Recognizing an Addiction Problem

Identifying the signs of narcotic addiction isn’t difficult provided you know what to look for. Unfortunately, most people have no idea what those signs look like because they’ve never been around people suffering from addiction. First, you must know what addiction is as there are differences between substance use and substance abuse. The American Society of Addiction Medicine (ASAM) defines addiction as a chronic disease that affects areas of the brain’s reward, memory, and control functions. A person suffering from and addiction problem will crave a substance or have other habits that invade other areas of their life to a point that they cannot control the urges. They’ll often ignore other everything else in their life –– people, family, careers, friends and hobbies simply to seek out the opportunity to use substances. General signs of narcotic addiction are:

a lack of control, or inability to stay away from a substance or behavior
a reduction in their normal social activities, like abandoning commitments or ignoring relationships
ignoring risk factors, like sharing needles despite potential consequences
apathy or uncharacteristic behavior

These signs are usually related and they may be more evident or intense the longer the addiction has been going on. While a healthy person can usually identify a negative behavior and get rid of it, an addicted person cannot. This is one of the things an addict will tell you when confronted –– he simply cannot turn off the cravings on his own. Rather than admit the problem exists, they’ll find ways to justify and continue the behavior. Once they’ve reached this point, they’re likely deep in their addiction.

The Experimentation Phase

How does addiction begin? As our parents use to say, experimenting with gateway drugs can lead to addiction to more serious drugs. We dismissed this idea when we were teens but of course science has long proven this to be true. Smoking pot can lead someone to seek a greater high. Opiates are usually on that list and before long, a person is addicted without even knowing how it happened. Opiate addiction is one of the prevalent addiction problems around the world. Fortunately, there are some signs even in the early stages of the development of an addiction. Here’s what that might look like.

experimentation
a family history of addiction (people who have been around addicts tend to lessen their resistance to trying substances)
being particularly drawn to an activity or substance
intentionally seeking out situations where the substance or activity is present
instances of binging with little or no feelings of remorse afterwards

When it comes to common social behaviors like drinking or smoking, it might be difficult to determine if there’s an addiction problem. What looks like addiction could be an experimental phase or a form of stress management. But a real addiction, if left untreated, can develop into a debilitating habit or increased risk of illness. If parents are truly engaged in monitoring their children’s behavior, the signs of narcotic addiction should be easy to spot. If parents are disconnected or uninvolved in their children’s lives, it’s not uncommon for addicts to have hidden their addiction for many years. The same thing holds true for romantic partners or friends –– we often hear stories how friends and family were completely shocked to learn their loved one was addicted at all,

Changes in Behavior

After a person moves past experimenting or the early phase of addiction, they’ll likely exhibit major personality or behavior changes. These changes may be infrequent at first. Again, there are signs to look for:

a lack of interest in hobbies, the things or activities that used to be important them
they start neglecting relationships or acting out to the people those closest to them
missing important obligations like school, work, or social gatherings
they exhibit no fear towards taking risks, especially to get drugs or continue certain behaviors
although they suffer negative consequences (arrests, relationship failures), they do not seem troubled about the situation
you notice a serious change in sleeping patterns and/or they can’t seem to ever be energetic
they seem to be secretive, or they start making up fantastic stories about where they were or who they were with

You may notice that they start to seem withdrawn over time. People with an addiction tend to surround themselves with others who encourage their habits. When confronted, they may make excuses and try to justify their behavior to you.

Common Signs of Narcotic Addiction

Mood/Psychological symptoms:

Increased anxiety
Anxiety attacks when none existed before
Euphoria
Psychosis, at any level
Changes to self-esteem
Depression
Irritability or anxiousness
Lowered motivation

Behavioral symptoms:

When Opioids are used for longer or at a greater amount than intended
Unsuccessful attempts to reduce the amount taken
Large amount of time spent in search of the drug or using it, or recovering from instances of use of the drug
Abandonment of important activities

Physical symptoms:

Improved alertness
Increased sensitivity to sensory stimuli
Constricted blood vessels
Increased heart rate
High blood pressure
Increased energy
Decreased appetite
Increased sexual arousal
Physical agitation
Difficulty sleeping
Over arousal and hyper-vigilance

Signs and Symptoms of Substance Addiction

The signs and symptoms of substance abuse can be physical, behavioral, and psychological. One clear sign of addiction is not being able to stop using the substance. It is also not being able to stop yourself from using more than the recommended amount. With opiate addiction, there are some other things one can look for including:

poor coordination
drowsiness
shallow or slow breathing rate
nausea, vomiting
constipation
physical agitation
poor decision making
abandoning responsibilities
slurred speech
sleeping more or less than normal
mood swings
euphoria (feeling high)
irritability
depression
lowered motivation
anxiety attacks.

Whatever the Addiction, Seek Treatment

One of the worst things that can happen is denial among loved ones –– some loved ones simply can’t bring themselves to believe their loved one is addicted until something catastrophic happens. Too often, we hear stories of parents who have learned about their child’s addiction after they died from an overdose. In almost every case, the signs of narcotic addiction were there but were overlooked by the loved ones who were too wrapped up in their own world to even consider the possibility. Knowing how to talk about addiction is important, so do some research. Please, if you even suspect an addiction problem, seek help, even if it’s not from us.

If You Or Your Loved One Needs Help, Contact Us Now. We Accept Most Insurance Plans.

The first step toward recovery is recognizing that a problem exists. Whether the problem is with opioids or any other substances, a comprehensive addiction treatment program is the path to recovery. However, the addict must want treatment, While loved ones might push for treatment and the addict might even except treatment, it will not be successful if the addict does’t want treatment for himself.

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