One of the aspects of drug addiction that makes this health disorder such a dangerous problem is that, by its very nature, it creates the conditions so that the person is not aware that they have a problem until they have suffered very negative consequences. .
The desire to continue using leads the person to focus on that chain of actions that lead to getting drugs and using them to alleviate discomfort, and it is very difficult to see beyond that vicious circle. On the other hand, people around them tend to assume that nothing out of the ordinary happens, among other things because drug use is very normalized in certain social circles; and in turn, those who have developed the addiction usually keep this a secret so as not to have to explain themselves.
All of this makes it relatively normal not to seek professional help and treatment until many months or even years have passed since this pathology originated. Therefore, in this article we will a review of the behavioral patterns that help to know if a person has a drug problem
The tendency to hostility and anger is one of the characteristics of drug addiction This has to do with two main factors. Firstly, the deterioration of their physical and mental state means that the person has fewer resources to deal with situations that require a certain concentration and effort, and this produces frustration. On the other hand, if one goes for “too much” time without consuming, the discomfort that this produces leads the person to focus on the goal of consuming more, and many social interactions that do not lead to this are seen as a hindrance.
2. The person becomes more closed and wants to have more privacy
It is very common for people addicted to drugs to begin to be more suspicious of their privacy, even in front of their loved ones, and start spending more time alone or with other people who also use drugs. That is, they modify their network of daily social interactions to spend less time with those to whom they would have to explain themselves if they were discovered to have an addiction, and they dedicate a greater portion of their free time to those who they can meet at the same time. that substance is consumed.
3. The person makes outings without explaining where they are going
addicted people They need to regularly engage in “missions” to obtain the psychoactive substance on which they are dependent and this means talking as little as possible about this with those who cannot bring them closer to this goal.
Most addictions They interfere with the quality of sleep of people who suffer from them This causes those who have developed drug addiction to go to bed late, wake up numerous times during the night due to sleeping problems, etc.
5. Concentration problems
The addiction causes the person’s attention to focus on the consumption of that substance, so even when they are doing tasks that have nothing to do with drugs, they can’t help but fantasize about using, or think about what they are going to do in the next few hours to get more material. As a result, they often cannot concentrate on a task if they are not consuming at that moment.
6. Stress and anxiety problems appear
The “monkey” associated with withdrawal causes the addict’s nervous system to go into a state of alarm, to detect as soon as possible opportunities that allow continuing to consume the psychoactive substance. Therefore, cold sweats, sensitivity to changes in the environment, tremors, dizziness, etc. may appear.
7. Skin problems arise
In the medium and long term, many drugs lead to the development of skin diseases that are easily visible. This is reflected, for example, in more accelerated aging: hair loss, the appearance of wrinkles in a relatively short period, changes in nail color, the appearance of thinner and drier skin, etc. Of course, None of these phenomena are in themselves indicative that the person has been using drugs but if these elements occur together, there is a good chance that the origin lies in this type of pathology.
Addictions lead the person to see their health progressively deteriorate; Unless you go through a detoxification and rehabilitation process, it is difficult to go from addiction to a situation in which the symptoms emit. Due to the dependency produced by the substance, The body becomes accustomed to the drug and the individual needs to consume more and more regularly to avoid suffering the discomfort of withdrawal.
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In CITA Clinics We specialize in therapy and support services in detoxification and rehabilitation for people with addictive disorders; Through medicine and psychotherapy, we serve those who have developed a pathological dependence on a drug or a problematic pattern of behavior (gambling, video games, etc.). In addition, we have a residential module located in the middle of nature, for those who use the treatment in the short, medium or long-term admission modality. You can find us in Barcelona and in Dosrius (Mataró).
