Feeling enjoyment and having fun doesn’t have anything pathological. Everybody has the feelings, as well as, the potential. Engaging in pleasurable activities isn’t inherently wrong. But, when a neutral or positive activity takes a negative turn, that’s where the line between addiction and the activity lies.
Whether it’s eating healthy, social media, watching Netflix, having sex, playing video games, or consuming junk food, there is a line for these activities where a person crosses to the negative territory. Even addictive behaviors where no chemical substances are involved, some conditions take a series that can be used to gauge severity.
When a person crosses the line and goes to the negative territory, that’s the time to seek rehab for men AddictionResource.com or women. But, it’s not always easy to make this decision. That’s because addictive substances change how the brain functions. Thus, a person might not have control over their life. Nevertheless, professional intervention can help save a life that would otherwise be ruined by an addiction.
Addiction Is An Illness
Addiction is an illness that has many harmful behaviors and conditions. Just like other illnesses, doctors look for certain symptoms to diagnose addiction. But, the major symptom of any addiction is simply a problematic use pattern. This leads to distress or impairment that is clinically significant. Specific symptoms of addiction may vary depending on the behavior or substance that is responsible for the addiction. Nevertheless, addiction has certain general symptoms.
If unsure whether you or a loved one is addicted, here are signs to tell you that you need professional assistance.
Importance
What importance level does the addictive substance has in your life and sense of self? Evaluating the amount of substance you use is one way to determine how important it is. You can also do so by evaluating the things you’re not doing due to the influence of the substance. In this case, priority is the same as importance.
Reward Response
Do you feel better when you use the substance? Does it make you feel in control or do you feel worse when you don’t do something or use the addictive substance? Scientific research includes relinquishing control in the definition of addiction. That’s because a person relinquishes control to the addictive substance that becomes their master.
You feel better when you do the things you enjoy. An activity has a positive payoff physically. And this can obscure negative consequences.
Prevalence
You’re addicted to something if you do it longer or more often than you planned originally. By the time a person decides to seek help from a women’s or men’s rehabilitation center, they already have a never-enough compulsion. A person carves more space for the addictive substance or activity when they keep saying “just a little more.” But, a person takes the knife for other things to carve out more time for addictive substances or activities.
Cessation
A person is addicted if they feel uncomfortable or anxious if they can’t do something or take the addictive substance. These feelings are also felt when a person thinks about doing something addictive. This is known as anxiety disorder and it may be characterized by feelings of fear and anxiety. When a person is anxious, they are worried about a future event. Fear is a response to a current event or situation. Both fear and anxiety can have physical symptoms. These can include shakiness and increased heart rate.
Considering life without the addictive substance or activity is a great way to determine how important they have become. The initial physical or emotional response could be highly instructive. When a person anticipates pain and panic at a higher level, it means that the addictive substance or activity has a stronger hold on them.
Disruption
Maybe doing something has disrupted relationships and life in general. This might even be the reason a person decides to seek help from a women’s or men’s phoenix rehabilitation center. Addiction is a problem that can wreak havoc in every aspect of the life of a person.
Think of life as a full drawer with old-school hanging folders. This drawer has space for many files. Whenever a file that is known as “Checking in”, “Video Games”, “Facebook”, or “Texting” is added, the other folders have to be pushed around to create room for the new one.
This drawer has files known as “Family”, “Work”, “Sleep”, and “Chores”. But, some of these files are not fun. They are heavy and thick. What’s more, they take up more space in the drawer. And, when more files are added and packed into the drawer, more pressure is put on the people and things that are already there.
Reverting
By the time a person decides to get help with female or male addiction, they have already noticed this sign in their life. Reverting is simply saying that you will do something else but end up doing the addictive thing. You might even do it more. The drawer for virtual files has an already made room for something pleasurable and fun, or even distracting. Therefore, thoughts of depriving yourself of it bring many reasons and rationales to prove that this is not the right time to quit.
The Bottom Line
These signs indicate that a person has an addiction problem. Addiction can be described as a behavior that takes control over the life of a person. That’s why an addict may not decide to join a drug or alcohol rehab for men unless something serious happens in their life. For instance, some people decide to seek help with addiction when their loved ones express concerns. Others are prompted to change when addictive substances start taking a toll on their life.
When a person doesn’t have the addictive substance or chemical, their fears, preferences, anxieties, and pleasures take the center stage. And, this clouds their ability to make reasoned decisions or better judgments. So, if you or a person you care about believes that they are battling an addiction that is affecting their health and life quality negatively, this is the time to get professional assistance from inpatient/outpatient facilities or sober living home aftercare programs.