6 Warning Situations That Your Loved One Could Be An Addict

If we’ve never struggled with addiction or if you don’t know someone who has, it could be possible to overlook some signs which can indicate that a loved one is suffering from this disease. Sometimes love can distract us from things we don’t feel prepared to see or handle, as a result, we avoid facing unpleasant circumstances. A great example is dealing with an addiction or an addict. In most cases, a long time goes by until we can actually acknowledge what’s going on and no matter how we get to it, it will be a tough realization to come to.

Addiction is something that we don’t want to face, either out of embarrassment or shame, we subconsciously tell ourselves that it’s something that could never happen to us or our family. Unfortunately, as a disease, it can affect anyone, regardless of gender, race or nationality, and the sooner we can identify whether we’re living with an addict at home or not, the faster we can approach to the best solution without seeing our relationship collapse or be affected beyond repair.

Here are 6 signs to tell if your spouse or loved one is dealing with addiction.

There are changes in his or her appearance

Starting to notice negative changes in someone’s appearance doesn’t necessarily mean that that person is an addict, but it might be something we should keep an eye on. If we notice there is a feel of disdain to how much they care about their looks, or very important aspects such as hygiene, grooming or things like rapid weight loss or weight gain, could be a sign that something’s not quite right.

Surely, everyone goes through problems and how they react to them can vary from one person to another, they don’t always mean addiction right away, but they could be signs that your loved one is heading there. These type of changes could also mean the person you love is dealing with depression or concerns; therefore, it is always important to keep in mind that as a disease, addiction can happen to anyone and turn the blind eye on the signs will not do any good.

There are changes in his or her personality

A drastic change in your loved one’s personality is definitely a sign that something is not right. However, it does not mean that due to a bad mood or a stressful day we should believe that we’re dealing with addiction. But as a loved one, and based on our experience dealing with them frequently, we can determine if the behavior we’re noticing is extremely out of the blue, or just something that happens every now and then for external reasons.

A big change in their social life, where they show apathy or withdrawal, can suggest depression but it can also mean an addiction. Neglecting normal responsibilities or tasks at home or at work, an overall lack of interest and loss of priorities are signs that you should be on the lookout for.

It is always important to be attentive to these changes since acts speak louder than words and they can lead us to discover that someone we love needs help

Mood swings or emotional instability

Emotional instability is one of the signs we should pay the most attention to. Attitudes like paranoia, aggressive or anxious moods that come out of should be red flags for us. It is very important that we try to approach them in an understanding and calm way to see if maybe there are any stressful or bad situations they may be going through or if the mood swings are indicative of something like an addiction.

You should also note when they act secretive, guilty or depressive. Both negative attitudes and mood swings are a dangerous combination that can lead to a bath path. Other signs you should pay close attention to are: change in the sexual appetite, erratic behavior or sudden and big changes in their finances, remember that this is something that must be approached delicately and it will definitely require professional help.

Secretiveness

There’s a common belief that says if we’ve got something to hide, we might be doing something wrong. Although it does not necessarily apply to every single situation we deal with, given a specific context it can help us to pinpoint if something other than the boundaries of privacy is being enforced in the household.

A secretive behavior along with signs such as the ones mentioned previously is something that is best to look into, even if it does not mean addiction, it can mean your loved one is going through a rough patch but it is afraid of being judged.

It is very important that if we notice this type of behavior we never fall into the webs of the blame-game; pressure and constant ‘nagging’ can drive that person away and push them deeper into what they hide. A strong bond built with honesty will ensure a better outcome when handled with love and patience than with stress and anxiety.

Abnormal energy levels

Drastic and extreme variations of energy levels and physical attitude, being too high and active one day, and too low or passive on others is worth our suspicion. Excessive periods of sleep or no sleep at all, as well as a sudden talkativeness at an inappropriate time, might suggest the effects of a stimulating substance with potential addictive characteristics.

At the end of the day, it also depends on the type of intoxicant, but strong spontaneous changes in the sleeping pattern or bursts of manic activities are definitely signs to watch out for.

Negative changes in lifestyle & strange objects

If we notice that the bills are starting to pile up, that the basic household tasks easily are taken care of are neglected or that our loved one is having issues at work (like taking an abnormal amount of days off, or on the contrary, working or disappearing for extremely long hours) we should be very weary. These are major alert signs of a possible addiction.

Losing the order of priorities combined with a financial deficit and disregard for responsibilities is a strong sign of an addiction and should be treated with high concern. Overall the previously listed signs, the lack of interest in what society holds necessary for a normal life, for example losing our jobs, taking care of ourselves or communicate with our close ones, is definitely something to worry about.

Addiction can happen to anyone and acknowledge the possibility is the first thing we must do. If you find empty bottles, needles, or weird substances around don’t try it as something normal, even though you should approach the subject carefully, don’t dismiss it until it becomes a problem that feels too big to handle.

Having our eyes wide open and never letting denial take the lead in our relationship can set the first brick on a strong and steady construction of a fort that will hold against hard times. If you feel that your spouse or someone you love is dealing with addiction there are many things that you can do immediately to ensure a healthy and successful recovery, it is very important that you seek help and get to an addiction recovery program

If you’d like to ask a question or would simply want to suggest other signs we might have overlooked, feel free to leave a comment below.