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How do you know if you're an addict?
Hello everybody, I'm new here. How do you know if you are addicted? I'm super sad and really worried about my future now!
Addiction is when you will interrupt a previously regular or "normal" routine to seek out or "use" whatever your "drug" of choice may be. This could be food, drugs or alcohol, smoking, gambling, sex, or any other number of things, even OCD and hoarding are part of the disease of addiction.
You do not have "control" over areas of your life that used to function rather well, you have feelings of depression and/or anxiety and you become more focused, more self-centered on your object of addiction than your family, friends, work, sleeping, eating... it gets worse unless help is sought and can be quite all consuming.
Generally, addiction surfaces as a response to what I call emotional injury. There has been something in your past, distant or recent, that you have not dealt with in a healthy manner. Usually because you were not prepared for such a circumstance and simply did not know how to handle it. So your primitive mind and your survival instincts took over. You found something (your drug of choice) that calmed you, made you feel a little more "normal".
You can also become addicted through the need of a substance, and that substance is addictive. Example, you had an injury, were put on pain medications and now need them in order to manage or are sick if you don't have them even though you really do not need them for your injury anymore.
As a disease, addiction is seen as being genetically passed on (the predisposition for it, just as cancer or diabetes), and through this can also be co-dependent (your growth process was adjusted by stress from other addicts in your circle of daily living.) Example, you had a very controlling parent and there was some abuse. You kept your feelings of fear and/or anger locked inside not feeling that you could talk about them. Then you realized, hanging out with your friends and drinking really made things (seem) better. Your need for feeling good overwhelmed your good judgement, and gradually you drink more and more...
There are many places to start getting help. Most communities have Crisis call centers with very knowledgable and helpful staff. You can also talk to your PCP.
It is good that you are looking for help. That is a HUGE step. Just continue to pursue it, and do everything that you can to stay positive in doing the right thing. You CAN heal!
You do not have "control" over areas of your life that used to function rather well, you have feelings of depression and/or anxiety and you become more focused, more self-centered on your object of addiction than your family, friends, work, sleeping, eating... it gets worse unless help is sought and can be quite all consuming.
Generally, addiction surfaces as a response to what I call emotional injury. There has been something in your past, distant or recent, that you have not dealt with in a healthy manner. Usually because you were not prepared for such a circumstance and simply did not know how to handle it. So your primitive mind and your survival instincts took over. You found something (your drug of choice) that calmed you, made you feel a little more "normal".
You can also become addicted through the need of a substance, and that substance is addictive. Example, you had an injury, were put on pain medications and now need them in order to manage or are sick if you don't have them even though you really do not need them for your injury anymore.
As a disease, addiction is seen as being genetically passed on (the predisposition for it, just as cancer or diabetes), and through this can also be co-dependent (your growth process was adjusted by stress from other addicts in your circle of daily living.) Example, you had a very controlling parent and there was some abuse. You kept your feelings of fear and/or anger locked inside not feeling that you could talk about them. Then you realized, hanging out with your friends and drinking really made things (seem) better. Your need for feeling good overwhelmed your good judgement, and gradually you drink more and more...
There are many places to start getting help. Most communities have Crisis call centers with very knowledgable and helpful staff. You can also talk to your PCP.
It is good that you are looking for help. That is a HUGE step. Just continue to pursue it, and do everything that you can to stay positive in doing the right thing. You CAN heal!
My definition of addicted was simple. If i cannot go a day without the meds then im addicted. This is assuming you have no reason to be taking them. I started taking them after a back surgery. This was my 20th surgery on my body and never got addicted before...at 42 i did. I still have pain daily but there were days i wasn't hurting but knew if i did not take them the withdrawals would start. I never went over the prescription and keep increasing the dosage like many do but i was addicted no doubt about it.
As mentioned by Yesidid tell us more about your situation. There are great people on this forum that can help. I also suggest posting on the Substance abuse forum below. it's a more active forum....
http://www.medhelp.org/forums/Addiction-Substance-Abuse/show/77
As mentioned by Yesidid tell us more about your situation. There are great people on this forum that can help. I also suggest posting on the Substance abuse forum below. it's a more active forum....
http://www.medhelp.org/forums/Addiction-Substance-Abuse/show/77
Sorry it's taken so long for you to get a response. When you take more meds than are prescribed and your life begins to be disrupted because of your drug use, you need to pay attention and be concerned. Can you tell us more about your personal situation? What types of drugs are you using?
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