Did you know that approximately 1 in 11  people in the UK, that is 9.4%, between the ages of 16 and 59 took a drug in 2019? That’s around 3.2 million people!

Drug and alcohol abuse varies from person to person. For some, taking drugs is merely experimental and does not lead to full-blown addiction. For others, it can rapidly escalate and almost become unmanageable. That is where drug treatment centres come into play.

While it is easier to recognise drug abuse in others, it may be more challenging for you to determine your drug addiction level and whether you should look at drug treatment centres for help.

Is It Time to Consider Drug Treatment Centers?

Being truthful with yourself can be challenging, but you can start exploring your road to recovery once you have reached a decision. Beating addiction requires knowing when you need professional help. Let’s look at signs that show you need drug treatment.

First of all, let’s define addiction. What is it, and how do you recognise the symptoms?

Addiction is known as losing control of the level of drug use. It includes doing or taking a substance to the stage where it might be detrimental to yourself and others.

Addiction takes many forms. You could be addicted to alcohol, nicotine, drugs, medication, internet and even gambling.

A person may choose not to enter treatment programs because they don’t think they need them. They may actively avoid getting help because they are ashamed of the stigma attached to drug addiction.

That being said if you are having doubts about your drug addiction, and if it is affecting your day to day life, relationships and work, then you may need help.

If you are unsure if you need help, here are ten ways that will help you recognise that you may need to approach someone for addiction and treatment therapy.

1. Your Next Fix Is Constantly on Your Mind

Is your primary focus on acquiring your next fix, be it alcohol, drugs or taking of prescription drugs? That is one of the quickest ways to determine that you have an addiction.

If your thoughts throughout the day are that you cannot function without your fix, then you may be suffer addicted. Does the thought of facing daily life without it scare you? To carry on with your day-to-day chores do you need to take something, morning, noon and night?

If you feel the need for a constant supply of the substance to make you feel good, this clearly shows that you encounter some level of addiction.

As addiction grows increasingly intense, it begins to overtake other priorities, tasks, and obligations.

2. Your Health Deteriorates

Regular substance abuse leads to a wide range of physical and mental health problems. Some of these health consequences are directly related to the categories of substances used.

For instance, health problems from drug and alcohol abuse can vary in severity depending on what you’re using, how long you have been using, and the amount you take.

Your mental health can also deteriorate with the use of drugs and alcohol and can even cause mental illness in some. For example, using cannabis can increase your risk of developing schizophrenia.

Another short-term illness from taking some drugs is psychosis. That is where your mind plays tricks on you, and you may see things or hear them when others do not.

If you experience unwelcome changes in your feelings, thoughts, or behaviour, you can usually determine that you have a substance abuse problem. If you find yourself in this position, you should seek drug addiction treatment.

3. Your Body Has Developed Tolerance

What does it mean, it means you have developed a tolerance to a substance? Tolerance occurs when a user no longer responds to a drug in the way they did initially. That in effect means that you have to increase the dosage to get the same result as you did when you first did.

When you first use a drug, it gives you a powerful ‘high’ because you are not used to the drug. As you get used to the drug or alcohol, you increase the dosage to achieve the sea ‘high’ you first got.

This increased dosage can eventually lead to the risk of an overdose. Take the first step to find out how to get treatment for your addiction.

4. You Cannot Stop Even If You Want To

Many factors can make quitting a habit very difficult. These could be emotional, physical, mental, and biological. Even though you may have sought the help of drug and alcohol treatment centres, and they have helped you steer yourself in the right direction, relapse is probable.

Don’t worry. That is normal—the rates of relapse into re-taking drugs or alcohol, while in recovery are between 40 to 60 per cent.

There are steps you can follow to help you maintain clean while you are in recovery mode.

• Know yourself and your triggers
• Seek out a sponsor who will help you in time of need
• Join a social help group that relates to your particular substance abuse
• Get your family to support you

So, what if you have a relapse? Does that mean you have failed? No, not at all! If you have managed to be clean once you can do it again.

No matter how long it takes or how many times you relapse know that you are doing the right thing by picking yourself up, dusting yourself down and starting afresh!

5. Relationships Deteriorate 

Damage to relationships due to a person’s drinking or drug use can be seen in several ways. Sometimes, this occurs to the point that seeking help from drug and alcohol abuse treatment centres is needed. They may help you enrol in a drug and alcohol abuse rehab program.

In a relationship where one or the other has a substance abuse problem there are some common signs that can be seen:

Continual Arguments About the Use

Are you always arguing about drug use? Conflicts could stem from anything including staying out late, money issues and shirking responsibilities and duties.

Covering For the Abuser

Many times a partner will ‘cover’ for or make excuses for a partner who is under the influence. For instance, this could include lying to their boss about the reason for their absenteeism from work.

Domestic Violence

Drug use can cause increases in aggressive behaviour. Does domestic violence occur by either you or your partner when under the influence?

Discussing Feelings

You or your partner need to be under the influence to discuss problems or even show affection to one another. That is the only time you interact.

Social Isolation

You and your family isolate yourselves from social duties as a result of being under the influence.

Not all the above will show at once. There merely needs to be one to indicate that there may be drug abuse by one or both partners. Time to stop and take control! Research different types of drug rehabilitation programmes or you could even consider substance abuse inpatient rehab.

6. Going Into Withdrawal

What is withdrawal? Withdrawal is when you react to the stopping or lessening of the amount of drug or alcohol taken. Not everybody has the same withdrawal symptoms, and each different drug shows it’s own symptoms.

Drugs react in the brain and body and create these withdrawal reactions as an alert signal that you are dependent need another ‘shot’ of the drug to trick the mind that it is acting ‘normal’.

Withdrawl does not only happen when you stop using drugs. It starts as soon as you lessen the intake of that specific drug. When you go into withdrawal, your brain responds by providing adrenaline that can cause widespread painful symptoms.

Each withdrawal acts differently with each type of drug. Opiates and alcohol cause physical withdrawal symptoms, whilst others cause mental and emotional symptoms, such as cocaine, ecstasy and street drugs.

It all boils down to the fact that withdrawal is always an immensely challenging time. That is why you need the most effective substance abuse treatment.

7. Deterioration in Work Performance

Addiction can make it very hard to maintain the roles and responsibilities of your working life.

You may discover yourself calling in ill, being exceedingly late, missing deadlines, even making irresponsible decisions at work. That can cause massive problems with your coworkers and employer.  You could even lose your job!

It is reported that 42% of individuals who are employed while addicted report that they have a deterioration in their work performance. This loss in productivity costs businesses an insurmountable amount of revenue.

The list of job complications caused by substance abuse is long and impact negatively on everyone involved. Apart from productivity, the list includes absenteeism, coworker morale, injuries, theft, and fatalities.

Don’t put yourself and your coworkers in danger. Get yourself booked into a treatment rehab for drug and alcohol abuse. Don’t let a severe injury occur due to your substance abuse.

8. Financial Difficulties

When it comes to drug addiction, don’t forget about drug and alcohol intake’s financial costs to the employers and the addicted person.

Did you know that substance abuse costs companies 100 billion Euros yearly? That is up to 10% of yearly payroll and, in the UK these costs are 15 billion Euros.

Let’s state the obvious first. The use of drugs and alcohol costs money, and as one gets more and more addicted, the costs of the addiction increase. Think about it; addiction is a disease that grows with need. The longer you stay addicted, the bigger the number of drugs you regularly take, the more you spend.

As we know, substance abuse can affect your mind. You will start to neglect your financial responsibilities by missing mortgage payments, vehicle payments and loan payments. You will then use the cash from these missed payments to support your drug habit. Don’t fall into a  downward financial spiral and potential poverty. Look for therapy addiction to help you.

9. Experiencing Cravings

What are cravings? Cravings are defined as intensified desires or needs for something to satisfy your requirements.

Drug cravings are common among clean drug users. They affect you both physically and psychologically and are more prevalent after you stop using drugs or alcohol.

Little research has been done about cravings, and there are many theories about drug cravings. However, we can confirm that if you are an addict, you will most definitely experience some form of craving.

Cravings come in waves and build up to a peak and then go away. Knowing how to handle your cravings will most certainly help you to manage them.

Cravings differ from person to person and substance to substance. To help with your cravings search for ‘how to treat addiction‘.

10. Change in Behaviour 

In the case of a drug or alcohol-related addiction, you will frequently have a personality change; you are not like you were before your addiction.

Disorders of drug use can lead, both short and long-term, to several behavioural problems, which can include:

• Paranoia
• Aggressiveness
• Impaired judgement
• Impulsive behaviour
• Hallucinations
• Personality change
• Loss of self-control

These behavioural problems of drug and alcohol use will invariably have serious consequences. Amongst them, responsibility issues, absenteeism, punishable legal offences such as driving under the influence etc. Search for addiction services that will help you.

Get Your Life Back on Track

You have now determined you have an addiction problem, and that affects other parts of your life. You want to quit! Now what?

Treatment changes the way you think, feel and behave. It is almost impossible to handle drug addiction treatment’s emotional component without professional support from drug treatment centres.

Addiction is a disease that lasts throughout your life. By going through the treatment process, you will learn how to handle and cope with your addiction. You will also always have the added support network to reach out to, at any time you need.

Your best hope for a good recovery is getting therapy and addiction treatment. Come get help and contact us now!

John

John has dedicated his life to finding treatment for those with addictions and supporting their families.
A business manager for 20 years in the construction industry John’s own experience of addiction led him to found his own rehab centre group in Scotland.
John qualified as a counsellor for people with substance misuse during his time working as a therapist and manager for the foundation. He also trained as an interventionist and appeared on ITV as a consultant helping families impacted by addiction.
He has helped thousands of people in recovery and his knowledge of the rehabilitations process and the addiction experience is unparalleled.

About the author

Article author

John

John has dedicated his life to finding treatment for those with addictions and supporting their families. A business manager for 20 years in the construction industry John’s own experience of addiction led him to found his own rehab centre group in Scotland. John qualified as a counsellor for people with substance misuse during his time working as a therapist and manager for the foundation. He also trained as an interventionist and appeared on ITV as a consultant helping families impacted by addiction. He has helped thousands of people in recovery and his knowledge of the rehabilitations process and the addiction experience is unparalleled.