Addiction Recovery Symptoms

Addiction is a widespread disease, not limited to drug and alcohol abuse, as many mistakenly believe. There are many symptoms of addiction. If you or a loved one exhibit three or more addiction symptoms within a one-year period, you should look into treatment and recovery options. It is important to keep in mind that recovery is a long-term process that requires the addict to receive a lot of support each step of the way.

Identification

• Addiction is a complex disease that involves psychological and often physical dependence. Addicts act in unhealthy, compulsive behavior patterns that they continue to do uncontrollably. Addiction involves chronic over-stimulation through too much sex, drugs, alcohol, gambling, cigarettes and more. Eating disorders are another type of addiction. They involve eating too much or too little and possibly overexercising.

Misconceptions

• Most people think addictions are limited to drug and alcohol abuse. The truth is that millions of people suffer from many kinds of addictions. For example, you might not believe that excessive shopping, gambling or Internet use could be addictions. When a person cannot control how much he shops, gambles or uses the Internet, however, this person suffers from an addiction. No one chooses to have an addiction; it is a disease.

Symptoms

• There are many signs that you may have an addiction. One is that you are unable to meet responsibilities at school, the office or home. You engage in destructive behavior even though it is dangerous. You need to engage in this behavior more often to feel the same feeling you had when you first started it. You have tried to stop your destructive behavior but failed. You continue to engage in the behavior even when you are acutely aware of the dangers involved.

Prevention/Solution

• If you or someone you love exhibits at least three addiction symptoms within one year, there are many recovery options. Inpatient and outpatient treatment centers exist to help those with drug and alcohol addictions and eating disorders. These treatment centers offer medical support, individual and group counseling and other programs designed to aid long-term addiction recovery. Sober living and halfway houses are other options for drug and alcohol addicts who want to live in a community of recovering addicts. Individual counseling helps addicts identify the root causes of their destructive behaviors and learn coping skills to stop them. Twelve-step meetings offer group support for many different kinds of addictions (see Resources below for a 12-step group directory).

Warning

• If someone you care about exhibits addiction symptoms, it is important to keep in mind that you cannot simply force him to stop the destructive behavior. The cause of addiction is normally an attempt to avoid painful emotions that will surface during recovery. Many addicts go through periods of withdrawal in recovery. An addict recovering from drug addiction, for example, may experience very intense drug cravings and depression. Without receiving adequate treatment for addiction, an addict can easily relapse. Make sure your loved one receives ongoing support from many sources during the entire recovery process.