Six Helpful Tips For Recognizing Addiction

Addiction can take many forms but it is always a painful thing to handle. Whether you or a family member is addicted to drugs or alcohol, it can take a toll on everyone involved. Addiction does not occur overnight and often there are many signs and symptoms of addiction. If these signs can be noticed by a family member or friend before it is too late, they could save that addicted person’s life. Here are six helpful tips for recognizing addiction.

1. Moody

A person who is struggling with addiction often has severe mood swings. At one moment they may be very happy but only moments later, they could be miserably sad. Drugs and alcohol cause the brain to be unstable, which very commonly causes mood swings. It can also cause depression. Many people drink and use drugs to escape something but it always leads to more hardship and heartache. Unfortunately, these mood swings can cause addicted people to do things they wish they had not to the ones they love.

2. Changes in Sleep

When someone is addicted to drugs or alcohol, they will have changes in the way they sleep. They will normally not have a routine sleep time. Sleep can often be interrupted when a person uses drugs or alcohol heavily. Often, alcoholics will “pass out” and not voluntarily go to sleep. This sometimes even happens when they are driving. In this instance, the person may need a DUI lawyer along with some rehabilitation.

3. Changes in Appearance

Drugs and alcohol can affect someone’s appearance vary drastically as well. They lose the ambition to stay clean and well-manicured at times. If a friend or family member has begun to look disheveled and not neat and groomed as they were before, this could be a sign of addiction.

4. Work Performance

Using drugs and alcohol often interferes with work. Binge drinking can cause employee trouble when it is time to get up for work. Those who have addiction problems will have attendance problems because the addiction overrides work responsibilities.

5. Financial Difficulties

These addictive substances cost money. If a friend or family member is addicted to a substance, you may see changes in their financial situation such as utilities getting behind or cut off or the person asks for money when they never did before.

6. Abusive Behavior

An addicted person may be violent with their partner even if they have never been at all violent before. It is the nature of addiction. Addiction is not an excuse to abuse your loved ones. A domestic violence lawyer is available to handle abuse from family members. There are addiction resources available for everyone in the family because everyone suffers.

Addiction is a tough thing to deal with in your life but there is hope. There are resources and treatments to help. It does not have to take over your life. Family members and friends can look for signs to help with this process. These six tips will help.