How can you tell when partying becomes a problem? Especially if you’re surrounded by people who drink and use drugs, it can be difficult to know just when you cross that line. The reality is that you don’t have to experience a disastrous “rock bottom” moment like a DUI, accident, or termination before you decide to get clean and sober. If you are able to identify your substance abuse problem and take care of it before it destroys your life, you can save yourself and your family years of pain. But how do you know if you need addiction treatment?
What Is Addiction?
First, it’s important to understand that addiction doesn’t really have to do with how much you drink or use drugs; rather, it’s about how you do so. Your behavior patterns are far more indicative of a problem than what or how much you consume.
For example,, if you drink or use drugs even when you don’t want to, that’s a sign of addictive compulsion. You may find yourself drinking or using when you swore you wouldn’t, or even when you know there are going to be negative consequences. None of that has to do with your will power; rather, it’s a sign of addiction.
Another aspect of addiction is obsession. Do you find yourself counting down the hours until it’s “okay” to have a drink? Do you scan the restaurant for the waiter to place your next order, or keep an eye on the pile of cocaine to make sure that you get your fair share? That obsession is a sign that drugs or alcohol abuse has created the brain changes that characterize addiction.
Signs of Addiction
Other signs of addiction lie in the impact that your drinking or drug use has on your life. Is your partying affecting your job? Have your relationships suffered? Is your bank account constantly overdrawn? Has your doctor or a loved one told you that you need to cut back? If you can identify negative effects from your drinking or drug use but you continue on regardless, that’s a sign that addiction is at play.
How to Know You Have A Problem With Drugs Or Alcohol
There are some people who abuse both for periods and are able to carry on and live normal lives free from addiction. There are others who consume far less but get caught in addiction’s grips. You have no control over whether your genetics, lifestyle, and history of trauma have set you up for addiction. You only have control over when you decide to do something about it.
Ultimately, you are the only one who can decide if you have a problem with drugs or alcohol. There are many reasons to quit at any stage, but it comes down to this: Are you ready to live a different life? No matter how hopeless things may seem, recovery from addiction is possible for anyone.
What Happens in Addiction Treatment
Residential addiction treatment gives you the opportunity to explore and heal all of the factors contributing to your drug or alcohol abuse in the first place. You’ll learn to identify and heal childhood trauma in the hands of a best-in-class clinical team. You’ll receive professional diagnoses for any co-occurring disorders like depression or PTSD, and receive appropriate medication to treat them. You’ll learn tools for coping without drugs and alcohol, and how to live a sober life.
Getting Help for Addiction
If you’re still not sure whether you have a problem, or whether now is the time to get help, give our team a call. They’ve been where you are and can share their own experiences with giving up drugs and alcohol for a better life. And if you’re ready, all it takes is one phone call to start your new life. We’re here to help you blossom.