Hello Folks! Mental health is now becoming the topic of discussion in a lot of homes, work spaces, schools and research. As you must be aware, we are living in an age of anxiety, depression, addiction and a whole range of mental health issues. With more and more people facing multiple problems at a time and recieving dual or more diagnoses, Addiction to drugs and alcohol is an area that is being highlighted. Rehabs in India are increasing day by day, with people from all walks of life, socioeconomic backgrounds and classes are turning towards rehabilitation centers to help them live a better life. Inspite of this, many people are unclear as to what addiction really is, how it shows and have unscientific fixed beliefs about addiction. In this article, we wish to highlight the common signs of addiction. Please note that to recieve or confirm a diagnosis, you would need to visit a mental health professional, who can help you into appropriate and evidence based treatment.
1. Craving for substance
The individual starts to crave for drugs or alcohol with increased frequency. Many substances have a physical dependency which means the body requires the substance and is dependent on it, whereas for some substances the dependency is psychological. Craving takes the form of a physical feeling of want, an impulse to take the substance, and repetitive thoughts about the substance. There is a pronounced discomfort when the person does not get the substance. This discomfort can be physical as well as psychological or emotional.
Quantity of substance may not be such a deciding factor for addiction, as much as craving is. However, with most substances, as quantity and frequency of use increases, craving is bound to increase.
2. Tolerance for the substance
Tolerance means how much substance does one need to feel the effects of intoxication. As the addiction progresses, the body gets used to the level of substance and requires more and more to feel the ‘high’. So previously a person would feel the effects in maybe three pegs of alcohol or one joint of marijuana, but over a period of time, they will need five or seven pegs or two to three joints. As tolerance increases, comsumption also increases. Some people take a long time to build tolerance, whereas some people become tolerant to the quantity quickly. Some substances such as heroin also are quicker in the sense that the body needs more, quite soon in the process of addiction whereas some are slower such as marijuana or alcohol.
3. Withdrawals
When the substance is not taken at the desired time or after regular intervals, the body reacts with physical distress. Withdrawal is different for different substances. For alcohol addiction, withdrawals may look like tremors, nausea, headaches, digestive issues, etc. For different drugs the withdrawal may vary. There can be sweating, increased heart rate, dizziness, pain, muscle tension, stomachache, sudden jerks,diarrhea, vomitting, menstrual problems, and may other issues. Psychologically, there may be mood swings, irritability, agitation, anxiety, and so on. In severe cases there may also be hallucinations or delusions. The body craves for the substance intensely during withdrawals, and as the disease progresses, the withdrawals also get worse.
4. Loss of interest in pleasurable activities
The substance starts to become the sole focus of the person and their lives start to revolve around the substance. As the brain’s reward system gets changed, the person loses interest in activities which were pleasurable to them before. Hobbies, motivation for work, interests and creative impulses are lost, and gradually the only or the main source of pleasure becomes the substance. In addicts who are high functioning, there may still be interest in some areas of life such as professional life or some hobby, but majorly their pleasure comes from the substance. The brain is slowly becoming dependent on the substance for its dopamine hit and the person becomes a shell of the person they used to be. Their decisions about where to go or not go, what to do, the people they meet or dont, everything is influenced by the substance.
5. Emotional Instability or Behavioral dysfunction
Addiction as it progresses, starts to impact one’s cognition, emotion and behavior. Emotional instability can show up as emotional supression (pushing ones feelings down) or avoiding coping through substance, and also unhealthy ways of emotional expression. Anger outbursts, feeling low or depressed, anxious, fearful or panicked, guilty may be the usual emotions that one struggles to deal with. The person may even go into resentment, shame, or go deeply and emotionally into the past or the future. Substance becomes a coping mechanism for emotions that cant be dealt with appropriately. Behavioral dysfunction is also bound to occur as the thoughts and emotions are impacted. Work performance, social life, involvement with the fanoly or community, sexual life, all areas grafually deteriorate.
Although there are many other signs of drug or alcohol addiction, these are the common ones. The solution for addiction is proper, evidence based treatment which entails a change in lifestyle, space away from triggers, psychological and if needed pharmacological intervention. Addiction is a multifaceted disease in which there is a systemic imbalance in Cognition, emotion and behavior. Hence treatment needs to be inclusive of all other issues faced by the individual.
Addiction detox and treatment is offered in multiple rehabs in India . Rehabilitation centers in Mumbai, Delhi, Pune, Hyderabad or Bengaluru offer some of the best treatment facilities in the country. At ZorbaCare, a rehabilitation center in Pune, our team of experts aims to work at the root causes of addiction, placing importance on holistic treatment, thorough psychological assessment and therapuetic interventions. Our focus is to uplift mental health in totality and not just work on addiction, thus making a person psychologically healthy to face any stressors or challenges in their lives.