Addiction is something that impacts almost every person at some point in their life. Whether this is being an addict or associating with one, addiction can have very negative consequences on the addict’s life and the people who associate with the addict. Identifying an addiction can be very difficult as many people tend to keep their addiction a secret because they are ashamed. The following are the signs to watch out for if you suspect a friend or family member is suffering from addiction. The best thing that you can do is be observant of the signs as the addict will try to hide them the best that they can.
Behavior Changes
Many times when a person is addicted to something, the world around them seems to become smaller. The addiction takes over their life to the point that the person will give up doing a once loved activity in order to have more time to feed their addiction. The loss of these loved activities can lead addicts to become depressed and lose interest in other passions. This depression often times leads the person into a deeper addiction because the addict is trying to cope with the depression.
Trouble At Work
Many times people have professional problems from addiction as their work suffers. This could be showing up late or taking long breaks in order to feed their addiction. Other signs are sleeping at work or missing deadlines frequently when previously this wasn’t an issue the addict had.
Legal Trouble
Many times addictions can lead to legal trouble in different scenarios. For example, an alcoholic might receive a DUI and be arrested since they cannot stop drinking even when they know they are going to drive. Legal trouble can also happen if a person is doing illegal things to feed their addiction such as stealing or selling illegal substances. This is the main way that an addict can have a black mark on their record for the rest of their lives so it is important to try to identify the addiction before legal troubles ensue.
Physical Changes
This is not always the case with addicts but there are certain addictions that can cause immense changes in a person physically. This could be the way they dress or even the way that they groom themselves. Addicts can stop taking showers or doing regular things as the addiction consumes them. Rapid weight loss can also be another indicator of a drug addiction. There are drugs that are stimulants that cause the addict to stay up for days without becoming hungry. Once the drug has worn off, watch for the addict to consume large quantities of food as they have been fasting because of the drug for days.
Everything Seems To Be a Secret
Many addicts are ashamed of their addiction and might feed their addiction in secret. The telltale sign of this is someone who used to be open about everything that suddenly shuts everyone out. It is difficult to spot in teenagers because many teenagers have a secretive nature about themselves regardless if they are suffering from addiction or not. This can be the most difficult sign to spot and address as the person wants to keep their addiction quiet. The addict might deny any problem if confronted with their addiction as they have negative feelings about being an addict.
Making sure to watch out for these signs can be the difference between life and death for some addicts. Spotting an addiction early is also a great way to halt the negative impacts of the addiction before irreparable damage to the person’s life has been done. Having support for an addict is important as quick judgements can lead to the addict avoiding you for the negative feelings that they think you have for them. Spotting an addiction is a first step in helping an addict and can lead them on a road to an addiction free life.
