When substance addiction develops, it begins as a pleasurable activity where the individuals take alcohol or drugs to improve their mood and behavior, and for emotional stability.
However, it gets to the point where they need to increase their intake of these substances because they need more to achieve the desired level of ‘excitement’.
Here are some of the signs of substance addiction
Physical signs
Anyone addicted to substances is likely to have bloodshot eyes, sudden weight loss or weight gain, inability to sleep properly, change in complexion, and poor personal hygiene.
These physical signs are easily noticeable when you see someone struggling with either drug or alcohol addiction.
Behavioral signs
One of the common behavioral signs of substance addiction is isolation or secretive behavior. This means that they will prefer to keep to themselves instead of staying around people.
Most times, it is also because they don’t want people to keep talking about their addictive behavior. It could also be due to being accountable to some of their close loved ones. So, they will prefer to use those substances in private.
Another behavioral sign is ignoring responsibilities. Substance addiction can make someone negligent in their duties at work, school, or home.
Financial distress is another behavioral sign of substance addiction. This is when the individual lacks the financial capacity to keep their addiction going.
Hence, they keep taking loans and spending more than necessary to fund their alcohol or drug addiction.
Psychological symptoms
Depression and anxiety are common psychological symptoms that come with substance addiction. Another symptom is low self-esteem. People addicted to substances struggle with keeping their confidence levels high.
It is quite unusual for an addicted individual to make good decisions. According to research, drugs, and alcohol affects a person’s judgment.
Therefore, they are likely to do things that will not go down well with the people around them. Worse still, they might not see anything wrong with their decisions, and it will be hard to convince them of their mistakes.