Health classes really ought to teach people what the beginning stages of addiction are like because a lot of people donât realize theyâre addicted to something until theyâre years deep into it.
Signs you might be getting addicted to something:
If you go without it you feel unwell in a way that you never usually feel unwell. Sweating, tired, sleepy, headaches, irritable, depressed, etc. For example when I was in opium withdrawal I got incredibly depressed in a way that Iâve never been before or since. When you quit caffeine you might get super bad headaches even if you never usually get any headaches.
Thoughts of it regularly bother you and the thoughts go away once youâve taken it but only temporarily. Unlike with a food craving which usually stays away once youâve satisfied it or distracted yourself from it.
You find yourself rationalizing with yourself why you should break your own rules about how much you can take and how often. For example you might only let yourself drink alcohol every four days but start thinking that three days is actually close enough to four days, right? Especially if this happens regularly.
Youâre using it so often that you feel the need to lie about how much you use because other people might think itâs concerning
If the substance or activity is nearby itâs genuinely difficult to not consume it or participate in it in a way thatâs really frustrating.
You feel bad when youâre not on it and your brain tells you âif you just take the thing you wouldnât feel this wayâ
You can only feel âwholeâ or ânormalâ when youâre on a substance even though itâs a recreational drug
And if you read this and think you might be addicted to something, donât panic and donât feel ashamed. Realizing youâre addicted to something isnât a failure. Itâs more information about your health that you can use to manage your condition, whether you want to get rid of your addiction or not.
