How to understand that a loved one suffers from addiction: alcoholic, drug or any other? There are five early signs of a developed addiction.
Addiction or addiction is a serious illness that requires long-term work on oneself. It’s always best to spot it early on, writes Psychology Today in their article Addiction: 5 Early Warning Signs .
The earlier the diagnosis is made, the better the prognosis. This medical principle cannot be overstated. After all, addiction is a progressive disease that, if left alone, only gets worse, not better. The addict loses his personality along with his family, friends and work, he loses all life stimuli except the uncontrollable desire to use, loses health and, in the end, life itself.
The most famous symptoms of addiction are physical manifestations. For example, redness of the face, puffiness and puffy nose in alcoholics, exhaustion, facial ulcers in drug addicts, etc. However, they appear already at a late stage of the disease.
In addition, there are many types of psychological addictions that do not manifest themselves explicitly in physical appearance. However, they affect human life almost as destructively as chemicals. This can be addiction to gadgets and social networks, gambling addiction, shopaholism, drinking TV or a morbid addiction to pornography.
The early signs of any addiction are changes in human behavior. They can be noticed by family members, friends, and colleagues.
1. Rationalization and design
This is a desire to prove to oneself that such a decision is correct and forced at a particular moment.
“I’ve always had a good reason to drink. First I drank to socialize, then to relax after work. Then I drank to sleep, and then I forget. None of these explanations looked like rationalizations. I had real needs, and I believed that only alcohol could satisfy them, ”says a man who has been struggling with alcohol addiction for a long time.
As the craving increases, addicts begin to organize their lives around the need for continuous access to the object of addiction (alcohol or drugs).
They may become increasingly annoyed by changes in their schedules, so they may blame their parents, partners, children, or an unfair employer for their strange behavior.
Family members are especially vulnerable in this case, and often change their behavior in order to calm dependent loved ones.
2. Mood swings and personality changes
Although addicted people become very critical of others, their own behavior can be unpredictable and quickly go from jubilant euphoria to angry suspicion.
Mood swings are a common symptom of addicts. They become capricious and irritable, begin to bully their loved ones.
When an addict tries to reduce or stop using, mood swings become particularly pronounced.
Also, some people experience personality changes when they drink or use drugs. A person can behave in a way that is completely unusual in real life.
At worst, this transformation resembles the presence of two different personalities in one body. The familiar person disappears, and an uncontrollable stranger takes his place (as in the famous work about Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde).
Anderson Spikard, professor of medicine and psychiatry at Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, gives examples from his practice. So, one of his patients was a highly moral person. And when he drank, he watched porn films in the presence of his children. The other was a good father and husband until he got drunk. One day he spent his vacation wandering the streets in his underwear, knocking on doors and challenging people to fight. His children and wife barricaded themselves outside the door, fearing that he would fulfill his promise to kill them. When they returned home, he was shocked to hear about his behavior, which he did not remember. He willingly entered the treatment program, but it took many years before he was able to restore trust with his family members.
3. Worsening relations with family
Many people start their journey to addiction by partying with companies. As their cravings intensify and their behavior deteriorates, their social circle narrows to other users or addicts, fueling the misconception that alcohol and drug use is normal (“everyone does it”).
The path to heavy addiction often begins with light parties in fun companies.
Eventually, even these friends can disappear, leaving the sick person alone and isolated.
The family life of people with addiction is often destroyed through these sudden or incomprehensible changes. Spouses may file for divorce, children may flee, go to live with relatives, or otherwise leave home prematurely.
4. Low labor productivity
People who suffer from addiction often go to great lengths to keep their jobs and have funds for their needs.
However, sooner or later, their performance deteriorates. It is more and more difficult for them to concentrate on work tasks, they begin to make elementary mistakes.
They feel a sharp decline in physical, emotional and intellectual function, which plunges them into more and more chaos.
In addition, they may become capricious or aggressive towards superiors, colleagues, be late or not show up for work at all, especially on Mondays or after holidays.
For most people with addiction, work-related problems are the beginning of the end. The ending will be a long period of suffering and disability, as well as premature death.
5. Spiritual crisis
The drastic changes in brain function caused by uncontrollable desire cause profound changes in the psychological and spiritual life of people with addiction. Many find themselves in the shadow of life, strangers not only to their families, friends and colleagues, but also to themselves.
The emergence of a shadow self can begin even before avid consumers cross the line of addiction. Mood-modifying agents affect the frontal lobe of the brain, affecting judgment, impulse control, and inhibition. Breaking this “safety net” makes them more vulnerable to the weaknesses that plague us all – anger, self-pity, greed, hatred, violence, inertia, and sexual betrayal.
People often begin to lie, insult friends and strangers, borrow money that they cannot return later, hide bottles or drugs, steal …
They may come to work drunk, even if they are responsible for the health and safety of others.
Begin to emotionally or physically bully their loved ones.
When active users cross the line of longing, they may abandon their past spiritual or intellectual life, giving up practices such as prayer and meditation, severing their connection with the religious community.
One addiction can provoke another. For example, a decrease in self-control while intoxicated will lead to the use of methampitamins.
They become obsessed with other dangerous addictions. For example, the disinhibition properties of alcohol can lead to drunkenness, active gambling, or drug dealing.
Addicted people fall into a downward spiral. Despite the fact that at times they seem calm or confident, they violate their personal values, so they constantly experience a deep sense of failure and humiliation. To get rid of which they are trying to use. Which, in turn, provokes feelings of humiliation and depression. So the person is pulled into an endless cycle of dependence / self-loathing.
“No matter how arrogant or overconfident they may seem, their main emotions are shame and self-loathing,” says Dr. Spikard. “They are falling more and more into deep despair. Some commit suicide. One study found that two-thirds of all suicides in people under 30 are associated with substance abuse or drug addiction.
