Homeless, Homeless man drug and alcohol addict sitting alone and depressed on the street leaning against a red brick building wall feeling anxious and lonely, social documentary concept

How do you know someone you love has an addiction? Drug addiction, also known as a substance use disorder, isn’t a condition that happens in one day or because of a few drinks. It typically builds over time as a person consistently uses substances. Understanding this disease is critical, but a formal diagnosis is necessary like all types of diseases. America’s Rehab Campuses can help you with that at any time.

What Is Drug Addiction?

Drug addiction is a disease that impacts the brain. It often leads to changes in behavior and an inability to control the use of prescription medications, illegal drugs, or alcohol. A person who has an addiction knows that their use is not safe but continues to use it despite the harm it could cause. A person with a drug addiction may want to stop using or may not realize they have an addiction.

Symptoms of Drug Addiction

Whether you are worried that you may be forming an addiction yourself or that your loved one is, consider the following common symptoms of drug addiction.

  • Feeling the need to use often, sometimes daily, or several times a day.
  • Failing to meet obligations at home or work or cutting back on activities that you used to enjoy.
  • Isolating from family and friends, often hiding when or how much you’re using.
  • Feeling intense urges about using, often making it hard for you to think about anything else.
  • Needing to use more of a drug than you did before to get the same type of feeling from it.

A person may have numerous behavioral changes when addiction forms. For example, they may spend money on drugs or alcohol even though they know they need to pay their rent or mortgage. They may go to work every day, but they do not perform the way they used to and, in some cases, may be using on the job. They may no longer take care of themselves, causing notable changes to hygiene. Some people will often engage in reckless behavior to get access to drugs or alcohol.

What Unhealthy Behaviors Is Your Loved One Engaging In?

One way to take a closer look at what is happening with your loved one is to consider what types of actions they are engaging in that could be related to their addiction:

  • Are they having problems at school or work, especially if this is something that’s new for them?
  • Do they have physical health issues, such as a local of motivation, no energy, weight gain or loss, or bloodshot eyes?
  • Are they struggling financially, such as asking for money often, or do you notice money missing from your home?
  • Are they taking care of themselves, such as wearing clean clothing and engaging in proper grooming?
  • Do you notice they are being secretive and no longer talking to you as they used to?

Consider Drug Dependence

Drug dependency is another layer of addiction. It occurs when a person’s body becomes so used to the substances that it seems that they need to use the substance in order to just function normally. When a person is dependent, that often means if they stop using drugs or alcohol, they experience intense withdrawal pains and cravings. These cravings and discomforts make it very hard for a person to stop using. They simply cannot do so without help.

How to Get Help

America’s Rehab Campuses provide a wide range of tools to help you or your loved one. The first step in the process is recognizing that it’s difficult to stop using without professional drug treatment if addiction is present. You may try to do so on your own, but it may be impossible to stop using without help.

Our team offers that help. When you reach out to us, we may recommend the use of a medical detox program designed to help your body work through and break dependence. From there, we may recommend inpatient drug treatment to help you in recovery from addiction.

Whatever you do, don’t ask, “Am I a drug addict?” any longer. Instead, get help so you can avoid having to face addiction and the long-term consequences that come from it. Reach out to America’s Rehab Campuses today.