Watching a friend or loved one fall into an addiction can be painful — heartbreaking — to witness. However, there are many cases in which this process is long and slow, and with appropriate intervention can be stopped before it becomes even more serious. Here at Next Level Recovery, we have seen so many unique individuals who have all manifested addiction differently.
However, there are several habits that come up more often than others, which are all critical indicators of substance abuse. By knowing what these bad habits are and how to identify them early, you might be able to help rescue a friend or loved one from the firm grasp of addiction.
Isolation
One very common habit that people who are moving towards addiction develop is isolating themselves from friends and family. Their isolation might occur for a number of reasons. Perhaps they feel like they want to hide their behavior from loved ones because of the stigma surrounding addiction, or perhaps the substance is giving them heightened anxiety, depression or paranoia.
Unhealthy Friendships
Drug addiction can often lead to new, unhealthy friendships. This should be particularly noticeable in a small community like we have here in Salt Lake City. If you notice a friend of yours joining a new social circle, and feel like the new friends might be bad influences, don’t hesitate to say something about it. Rather than dropping your friend, now is more important than ever to reach out and make a connection.
Cravings
If you spend a lot of time with a person, one of the most visible signs of addiction is having cravings — particularly for the substance. If you notice this person significantly increasing their desire to partake in the use of a substance, they might be slowly but surely developing an addiction. At their worst, it might take drug addiction treatment to minimize these cravings but a recovery center like Next Level Recovery can provide the resources and comfortable environment to help.
Sources:
http://luxury.rehabs.com/drug-addiction/10-most-common-drug-addiction-signs/
