Falling into addiction happens quickly and not everyone is able to stop it before it becomes a problem. More than 23 million Americans over the age of 12 suffer from drug abuse. Someone may fall into drug abuse due to several different life circumstances.
Some use drugs to numb the pain, either mental or physical. Some took a drug in a social setting and were lead down a path of addiction. Drug addiction can happen due to many different reasons, but what’s most important is that you seek help when it’s needed.
How do you know when it’s time to go to rehab? The professionals at a rehab center know how to wean you away from your addiction in a healthy way. They’ll work with you each day to ensure your addiction no longer rules your life.
Continue reading below to learn if it’s time to find professional help for yourself.
It’s time to seek this type of professional care when…
1. It’s Not a Social Habit but a Way of Life
It’s not uncommon for people to dabble in some type of drug use during social settings. Maybe you tried a drug for the first time at a party, a local bar or club, or while just hanging out with friends. You tried the drug while out, but then come home and live your normal life.
You don’t think about doing drugs again until you’re in another social setting where the drug is readily available to you. When does this change, however? You’re now sitting at home alone taking drugs.
You no longer need to be around friends. You’ve found a way to get in possession of the drug yourself, and it’s now become a way of life rather than a social habit. It’s time to get help.
2. It’s Become Your Escape
There’s no way to know why each and every person, who’s addicted to drugs, is addicted. There’s no way to know what caused them to start taking the drug in the first place, but when it becomes an escape for you, you need to be aware.
If you’re using a drug to numb yourself of mental pain or suffering, you’re not alone, but it’s also not healthy. For many people, drugs are a way to cure themselves of depression, anxiety, and many other things. It’s a fix, but a temporary one.
The high of the drug will only last for so long before you then feel it ware off and have to take more of the drug to get you back to a high. If this is a cycle that you find yourself in, then it’s time to find a drug rehabilitation center.
3. Quitting on Your Own Leads to Withdrawals
If you’ve ever felt like you needed to cut back on a drug you’re taking but had a hard time doing so, then this is a sign that you may have an addiction. If your body isn’t addicted to a drug, then you should be able to stop taking it without withdrawal symptoms.
When trying to quit on your own leads to withdrawals, then it’s best to leave the process to a professional who can help you quit in a healthy way. The types of symptoms that you might have are based on a few different things, such as the type of drug you’re taking, how long you’ve been taking it, and how your body naturally reacts to it.
Some might experience vomiting, headaches, other body aches, depression, and plenty of other symptoms as well. If you’ve experienced these symptoms, then you should seek professional help.
4. Friends and Family Have Concerns
The world of an addict can look a lot different in their eyes as it does in someone else’s. You might have a drug abuse problem and not even recognize it. Maybe you’ve fallen into a depression and tend to distance yourself from everyone around you.
Your living conditions and daily habits might be affected as well. These changes aren’ always ones that you can see for yourself. Instead, friends and family might be the first ones to notice a change in your behavior, living conditions, daily habits, or something else.
When friends and family voice their concerns to you, don’t take it negatively. Take it as an opportunity to get help.
5. It’s Caused Health Problems
There’s no debate about excessive drug use causing health problems. If you’ve been using drugs for an extended period of time and have noticed new health issues, then it’s most likely from the drugs. Drug use, including alcohol, can cause heart trouble, cancer, liver issues, and more.
Drugs can also have a negative effect on your mental health as well, causing anxiety, dementia, and depression. Noticing more issues with your health than normal should signal you to see your doctor and then speak with him or her about your drug use.
6. It’s Caused Physical Injuries
Drug abuse affects addicts in several ways, and one of those ways is physical injuries. When you’re constantly under the influence of a drug, you don’t have complete control over your body. The drugs take over and you might feel dizzy, or even blackout from time to time.
Trying to operate as you would during a normal day is much harder when you’re under the influence. This can lead to physical injuries to yourself due to tripping, stumbling, losing your balance, feeling dizzy, and more. If you’re constantly injuring yourself, then you need to speak with a professional about your drug use.
7. It’s Caused Memory Loss on a Consistent Basis
How often do you have trouble recalling different events? Have there been multiple times when you weren’t able to remember what happened on a certain day, specific night, or special event? Drug use can lead to blackouts and trouble remembering.
If this is a common thing for you, then you need to consider seeking treatment. Not having a clear memory of something and not being 100% aware of a situation when it’s happening could lead to injuries or crimes that you’re the victim of with no control.
8. It’s Stopped You From Working
When your addiction becomes so significant that you can no longer work or attend school, it’s a problem. When your drug use becomes more than just a social thing, it’ll begin to affect your work and school life. Have you been calling into work or missing days at school because you’ve been too tired or not feeling well enough to attend?
Has your performance in either of these places drastically decreased recently? Has your professor or boss approached you with concerns about your performance? Drug abuse has a way of preventing you from giving your best effort at work or in school.
Take these concerns as a reason to find a treatment center.
9. The Severity Has Become a Secret
When you’ve become so consumed in a drug that you begin to hide it from others, this could be a red flag. If you don’t have a drug abuse problem, then there would be no need to hide it from anyone. When you start to hide your drug intake or try to make it seem like it’s less than what it is, you should find a professional to speak to.
Keeping your addiction a secret will only hurt yourself and then, in return, hurt those around you as well. There’s nothing to be ashamed about. Addiction affects millions of people in America alone. There are people who want to help and who won’t judge you.
Leading you to safety and to a healthy life is all they’re concerned about.
10. You’re Considering Getting Help
It’s easy for someone on the outside looking in to say someone needs help. In some cases, a friend or family member might believe someone needs treatment when there’s no actual addiction. The only person who knows exactly what’s going on with you, your body, and your mental health, is yourself.
There are a few ways to identify drug addiction in someone else or in yourself, but some addicts have a hard time admitting that there’s a problem. This is normal as well. It’s not easy to admit to yourself that you’ve fallen down a bad path, and none wants to be told it either.
When it gets to the point where you’re considering getting help for yourself or you’ve wondered if you need help, it’s best to go forward with it. You’re at a great place if you’re researching ways to find treatment centers or ways to identify addiction in yourself. This is the first step to recovery.
The best thing to do is to speak with your doctor about finding a professional treatment or look into different rehab centers and contact them yourself.
Is It Time for You to Go to Rehab?
If you’ve checked off any of these items off our list, then it’s time to go to rehab. Drug rehab facilities are only there to help you find stability and health the right way. Be sure to speak to a professional about any of the items on this list that you relate to.
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