Addiction is a devastating disease that often produces rippling effects on a person’s life and relationships. Friends, family, and others who suspect addiction in a loved one may be highly overwhelmed at the thought of confronting their loved one’s behaviours. Meanwhile, some may be becoming aware of their own potentially problematic behaviours, wondering if addiction exists in them. For these reasons and more, it is vital to become educated about the various warning signs of addiction.
To recover from addiction, professional support and guidance must be utilised. Rehab Today by PCP – Perry Clayman Project offers several rehabilitation centres across the UK for individuals seeking recovery from substance use disorder (SUD) and other behavioural addictions. We offer a wide range of treatment services and programmes, including alcohol and drug detoxification, primary rehabilitation, secondary rehabilitation, third-stage supported housing, support for families, aftercare, and more. Learning about possible warning signs of addiction is the first step in recognizing a person’s need for treatment.
Understanding the Ripple Effect of Addiction
Many people may already be educated about the rippling effect of addiction. However, because alcohol and other drug use are often normalised in society, it can sometimes be challenging to grasp the severity of addiction and the worsening consequences that it can have for a person’s life. Understanding how addiction can quickly wreak havoc on a person’s thoughts, emotions, and behaviours is paramount for encouraging treatment when necessary.
What Is Addiction?
According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), “Addiction is a chronic disease characterised by drug seeking and use that is compulsive, or difficult to control, despite harmful consequences.” Moreover, it is often termed a brain disease because of the significant impairments that alcohol and drug use can have on brain structure and associated functioning.
NIDA explains that while an individual’s initial decision to use alcohol or other drugs is often voluntary, repeated drug use can inform brain changes that reduce self-control and decision-making abilities. Substance use can also facilitate profound feelings of pleasure, causing a person to seek out substances compulsively following initial exposure. Over time and through repeated use, a person’s changed brain may motivate them to engage in substance use at the cost of more important things, such as maintaining personal health or relationships.
The Impact of Addiction on Behaviours and Relationships
In addition to producing compulsive behaviour, addiction will eventually take its toll on an individual’s ability to function altogether. A person with addiction may appear more aggressive or selfish as they attempt to get their next “fix.” They may begin to surround themselves with others who prioritise substance use, leaving their supportive friends and family members in the shadows. As a result of these behaviours and more, they may eventually be cast away by friends or shunned by family members.
Financial problems are also common for those with addiction. An individual who regularly engages in alcohol and drug use may experience a reduced ability to concentrate on important tasks, interfering with their performance at work. Over time, they may lose their job. Unemployment, combined with a seemingly dire need to spend money on more alcohol and drugs, can further increase the potential for eviction and homelessness.
Additionally, those with addiction experience increased risks of developing co-occurring mental health problems, such as depression and anxiety. Co-occurring disorders present their own concerning challenges for the person with them as well as their loved ones and can especially complicate the treatment and recovery process.
Self-medicating, or the use of alcohol and other drugs as a means to resolve distressing symptoms, often reinforces co-occurring disorders. It not only leaves the underlying problem unaddressed but also increases the potential for chemical dependency.
Halting the Ripple Effect
The consequences mentioned above only scratch the surface of the ripple effect of addiction. Nonetheless, it is vital to recognise the need for professional treatment not only for getting sober but also to overcome the wide variety of effects of substance abuse. Loved ones of those with addiction are faced with immense pressure, as social support is what often facilitates treatment entry and engagement.
To halt the ripple effect of addiction in a loved one, the loved one must first become aware of their problematic substance-using behaviours. From there, they must develop a willingness to get healthier by recognizing the worsening effects of their substance use on their health and well-being. It is important to understand that this is a process that takes time. Learning about both risk factors and warning signs of addiction can, indeed, assist in this process.
Risk Factors of Addiction
According to a publication by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), “Risk factors are characteristics at the biological, psychological, family, community, or cultural level that precede and are associated with a higher likelihood of negative outcomes.” Risk factors can be learned to determine an individual’s risk for developing an addiction. However, they can also be used to help people better understand what factors played a role in the development of addiction in their loved ones.
There are two main categories of risk factors that exist for any disease or condition: genetic factors and environmental factors. These categories can be better understood as nature vs. nurture. Both nature and nurture play a role in the development of addiction.
Genetic Risk Factors
According to a publication by NIDA, various studies suggest “that as much as half of a person’s risk of becoming addicted to nicotine, alcohol, or other drugs depends on his or her genetic makeup.” Genetic risk factors consider an individual’s unique genes, or more specifically, their biological DNA.
Further in the publication, NIDA highlights how genes influence the amount and effectiveness of neurotransmitters and receptors in a person’s brain. Genes also influence how quickly a person’s body can metabolise drugs as well as how they will experience certain drug effects. All of these factors play a role in the development of addiction, from how quickly it will develop to the severity of cravings and withdrawal symptoms.
Moreover, genetic risk factors for addiction include:
- A person’s unique DNA
- Immediate relatives with addiction or a co-occurring mental health disorder
- The presence of mental health distress or an untreated mental health disorder
Environmental Risk Factors
On the other hand, environmental risk factors consider a person’s environment and other external factors that influence substance use and the development of addiction. Some environmental risk factors may be more commonly understood, such as growing up in a stressful or otherwise traumatic environment. However, there are many other environmental risk factors that are less known.
Consider the following environmental risk factors broken down by specific environments.
Home
- Favourable parental attitudes toward alcohol and drug use
- Poor parental monitoring
- Lack of parental involvement in child’s life
- Parental or sibling substance use
- The availability of alcohol and drugs within the home
- Family rejection of sexual or gender identity
- Child abuse or maltreatment
- Experiences with physical, verbal, or sexual abuse
School
- Association with delinquent or peers
- Peer pressure
- Lack of school connectedness
- Low academic achievement
Community
- Norms and laws favourable to substance use
- Racism
- Lack of economic opportunity
- Poverty and homelessness
- Lack of access to positive environmental and social resources
In addition to these risk factors, it is necessary to note that any person who uses alcohol and drugs already experiences increased risks of addiction. Substance use of any kind – even in moderation or following one-time experimentation – can trigger lasting brain changes. Furthermore, individuals must recognise the severity of potential consequences that can develop as a result of regular drug use. This is especially important for those who use alcohol, as alcohol use is highly celebrated in today’s day and age.
General Warning Signs of Substance Use and Addiction
Whether a person is questioning the symptoms of addiction in their loved one or not, becoming educated about the various warning signs of addiction is vital. For example, it can serve as means of motivating treatment for loved ones. Additionally, it can provide a baseline of concern if an individual recognises any of these signs in themself.
Contrary to what some may believe, those with addiction do not always exhibit obvious warning signs. Many people with addiction are high-functioning individuals who may work diligently to hide their substance use and its effects. For these individuals, it is only a matter of time before their use becomes more recognizable, as addiction only moves in a downward spiral.
Another publication by NIDA sheds light on several signs and symptoms that may point in the direction of drug use and addiction. It explains, “One important sign of addiction is that a person continues to use drugs even though it’s harming their life: physical health, performance at school or work, or relationships.” If a loved one is using alcohol and drugs at the expense of their health and well-being, it can be a strong indicator of addiction.
Additional general factors that may be a cause for concern include:
- Hanging out with new friend groups
- Dismissing hygiene and overall appearance
- Feeling unmotivated at school or work
- Losing interest in their favourite activities
- Getting into legal or social troubles
- Experiencing increasing problems with friends and family members
- Isolating more than usual
- Unexplained changes in personality or attitude
- Sudden mood swings
Warning Signs of Alcohol Addiction
Alcohol addiction is commonly referred to as alcoholism or alcohol use disorder (AUD). According to Drinkaware, these terms define “the most serious form of problem drinking at a level that causes harm to your health. It describes a strong, often uncontrollable, desire to drink.”
The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) highlights various symptoms that may indicate the presence of alcohol addiction. Some warning signs include:
- Experiencing impaired control over alcohol use
- Drinking longer or more than intended
- Spending increasing amounts of time using alcohol
- Drinking alcohol at the expense of other, healthier activities
- Experiencing failed attempts to cut down or stop drinking
- Continuing to drink despite the trouble it is causing for family or friends
- Discovering that drinking is interfering with work, school, or childcare
- Continuing to drink despite feeling depressed or anxious as a result
- Using alcohol in high-risk environments
- Experiencing increased tolerance (needing to drink more to experience the desired effect)
- Getting into risky situations after drinking
- Alcohol cravings cloud all other thoughts and emotions
- Sleeping and eating habits are disrupted by alcohol use
Drinkaware offers an online alcohol self-assessment to help individuals better identify the presence of alcohol addiction in themselves or their loved ones. It was developed using a tool from the World Health Organization (WHO) called “AUDIT.” To begin this self-assessment, click here.
Warning Signs of Drug Addiction
Compared to alcohol addiction, the warning signs of drug addiction are pretty similar. However, there are also several signs that are unique to drug use and addiction. It is important to understand that drug use is a broad term that includes both illegal and legal (prescription) drugs. Learning the general warning signs of drug addiction can help individuals bring attention to possible prescription drug misuse, which can be extremely problematic if left unmanaged.
Prescription Drugs
Warning signs of prescription drugs include:
- Continuing to take a prescription medication even though it is no longer needed
- Using someone else’s prescription
- Taking a prescription in a dose or manner other than what was prescribed (drug misuse)
- Using a prescription with the intent to get high (drug abuse)
Other Types of Drugs
Warning signs of other drugs classifications include:
- Needing to consume more of a drug to achieve the desired high
- Feeling uncomfortable when the effects of a drug wear off
- Experiencing challenges with limiting or attempting to quit drug use
- Losing interest in things and activities once enjoyed
- Feeling unmotivated at work
- Experiencing increased conflict in interpersonal relationships
- Letting self-care and self-hygiene fall by the wayside
- Spending increasing amounts of time thinking about consuming, using, or recovering from drug uset
Navigating Warning Signs in Loved Ones
It is vital to recognise that the presence of any symptoms mentioned above does not automatically mean that a person has an addiction. Additionally, it is also important to acknowledge that not everyone who uses alcohol and other drugs meets the criteria for addiction.
For example, sleeping and eating patterns tend to change as life changes. Additionally, mood swings can be a symptom of another problem, such as a mental health disorder. To determine if a person is exhibiting problematic symptoms in terms of drug use, they must increase their awareness of their loved one’s behaviours and emotions over time.
If a person has evidence of their loved one’s problematic alcohol or drug use, they may feel compelled to confront them. Needless to say, these conversations have a large potential for conflict. However, confronting the problem is the first step in healing. When attempting to hold an initial conversation, loved ones must remember to phrase the conversation from a place of genuine concern rather than accusation. This will ensure that the conversation remains constructive and valuable for both parties.
During the conversation, the concerned loved one can offer support by suggesting treatment programmes, such as the ones offered by Rehab Today by PCP – Perry Clayman Project. With a wide range of treatment programmes and recovery services to choose from, PCP can foster healing and lasting sobriety for nearly anyone struggling with problematic drug use and addiction.
Primary and Secondary Rehabilitation by PCP
At PCP, we understand how physically and mentally challenging the addiction recovery process can be. This is why we offer a range of treatment programmes that can be individualised to meet the unique needs and goals of every client. Oftentimes, a person will need to undergo detox before participating in a treatment programme. Following detox, PCP offers primary rehabilitation, secondary rehabilitation, and aftercare programmes.
In our primary alcohol and drug rehabilitation programmes, clients will participate in therapy to overcome the underlying factors that facilitated their substance abuse. Some individuals will need treatment to target underlying mental health disorders. In therapy, clients will also learn healthier coping skills and stress management techniques to prevent substance use in the future. Additionally, every client will learn the full 12-Step programme in primary rehabilitation.
Although we offer two, four, eight, and 12-week programmes, we highly suggest our 90-day (12-week) programme, as this allows clients to gradually evolve through one of the twelve steps per week. Meanwhile, the effectiveness of addiction treatment is often determined by treatment duration. Therefore, the longer a client is in rehab, the better their outcome will be.
PCP also offers a 12-week secondary rehabilitation programme for clients who have completed a primary rehabilitation programme. Additional freedom and treatments offered in this programme will further the client’s recovery from addiction. A noted benefit of this programme is that it can ease the transition from residential treatment back to the world outside of the treatment facility. Furthermore, an abundance of aftercare opportunities exists for those that need additional support following treatment programme completion.
When a loved one exhibits warning signs of problematic drug use or addiction, feelings of discouragement are common. However, it is important to recognise that treatment is available and recovery is possible. Rehab Today by PCP – Perry Clayman Project offers a number of private rehabilitation clinics across the UK. From detox to primary and secondary rehabilitation to aftercare, PCP offers individualised services for anyone seeking healing from addiction and its effects. We highly suggest our 90-day programme for clients, as the duration of treatment can determine worthwhile treatment outcomes. To learn more about our programmes and treatment services, do not hesitate to give us a call today at 08000 380 480. Healing is a phone call away.