Signs and Symptoms of a Drug Addiction

Do you have an addiction? The question shouldn't be hard to answer. There are fairly clear lines between an addiction and a casual behavior. According to substance abuse expert Chris Prentiss, addiction is "the compulsive, physiological need for and use of a habit-forming substance. It is characterized by tolerance and well-defined physiological symptoms upon withdrawal."

Of course, people often say that their addiction really isn't compulsive. They can stop anytime, they say. That's why tolerance and withdrawal symptoms are so useful in identifying an addiction.

Tolerance. When you take a habit-forming substance regularly, your body eventually accommodates the substance. You don't get the same feeling you originally got, or at least not the same strength of feeling. This does not mean that you are getting stronger and can handle the drug. Instead, your body is becoming dependent on the drug. Some people addicted to certain drugs may even die if they stop taking the drug suddenly.

Withdrawal symptoms. According to Prentiss, different addictions have different withdrawal symptoms. The list of possible withdrawal symptoms is very long, stretching from watery eyes to delirium and even death, depending on the substance, the length of the addiction, and the user.

In short, if you're not sure if you're addicted your best bet may be to ask yourself these two questions:

1.Do I get the same experience from the substance I got when I first started on it?
2.When I stop taking the substance on a regular basis, do I feel worse, emotionally or physically?
If you can answer yes to either of those questions, you may be addicted.

So, you're addicted. Now what?

Abstention and Risk of Relapse

One of the biggest myths about addictions is that they're easy to stop. Of course, we all are supposed to know that addiction is a disease. But deep down, even among addicts, lies the belief that you just have to stop taking the substance.

If it were only that simple. Every day, addicts everywhere decide to stop. That is, they abstain. But all but a few addicts who abstain will start using the substance again. Why is relapse so common?