Four Signs You’re Suffering from Addiction

You didn’t plan to be here. You didn’t expect to one day need something so badly that your heart rate elevates at the thought of never having it again. But now you’re here and you’re asking the right questions since you found yourself on the Laguna View Detox blog looking for answers.

What is Addiction?

Addiction is generally thought of as the physical dependence on a mood-altering substance, like drugs or alcohol. If a person does not consume the substance they have a physical dependence on, their bodies start to experience withdrawal symptoms. After the physical dependence is gone, residential treatment and other addiction treatment services are offered to help tackle the emotional stuff to get down to the root of the problem. 

Signs of Addiction

You feel sick when you haven’t done drugs or alcohol in a while.

Withdrawal is one of the first signs you may notice if you suffer from addiction. This can include tremors, slurred speech, nausea, insomnia … the list goes on. On the emotional front, you can also feel empty and completely drained.

Why am I experiencing this?

The National Institute for Drug Abuse explains that your brain is made of billions of neurotransmitters. Imagine these neurotransmitters are a highway navigating through your brain. These paths allow you to do everything from forming thoughts to maintaining a regular heartbeat. When you introduce drugs into your system the foreign chemical(s) disrupts the normal flow of traffic. It’s as if a dog is trying to cross a six-lane highway, chaos would ensue and normal traffic patterns would certainly be disrupted. 

After a certain amount of time, your brain can stop healthily producing signals and becomes accustomed to the disruptions. Withdrawal is your brain’s way of signaling you to take the substance you’re addicted to so it can operate the way it thinks it’s now supposed to. 

You absolutely can’t stop even if you want to.

When your brain becomes altered by drugs or alcohol and dependent on them to function, you’ll feel compelled to do anything and everything to get a hold of the substance. Once you get a hold of it, it may never feel like enough. Like an itch you can’t scratch. 

Medical detox plays a crucial role in overcoming addiction. Laguna View Detox allows you to rid your body of drugs and alcohol in a safe environment. Our professional staff will guide you through the process every step of the way and our residential program is a great – and almost always a necessary step to take – after detox. Our staff will teach you healthy coping skills and retrain your brain to enjoy life without the aid of alcohol or drugs.

You’ve changed as a person and you don’t like it.

It’s come to the point where drugs or alcohol are all that matter. Between your lack of hygiene, unstable mood, and inability to maintain relationships, you’re feeling absolutely hopeless. You look in the mirror and hate what you see. The substances rewired your brain so severely you aren’t even taking them to get high anymore. You just don’t feel normal without them.

No amount of drugs or alcohol is enough.

Your brain is powerful and wants to protect itself. The fight between your brain trying to find balance and you trying to get high creates a tolerance. The more tolerance you have to drugs or alcohol, the more of the substance you need to feel the effects. This also makes you feel like nothing will ever be enough. 

Seek Addiction Treatment At Laguna View Detox

Drug and alcohol abuse is extremely hard to beat on your own. If you feel like you have no one to turn to and have alienated all of the people in your life, Laguna View Detox is here to help. The biggest battle will be getting yourself here but once we get the drugs and alcohol out of your system, we can help you get your life back. Contact us at Laguna View Detox today to talk to an addiction treatment professional. We want to help you!