Most people have heard the word “addiction” used before. However, it can be challenging to fully understand if what you are going through is actually addiction or not. Sometimes it can be hard to accept what we are experiencing is an addiction. The word alone can be scary, overwhelming, and exhausting. We might not even fully understand what it means. Understanding your thoughts and feelings is a good place to start when trying to analyze whether you may be experiencing an addiction or not. Here are a few general tips to help you begin your analysis.
Lack of Control
Everyone is different. How one person displays signs of my addiction may be completely different than the signs that another person displays. Attempting to look at the motivations behind your actions can help you to better understand why you are doing what you are doing. However, a general sign that a person may be struggling with an addiction is if they have a lack of control or an inability to stay away from a substance.
Decreased Socialization
When suffering from addiction, it has the tendency to make us forget everything else besides it. You may notice that you no longer have any desire to see certain people, go certain places, or do certain activities. All you may be thinking about is your substance use and the next time you can get high.
Ignoring Risk Factors
When suffering from an addiction, you may find yourself ignoring all of the risk factors right in front of you. If you are suffering from an addiction, you are solely thinking about getting high and the absolute need for the substance. You may not be thinking about the dangerous situations or places you are putting yourself in. If you are unsure whether you are suffering from an addiction, take some time to analyze your actions. Are you making risky choices without much thought to your safety? How safe are you being? Are you thinking about the consequences of your actions? If you are experiencing any of these signs–lack of self-control, increased isolation, or taking unnecessary risks–you may be suffering from an addiction and should seek help as soon as possible.
Addiction is a very complicated and multilayered disorder. What addiction looks like for one person may look different for another person. Taking the time to think about your actions will probably help you to determine if you may need some help. Are you making risky or dangerous choices? Have you decreased in socialization? Do you still have complete control over the substance you choose to use? Sometimes answering these questions can be hard. Here at The Guest House, we are ready to help you explore these questions and better understand what you are going through. Give us a call today to learn more about how we can help you at (855) 483-7800.