Drug addiction is a serious matter that should not be overlooked nor judged. You may not understand the signs of drug addiction or how someone can become addicted to drugs in the first place. You must not judge those who have this disease but rather offer support or help for those in need.
Before you can offer support, you first need to understand what drug addiction is and common drug addiction signs.
What is Drug Addiction?
Drug addiction can happen at any age, from infant to elder. Infants are often addicted while in the womb if their biological mothers are using drugs while they are pregnant or are breathing in second-hand drug smoke while pregnant.
Once drugs have entered the body, the brain starts to change as the drug affects the brain’s ability to reason with dopamine, a chemical that’s released when someone feels good.
As a person continues to misuse drugs, their brain realigns to stop feel-good cells from naturally being produced. In return, the drug user needs to use more substances to get the same high as they first felt when taking the drug.
With the brain realigning, the misuse of these drugs will start to hurt the person using drugs. They may no longer seem like the same person, act differently, or no longer enjoy the things they once did.
The Signs of Drug Addiction
When you think of drugs, you may naturally gravitate towards illegal substances, such as heroin, cocaine, LSD, or others.
However, illegal street drugs aren’t the only causes of addiction. Prescription medications are addictive as well.
Your doctor may prescribe prescription medication if you get sick or injured. They will usually tell you only to use medicine for a certain amount of days. You must stick to the detailed regimen given by the practitioner. Not doing so can cause drug addiction.
The signs of drug addiction vary from person to person, but in general, these bulleted drug addiction signs will help you understand if someone is affected:
- Their body craves the drug
- As the drug wears off, they feel depressed, sick, have fevers, or headaches
- Even when they want to, they continue to believe they need the substance
- They steal things or lie to those they love to pay for more drugs
- Addicts sometimes act recklessly or out of character
- They ask for help or share their addiction with someone they trust
Who Can Become Addicted to Drugs?
Some people say they are immune to drugs and addiction won’t happen to them. While this sounds good in theory, it’s simply not true.
Many factors influence whether someone becomes addicted to the drug. Regardless of the circumstances, if you continue to misuse the drug, addiction has likely already formed.The following are some of the factors that may influence addiction:
- Biology — If someone is born with a mental disorder, they have a higher risk of becoming addicted to drugs.
- Development — If someone starts to misuse illegal or prescription drugs while their body is still developing, they put themselves at higher risk for addiction.
- Environment — They say who you hang out with is who you are, and while that may not be necessarily true, it is a determining factor. The people you spend time with have a significant influence on you. If someone is hanging around people who are using drugs, they have a higher likelihood of trying and misusing as well.
If you know someone who has become addicted to drugs, shows signs of drug addiction, or is not capable of getting help on their own, they need professional help. Contact us, and we will help get them on the correct recovery path.
