We all think we know what the signs of addiction are; things like bloodshot eyes, sleeping in because of a hangover, and being very sluggish overall. But there are some signs of addiction that you might not think are indicators that someone you love has a monkey on their back.
It’s helpful to understand the uncommon behavioral signs of addiction so that you can better help a loved one who might be sliding into addiction.
1. Problems Sleeping
When someone is addicted to any kind of substance, it can take over their thought processes and cause them to obsess over how they can get their substance of choice.
They also often lose sleep over their perception that other people are judging them and, even more importantly, how they are starting to feel about themselves. Those kinds of thoughts only serve to make them want to self-medicate even more, and all of that can cause many a sleepless night.
2. Problems with Work or School
While some addicts can still function effectively at work or school, most experience performance problems. They can’t concentrate effectively, and that means their work will suffer.
When loved ones ask about any issues they might be having, they often have an excuse ready to explain it. That takes the focus off of any other reasons behind their problems, but only for a while. Eventually, the addict’s poor performance will catch up with them, and they may flunk out of school or lose their job as a result.
3. Repetition, Repetition, Repetition
Repetitive speech patterns are another uncommon behavioral sign of addiction. Addicts are often uncertain of whether or not they are expressing themselves clearly, and that’s why they frequently repeat themselves.
Additionally, they may slur their words and mumble so that others can’t understand what they’re saying. Basically, the regions of the brain that underlie addiction also support cognitive functions like learning, memory, and reasoning.
Addiction eventually causes cognitive deficits that make it difficult for an addict to establish sustained abstinence, and those also result in speech patterns that are incoherent and sometimes repetitive.
4. Malnourishment
When an individual becomes addicted to a substance, they often neglect other aspects of their health, including nutrition. As a result, they may suffer from the effects of malnutrition.
They might develop vitamin deficiencies, for example, and suffer from the after-effects of those problems. They may lose weight, and malnutrition causes cognitive decline as the brain lacks the nutrition it needs to function efficiently.
5. Community Changes
Addicts will also typically make changes in the friends with whom they associate. It’s not uncommon for them to feel judged by close family members and old friends, so they choose to associate with people who are also involved in substance abuse.
Unfortunately, it is those people who typically encourage more substance use, and they also make it difficult for an addict to stop. That’s why most treatment programs emphasize social changes to help an addict stop using.
Sober Sidekick = Positive Community Support
Sober Sidekick is an app and social media platform for more than 150,000 recovering addicts who know the score. They won’t judge an addict, but they also won’t enable bad behavior, and that has a positive effect on the recovering addict.
They offer support and tips for getting and staying sober, and they also offer a shoulder to cry on when the going gets tough. They’ve seen it all and done much of it themselves, which helps them be the positive community support that an addict needs to get clean. Give it a try today for a sober tomorrow!
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