the first step in addiction, then followed by physical dependence. These two are combined overall when we are looking at Substance Use Disorders, which is the classification that addiction falls into. Both psychological addiction and physical dependence relate to the signs that a person needs to recognize to understand a loved one is suffering from addiction. Psychological addiction is classified as a brain disorder as this type of addiction is due to adaptations in the person’s mental functioning. These are due to changes in complex networks of the brain which change the way our belief structures are, coping skills, interests, and anxieties, among others. One way to know that someone is beyond that of recreational substance usage is that they continue to use a substance despite disturbances in any or all areas of their social life, occupational life (which includes financial responsibility), and/or scholastic (school) life.
There are many signs of psychological addiction, some of which may be hard for outsiders to notice but are important for you to be aware of. The signs mentioned here are only part of the list and in no particular order, as well as these are only some of the major signs. First, the person will have the belief that they need the substance(s) to function. This is different from alleviating withdrawal effects, but as to function in life, such as a coping mechanism or to give them energy or drive. Second, is if the person denies they have a problem despite having difficulties in other areas of life, such as with educational endeavors, employment, financials, or social changes in life. Third, they experience anxiety when having thoughts about ceasing their substance usage. Next, a lack of interest in activities they previously enjoyed. This often can be more commonly seen by others in their life, such as a person withdrawing from their normal hobbies, activities, or social engagements. A fifth sign is the person will obsessively think about the substance(s).
Identifying Substance Use Disorders
As previously mentioned, there are both psychological and physical factors that play a role in addiction, which can assist in identifying if a person has a Substance Use Disorder. Again, it is important to seek professional assistance with any concerns. But to help identify if your loved one is having issues with substance misuse or addiction, here are some identifiers you can start to pay attention to. Please take these as only some guidelines to provide a base level of information. To best assist, please contact a professional to assist you in your understanding or to have a talk with the person you are trying to assist. Many factors are used to identify substance misuse as well as understand the underlying issues or concerns of the individual. Any diagnosis is not feasible from third-party accounts, but professionals can assist in guiding you to a more in-depth understanding of the situation.
One of the easiest to notice is signs of intoxication. An individual who is intoxicated on any substance, especially to a high dosage for their tolerance level, is often easily noticed by others. This is the first sign especially if you are seeing this on a more consistent basis. There are other physical signs which can be different for varying substances. Track marks on a person’s arms or hands are an indicator of intravenous substance usage, typically that of opioids, methamphetamines, and/or cocaine. However, not everyone will use intravenous substances in their arms and may use more discrete locations such as between their toes or other locations. At first intravenous usage may be a little harder to detect, but as time goes on those injection sites will be more noticeable often causing infections, scaring, and collapsing veins. Another potential sign of intravenous usage is the individual wearing clothing that is not appropriate for the weather, such as sweatshirts on warm days, which can be a sign of trying to cover their intravenous track marks.
Another physical indication of substance misuse can be a drastic change in the loss or gain of weight. Most substances will cause a decrease in weight, besides alcohol and cannabis which can cause an increase in weight. Many individuals misusing opioids/opiates, methamphetamines, and cocaine will see decreases in their weight and often at a drastic change once they are physically dependent on the substances. This drastic weight loss is usually noticeable even in their faces, which will appear to be sunken in due to such a change in their physiology. Other physical signs may appear that can be substance-specific, such as the usage of crack cocaine can cause a yellowing of the sclera of the eye. Methamphetamines often cause the sensation of bugs under their skin, called formication. This causes the person to pick at their skin and their ability to heal and other skin-related issues will be usually easily noticed, especially having open wounds due to this picking.
Other signs of substance use disorders are negative changes in the person’s life. Often, they will withdraw from their previously desired social events. Their friend groups will at times change to more association with individuals who are using the same substance(s) as them. The person will lose interest in prior social activities and avoid others attempting to hide their addiction from those who are sober. Declines in their employment are common due to decreased work performance, attendance problems, or losing a job due to failed drug testing. During these times the person with addiction will likely start asking to “borrow” money for a variety of reasons, turn to selling substances to support their habit, or commit crimes to gain finances or items to trade for the purchase of substances. The same with occupational (financial) and social changes, if the individual is attending any type of education often, they may stop attending or have a drastic decrease in their performance.
If you have a loved one who is suffering from addiction, please reach out to us at Recover Clarity. You can learn more about what is offered here at Recover Clarity on this website, including but not limited to, the pages on About Recover Clarity. Also, learn about the Advantages of Telehealth and about Online Suboxone Doctors and how this is an easy treatment option that removes many barriers for those suffering from opioid addiction. As Recover Clarity does want to help anyone suffering from Opioid Use Disorder, the level of treatment here is not appropriate for everyone. At times in-patient treatment or intensive outpatient treatment programs are needed at the beginning of a person’s journey to recovery. Recover Clarity does have referral resources for other levels of treatment and will only assist patients with the level of care that is needed for them at their stage in their life, as the purpose is to help people, not just increase patient counts.