The 8 Signs That Indicate The Beginning Of An Addiction
Addictions are health disorders with a great capacity to damage our quality of life.
Some of the reasons for this are the physical wear and tear that developing one entails and its negative consequences when it comes to maintaining a social and emotional life. However, there is also another factor that complicates everything: how difficult it is for a person to realize in time that they are developing an addiction.
Therefore, in this article we will see a summary of what they are the main warning signs that indicate the beginning of an addiction Taking this into account can be very useful to discover in time that you have a problem and thus go to a mental health professional before the situation worsens.
These are the main signs that help detect addiction problems in their early stages of development.
It must be taken into account that It is not necessary for all of them to be fulfilled to be developing an addiction, and that it is also not advisable to assume that a disorder of this type is developing simply because it seems to us that someone meets one or two of these criteria. These are indicative guidelines to know if there are reasons to worry, and if a case deserves an initial visit with the clinical specialty psychologist.
On the other hand, it is also important to know that there are different types of addictive disorders, each of which has different characteristics. Therefore, the warning signs described below are not outlined in detail (for example, exactly how much time must have passed since one of them appeared to consider that the criterion is met).
In any case, The diagnosis, the moment in which it is “officially” recognized that the person has developed one of these alterations, can only be carried out by professionals duly accredited and who work in mental health. That said, let’s see what are the signs that indicate the beginning of an addiction.
1. You start to sleep badly
This is one of the most typical signs that an addiction is underway. People who begin to become dependent on some substance or behavior They tend to see many hours of sleep as a waste of time and many times anxiety does not let them sleep, constantly thinking about issues related to the next time they will see their uncontrollable need satisfied.
For example, some of these thoughts that go through your head when trying to fall asleep are: “Is it worth staying here, or do I have time for one more drink in the kitchen?”, “What will I do tomorrow morning to get another dose?”, “where could I get material closer to home?”, etc.
2. Irritability appears when talking about the topic
If someone in that person’s environment begins to suspect that there is an addiction brewing and asks the affected person about this topic, it is likely that sooner rather than later the latter will appear irritated and hostile, even if the other has not insisted too much. The aim is to avoid a conversation about the topic to maintain a certain ambiguity since it is not yet evident to everyone that a disorder has arisen and one can hope to continue hiding it as much as possible.
3. You begin to consume addictive substances in parallel
In the vast majority of cases, people who have some type of addiction and who have not been subjected to treatment reach a point where they combine this addictive tendency with the use of substances with the potential to create dependence. It is true that this does not have to occur in the early stages of addiction, but when it does, it is one of the main warning signs.
For example, if a person has begun to create behavioral patterns typical of pathological gambling, even if he hides those gambling sessions that he maintains almost daily, it is very likely that his friends and family will notice that he drinks more, or that he has started to try from time to time drugs that I had never touched before (cocaine, cannabis, etc.).
4. Old friendships are left aside
One of the characteristics of addictions is that They do not simply arise in the brain of the affected person, but rather they generate social contexts that favor their survival.
For example, if a person starts drinking a lot of alcohol and their usual friends only have a beer on the weekends, the average person who is developing an addictive disorder tends to “disconnect” from those social circles, for example, so as not to feel judged. In some cases he will begin to isolate himself during his free time, and in others he will begin to seek the company of other people who have addictive patterns in their behavior.
5. There is a tendency to seek solitude
As the person who is developing an addiction is beginning to always put the same action as number one priority, his or her social life becomes poorer; after all, the most important moments for him can be achieved alone ; with the exception of certain behavioral addictions such as pathological gambling, in which it is noted that the company of others is simply instrumental, a consequence of what one is trying to achieve (in this case, betting with someone at a poker table, in a horse racing bet, etc.).
In the same way that people tend to leave friends aside, the person begins to lose interest in projects that previously excited them, since these require thinking about them and organizing themselves to dedicate time to them regularly, something that the addict can’t be allowed to do.
From the same time, a lack of control is appearing in the way of saving or to create long-term life plans (retirement, starting companies with own capital…), to the point where it is assumed that savings are resources that can be spent on leisure.
7. Polarizing effect at work
Regarding work, normally you begin to invest just enough effort and time to continue earning income, but now there are not many prospects for improving employment status
However, in other cases of people who begin to develop addictions, life is divided into two obsessions: addiction and work, leaving aside the rest. It is possible that this is because working offers moral cover to continue devoting a lot of time to the behavior that satisfies addictions, or to cover debts.
8. A rational reason is sought to justify the addiction
On the other hand, the person begins to “mask” their true motives by those who consume drugs or embrace addictions without substances, such as arguing that these experiences help them concentrate, motivate themselves, etc. It is a transition phrase between the moment in which you feel that there are reasons to feel guilty (admitting that there is an addictive pattern) and the moment of acceptance of the problem, when you cannot hide the deterioration that the disorder has generated. .
