Addiction is a very serious illness that affects millions of people every year. The physical and psychological components as well as past trauma and triggers are very complex and easily misunderstood. Those with addiction are often unfairly judged and have great difficulty finding the appropriate care and services for their addiction. Those close to the addict also suffer greatly as watching someone you love go through something so serious and life-threatening, while often lacking the tools and knowledge to be able to support them, is difficult and painful. It can often be hard for someone with an addiction to admit it to others, or to themselves, or to even realize they have an addiction.
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Importance
One of the first signs of addiction is how important it has become in your life. If there is clearly one thing in your life that is more important than everything else this could possibly mean that it has become addicting. Importance, in this sense, is not about value but about priority. You may value your family and friends over all else in life, that's not an addiction. Prioritizing a particular substance or activity over everything else may well be a sign of addiction. A good way to judge this is to examine how much of your time you spend thinking about it. If you often find yourself thinking about when and where will be able to partake in the activity next, even if you have recently indulged, then it may be a problem. If you find yourself in this situation you may want to seek out addiction treatment in Lexington to receive professional help.
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Interruption
Is this something that is getting in the way of the rest of your life even when you don't want it to? Addiction will take priority over everything else, loved ones, work, and recreation included. If this one thing is keeping you from spending time with family or seeing your friends, or if you find yourself taking more days off work or even not going grocery shopping as often as you should, then it may be an addiction. It may also help to think about how much time you used to spend doing these things versus how much you do them now.
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Difficulty of Stopping
Another good way to determine if something has become addictive is if you find it impossible or difficult to stop. How you feel about stopping is especially telling. If the thought makes you feel anxious or upset or worried then it may be a problem. If you try to stop and feel sick, in pain, out of place, unable to function properly, or intensely uncomfortable, these could also be warning signs of an addiction. Anything that you cannot stop of your own free will at any time is problematic.
Although addiction is very serious and can be life-threatening, there is hope. There are many treatment options that exist for those who wish to partake. It will be a long and difficult journey, but absolutely worth it!
