Everyone has heard of “hitting bottom.” There’s no debate about whether or not someone has a severe addiction. However, there’s a huge spectrum of behaviors and consequences when dealing with addiction and dependence. Mild or moderate addiction may not be as easy to recognize.

Illicit drugs are one thing, but prescription drugs also complicate the matter. Can you be addicted to a drug that you are prescribed by a doctor? If you are taking an opiate for chronic pain, you will become physically dependent on the drug. Does physical dependence translate to addiction?

No one wants to be labeled and addict, thus the concept of drug addict denial. This concept states that drug addicts have a hard time admitting that they are addicted, no matter how obvious it is to everyone else. Additionally, an addict by nature may not be analyzing situations with a clear and sober mind. So how do you know if you have a problem?

To determine whether substance dependence is an issue, take some time and evaluate these factors.

Inability to Stop or Control Use

Perhaps you’ve tried to stop using drugs or alcohol and failed. Perhaps you promised yourself that you would quit, and you find yourself going into work on a Wednesday with a hangover.

There are two reasons why you can’t stop or slow down. First, it could be a physical dependence. If you experience withdrawal symptoms when you try to stop or cut back, you may return to usage so you will feel normal again. Second is psychological dependence. You may experience intense cravings and feel depression without the substance. In many cases, physical and psychological dependence both play a part in not being able to stop.

Your Social Life Suffers

When you have an addiction, you begin to pull away from the people that you love. Your old hobbies aren’t really interesting to you anymore. You may make friends with people with similar habits, and you will find yourself avoiding people in your life that don’t use these substances.

Excessive Use

You take your usage too far. Your health may suffer as a result. You may do things that you regret when you are sober. This is a vicious cycle because you find yourself using more to mask your feelings about what you’ve done.

Downplaying Usage

You will also find yourself trying to hide how much you are using from your friends and family, sometimes even yourself. You are hiding it because you know that it’s too much, but you aren’t ready to be confronted about it.

Sacrifices

You may find yourself spending money on your pills or alcohol and not being able to pay your bills. You’ll begin to sacrifice small things like groceries or buying new clothes. More severe cases may start pawning or selling items that you still enjoy. You may end up losing your job because you can’t function well enough to make it to work.

Living in this digital age, using technology to aid in recovery would be a great idea, especially that technology is touching many aspects of our lives. There are many apps that could help in one’s recovery journey, such as New2Recovery for Addictions for iinstance.

If you believe you’ve moved from occasional use to dependence, there is help available. You are not alone in the struggle against addiction. Contact Beachside Rehab. You can visit their drug rehab facility in Florida and find out if you need their help.