Seeing first-hand what a drug or alcohol addiction can be eye-opening. Relationships of all types have been strained due to addiction, and getting help for a loved one seems invasive and intimidating. Convincing someone you love they need help can be incredibly difficult. The drug addiction program is meant to help get these loved ones better again, and the first thing to do is deciding whether or not this loved one is addicted or simply struggling with something else.
Addiction
It can be so agonizing to see a loved one struggle with a drug or alcohol problem. Sometimes, however, an addiction is not apparent on the surface. Sometimes the only sign is the affected person seems a little off or not themselves. There is a long list of other symptoms you should look out for, which can help you determine if a loved one is struggling with dependency. Physical and behavioral symptoms are equally as important. Physical symptoms include a sudden change in weight (increase or decrease), reds that are always red, a perpetually runny nose, or just looking sick. Behavioral symptoms include mood swings, anxiousness, and apathetic feelings.
Change
A tell-tale symptom of addiction is personality change. Someone who is usually friendly and confident might appear depressed, antagonistic, or violent. Mood swings are a very prominent symptom of substance abuse, and as one could imagine, these mood swings are damaging to all different types of relationships. In addition, an addict might change the group they usually associate with, change how they dress, or grow distant from loved ones.
Symptoms
Symptoms of addiction make up a list that is very long, but it is important to remember that many of these symptoms could be of indicative of some other issue, such as depression, illness, anxiety, and more. Generally, these problems aren’t smoking-gun evidence to substance abuse, but that does not make them any less substantial. Actually, they deserve as much care as addiction, but should these symptoms escalate or change, a drug problem might be the cause. At this point, action is necessary, such as getting in contact with a drug addiction treatment facility.
Recovery
Relapse is always a looming threat when recovering from a dependency. Similar to the initial diagnosis, relapse also has warning signs to keep an eye out for. Complacency is one of the most worrisome of these signs. Someone who is recovering from drug use might feel they have won the battle. They will stop participating in residential drug treatment rehabiliation center and will tell themselves they are free from the drug forever. What makes complacency so delicate is that a loved one might accept the idea also. Blame and manipulation are two more signs of relapse. The person recovering from addiction might not feel a sense of personal responsibility and will lash out and blame others. While sympathy is certainly important, but a big part of recovery is regaining a sense of control over life, and personal responsibility is directly tied to this control.
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