Anyone can develop an addiction. This problem is not limited to any one group of people in the world. An addiction will often start with recreational drug use before developing into a full-blown habit that begins to negatively affect a person’s life.
The Center on Addiction lists the risk factors that may contribute to an individual’s drug or alcohol addiction. Genetics can increase the likelihood of someone developing an addiction. Certain personality traits or psychiatric disorders, such as anxiety or stress, can lead someone to drug use. Past trauma, such as any history of abuse, can contribute to the possibility of becoming an addict. The final risk factor the organization lists is beginning to use substances at a young age.
However, you should not just rely on these risk factors to determine if someone might have issues with substance abuse. Most people will start to display several changes in appearance or personality if their addiction begins to take over their life. If you’re worried about someone in your life developing an addiction to drugs or alcohol, here are some of the signs that they will exhibit.
Helpguide.org splits the symptoms of addiction into three different categories.
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- Physical signs – There are several physical indicators that someone is addicted to drugs or alcohol. Your loved one could have bloodshot eyes, develop a deteriorating physical appearance, gain or lose weight, or have impaired coordination.
- Behavioral signs – Someone with an addiction could stop going to school or work, have sudden and unexpected financial problems, begin acting suspicious, and their friends and activities they enjoy could suddenly change.
- Psychological signs – A person with a drug or alcohol problem could have a completely different personality than they formerly had, spaciness, paranoia, or any other change in the way they act or think.
The National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence (NCADD) also adds that a family history of addiction can contribute to the likelihood that someone will develop an addiction. The organization also adds that once an addiction has developed, someone will begin to build a high tolerance for drugs, and they will also experience withdrawal symptoms once they discontinue the use of the substance to which they are addicted.
The symptoms that people will have as a result of an addiction will also vary greatly depending on the substance they are using. According to the NCADD, alcohol will cause people to blackout, have flushed skin, vomit blood, or have frequent arguments with friends and family. Yet, someone who is addicted to prescription drugs could have completely different symptoms specific to that substance.
If you suspect that someone in your life has developed an addiction, there are ways to help them.
The Asana Recovery Center offers a supervised detoxification and residential treatment program that is designed to help those battling addiction at any stage. Call us at (949) 438-4504 to learn more about our comprehensive alcohol and drug addiction treatment program today.
