Addiction is the biggest weakness that one could possess, may it be of sex, alcohol, drugs, video games or anything else. But the list is not limited to liquor and drugs; there are many other things that a person might get addicted to. Now, the question is how do we get to know that we are addicted to something?
We’ll tell you how. Check out the points below:
1. You will always find a way to do it
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First of all, whatever it is that you are addicted to, you will find a way to do it, be it the right method or the wrong one, but, you will always and without any gap do that thing.
2. You can’t even imagine your life without it.
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There is a fragile line between enjoying a particular thing and getting addicted to it. When you enjoy something, then you can imagine your life without it because you were doing it on a temporary basis and life could be a little annoying without it, but you can still manage.
On the contrary, when you are addicted to something, you are so dependent on that activity or whatever it is that you don’t even have the capacity to bear the thought of its absence from your life. That is how addiction works.
3. You will keep doing it in spite of the negative consequences.
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You will be very well aware of the fact that that particular thing or activity will have negative consequences shortly.
But despite the awareness, you will either ignore the facts or justify the problem, leading to the continuation of the addiction.
4. Fun-filled activities of the past don’t interest you anymore.
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The things that exhilarated you and made you happy and cheerful previously do not excite you anymore (probably because you know that your addiction won’t be available to you during that span of time).
For instance, going with your friends might seem boring as they don’t do drugs unlike you.
5. You cut off your social and family life.
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You have become so involved in your addiction that you start giving all your time and energy to that and have no attention of shifting your attention and focus to anything else in the whole world, not even to your family and friends.
6. You suffer severely in an attempt to stop.
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It’s not that you are not aware of the damages caused by the addiction. And therefore there are a few addicts who decide to stop its use altogether. But, the sufferings after that are incredibly terrible.
For instance, in a case of heroin withdrawal, addicts suffer severe flu-like symptoms for a couple of days, cutting off alcohol causes tremors that last up to one month or more.
7. You have planned to get out of it many times but, never succeeded.
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It’s like saying that you will go on a diet from tomorrow and end up eating large cheese pizza the next day.
You do plan to get out of the current situation and the troubles that addiction is causing you both physically and mentally, but unfortunately, you can’t be harsh on yourself.
The best part is that if you find out about your addiction in the initial stages then, it is a lot easier for you to give up on it.
So, once you have checked with these points and come to the conclusion that you do have an addiction to anything, then, your first step should be to consult medical help as soon as possible. Also feel free to talk about it with at least one person who you can trust and rely on be it your family or friend.
Although, many a times addicts do not seek treatment because they cannot imagine a life without the addiction and they are not ready to stop the very use of it. But, they need to understand that life would be much simpler and happier without it. Do it for people who love you and most importantly for your good.
(Feature Image Courtesy: Pathways Plett Rehab)
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