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7 Early Symptoms of Addiction You Should Be Aware of

Addiction is a complex disease that affects millions of lives and makes them miserable. According to a report, around 140 million people drink alcohol, and 20% of them suffer from alcohol addiction. However, many people don’t realize they have an addiction until it becomes worse and harder to get rid of. That’s why it’s essential to keep an eye on all early symptoms of addiction to ensure you live a healthy life.

But identifying these symptoms may become difficult if you aren’t aware of what to look for. To help you in this regard, we have discussed seven early symptoms of addiction, so stay attentive to them!

Common Addiction Symptoms

Addiction is a chronic disease that deprives you of your everyday lifestyle, affecting your physical and mental health. Maryland is a mid-Atlantic state known for its abundant waterways and coastlines. But that’s not all. The state ranked 5th among the states with the best health care. So, Maryland is great for anyone seeking addiction treatment. You can eliminate your alcohol or drug addiction and keep your life on track by joining a rehab center, such as the Recovery Life Group in Maryland.

However, before treatment, you should first look at addiction symptoms to know whether you are a victim!

1.   Lack of Control

If you use alcohol or drugs frequently, you may experience a lack of control over substance usage. This is among the early symptoms of addiction and can negatively impact your overall life. You may be unable to stop taking those substances even if you want to; it doesn’t matter what the risks are.

For instance, you may find yourself unable to stick to your intended limits or rules around substance use. You might want to stop or cut back but cannot, neglecting essential responsibilities or activities.

Additionally, your lack of control at work or school can result in unemployment or expulsion. You may start lying to your partner or loved ones about your lack of control, damaging your relationships.

2.   Withdrawal Signs

Withdrawal signs or symptoms are the ones that you feel when you stop using a substance, indicating you’ve become addicted to it.

These can be behavioral and emotional, as the signs vary for every individual. Here are the most common ones:

  • Physical: shaking, nausea, vomiting, fatigue, restlessness, muscle pain, runny nose, etc.
  • Emotional: irritability, depression, anxiety, mood swings, etc.

3.   Increased Tolerance

Generally, tolerance refers to your body’s adaptation to a substance over time. When you require more than the average substance intake to feel the same euphoria, it shows you have become addicted to it. This is very dangerous, as you will likely become completely dependent on it, leading to an overdose.

4.   Preoccupation or Keeping Focus on the Substance

Another early sign of addiction is a preoccupation with the substance or behavior. This means you spend a lot of time thinking about it and planning when to engage in it next.

You may also feel that addiction has completely taken over your life as you spend most of your time craving the substance. Not only this, but these consistent substance thoughts make you withdraw from social activities and relationships that do not involve the substance or behavior.

5.   Personal Issues

If you are an alcohol or drug user and experience some negative changes in your life, it can also be a sign of addiction. For instance, you may suffer from health issues like high blood pressure, insomnia, heart issues, etc.

You can also fall victim to financial instability if you spend most of your fortune purchasing substances. All this can adversely impact your relationships and workspace, causing many personal life issues.

6.   Hiding Substance Usage

People who are addicted often try to hide their substance use or behavior from others. You may become secretive about your activities and try to conceal your substance use from friends and family. This behavior often indicates that your substance use is an addiction.

7.   Lack of Energy and Motivation

Lack of motivation and energy is also one of the early symptoms of addiction, which is caused by changes in the brain’s chemistry.

When you become addicted to a substance, the dopamine neurons in your brain are activated. They make you feel like your dose is a reward and lead to decreased motivation and energy for activities that used to bring you pleasure. You start losing interest in things you used to enjoy, such as hobbies or socializing with friends and family.

Conclusion

The early symptoms of addiction include a lack of motivation, having consistent thoughts about substances, personal issues, increased tolerance, and more.

Recognizing these symptoms is essential to ensuring you get adequate support and treatment before things get out of hand.