Fourteen million Americans are addicted to alcohol. About 15 million Americans are addicted to gambling, and more than 60 million Americans smoke cigarettes regularly. You can’t forget about the 10 percent of Americans who have abused drugs at some point in their lifetime.
Sometimes we need to check the signs and face the truth if there is an addiction problem. Here are 5 signs of an addict to see if you suffer from addiction.
1. Disrupting Your Life
Has your habit affected your life and relationships? If you find your habit is more important than your work, family, other relationships, or sleep, you may have a problem.
You may find that suddenly you are not meeting your responsibilities, whether at home or at work. Your habit is taking up too much of your time — and your mind.
2. Cravings and Physical Dependence
Do you have intense urges for your habit? People begin to experience intense feelings and urges as they become addicted to something whether it’s drugs or anything else.
Your body could develop a physical dependence because addiction is a relapsing brain disease. Drugs and alcohol can change the way the brain works. Click here to read more about this physical dependence.
3. Reward Response
Do you feel better when you do it? Does it make you feel like you are in control?
It’s natural to feel good while doing things you enjoy, but if you are rewarding yourself too much that you can’t stop, you have a problem. The reward and control feelings turn into an obsession. There are other ways you can have a healthy mind to get the same reward response.
4. Financial Problems
Does your habit drain your bank accounts? Are you willing to do anything to continue this habit? People with strong addictions often face financial hardship.
Illegal substances may also lead to legal problems because addicts will stop at nothing to satisfy their cravings. This includes stealing or even violence. Addiction impairs a person’s judgement and he or she is more willing to take risks financially or legally.
5. Secrecy
Are you completely honest about your habit? Do you hide or shy away from your friends or family?
People with addictions often isolate themselves to partake in their addiction. This includes dropping activities that used to be enjoyable. If you don’t feel you can be completely honest about your activity to your loved ones, you may have a problem.
Signs of an Addict Summary
Now that you know the signs of an addict, you can begin to get treatment for your addiction or help your loved one. Drug and alcohol addictions can be extremely dangerous, so if you see these addiction signs for these type of addictions, act immediately.
Addiction can go beyond drugs and alcohol and can include activities like gambling, pornography, shopping, or even social media. If you have any habit you are ashamed of and feel you can’t be completely honest to your friends and family, you may have a problem.
If you are looking for other ways to be happy besides this addiction, check out our blog for some uplifting advice to improve your lifestyle and get a healthy mind to kick any addictions.
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