10 signs that addiction help is needed

These warning signs show that an addiction problem worthy of treatment has emerged.

Addiction affects people of all ages, genders and socioeconomic status. That is why, at the first signs that someone is developing this type of disorder, it is important to seek help.

However, for people not trained in the health care field, it can be difficult to know how to spot addiction disorders. Therefore, in this article the main signs of addiction that show the need to seek professional help as soon as possible, as well as the impact that addiction can have on a person's health. as soon as possible, as well as the impact they have on the life of the affected person and their environment.

The signs of addiction: when to seek professional help?

Addiction brings with it several physical, psychological and social signs that can be identified. Here we will see what they consist of, although we must keep in mind that these are guidelines for orientation and that each person is different and has his or her particularities.

1. Lack of control of a substance or behavior

Abusive consumption of alcohol, stimulant drugs or other psychoactive substances, inability to resist shopping, leisure time devoted entirely to watching a screen.... These are signs that the person is seeing his freedom and autonomy conditioned by a behavior that does not contribute anything positive. by a behavior that does not contribute anything positive but which becomes one of their main priorities, or perhaps even their main priority.

To know whether this criterion is met or not, it is advisable to keep track of the occasions on which this repetitive behavior appears.

Poor time management

The desire to satisfy the need produced by the addiction cannot wait: this is one of the characteristics of any addiction disorder. That is why, in people who develop these psychological and psychiatric disorders, there is difficulty in managing time in areas of life that do not have to do with these kinds of activities.

Thus, there is a tendency to become obsessed with the behavior that is the root of the addiction and the entire schedule becomes subject to improvisation in order to avoid withdrawal syndrome in its different manifestations.

3. Family isolation

Another of the warning signs associated with addiction is the lack of concern and distance from close family members, with the substance/behavior being their priority choice when deciding what to spend their time on.

After all, these needs imposed by the disorder can usually be satisfied alone, outside of social interaction.When they require the presence of someone else (for example, in pathological gambling), the treatment is superficial and limited to very specific roles (client and service provider, or gamblers competing with each other, etc.).

4. Difficulties in work and/or studies or lack of interest in it.

Long term projects lose importance for the addicted person, who gives much more importance to the The addicted person gives much more importance to impulses and short term goals (in practice, linked to the addiction)..

Some examples of this behavioral pattern are the habit of being late, lack of attention to the activities to be performed, decreased performance, etc.

5. Difficulties in personal relationships (friendship or love).

In the same way that family relationships are damaged by addiction, the same happens with affective bonds of other types, such as friendships.

Addicted people often reach a point where they have liquidity problems, which leads them to ask for money that sometimes they cannot pay back, and as the priority is to be able to continue covering the need to satisfy the addiction, they are obliged to lie to cover their backs in these cases. This can lead to the destruction of relationships..

6. Lack of interest in social/leisure activities

Another characteristic is lack of attention to healthy and pleasurable activities of life, renunciation of social activities, lack of interest in social and leisure activities.This can lead to the renunciation of social, recreational or occupational activities in order to focus on the substance or behavior of choice;

7. Neglect of personal hygiene

Personal care is no longer important, since it requires time and addiction goes against the preservation of a good level of well-being in general terms, so that it becomes pointless to worry about one's image, hygiene, etc. It becomes meaningless to worry about one's image, hygiene, etc..

8. Problems with physical health

Among these problems are frequent, for example, lack of energy and motivation, sleeping problems, weight gain or loss, difficulties with concentration and memory, mood swings, etc.

9. Drastic changes in behavior towards family and friends.

For example, lack of interest in being with friends, irritability, aggressiveness, seeking social isolation, etc.etc. The person is not able to provide convincing explanations for this change in behavior, and sometimes even becomes angry when asked about it.

10. Financial difficulties

Another sign that there is an addiction is, as we have seen before, the lack of capacity in money management, and the accumulation of debts and credits. This is an element that, as a consequence, produces the part of the deterioration of the person's quality of life that has nothing to do with the physical deterioration caused directly by the disorder.