Drug Abuse Treatment Centers: 6 Signs You Need Rehab

Identifying drug abuse or dependence in yourself or a loved one and determining when drug abuse treatment or drug rehab is appropriate is not an easy task. Physical drug addiction signs can differ depending on the type of drug being abused. While physical signs are indicators that drug use and abuse is occurring, they may not be the best indicator as to whether full-blown drug rehab is the next step. In addition to physical symptoms, the other important signs most professionals use to determine if you need treatment are usually psychological or behavioral in nature. The most important thing to remember is that if you are wondering whether or not you need rehab, you may need to speak to a professional. At the very least, you should check out local drug programs and talk to your doctor as soon as possible to find out what drug abuse treatment centers are available to you so you can get started on the road to recovery as quickly as possible.

1) Tolerance and Withdrawal

One of the earliest signs is a tolerance of drugs. Most drug programs have proven that if you continue to need larger doses of the drug over time to achieve the same effect, you have developed a tolerance, and you should start thinking about drug abuse treatment. Although this alone may not be enough of a reason for entering rehab, it is a good indicator that you may need it. Getting involved with one of the many outpatient drug programs available might help. Tolerance can become dangerous as time progresses because you may require such large doses of the drug that you are in jeopardy of overdosing. Signs of withdrawal often go hand in hand with tolerance. If you ever start to experience any psychological or physical symptoms of withdrawal when you do not take the drug, such as sweating, nausea, or trembling, you may want to consider making an appointment to speak with someone at a local rehab facility to inquire about the various drug programs offered.

2) Loss of Control

Loss of control often occurs when signs of tolerance and withdrawal symptoms are present. When you promise yourself and others that you will cut back on your drug use or stop altogether, only to discover that you cannot control your urges, it may be a sign that you are ready for early drug abuse treatment. When you are incapable of stopping or cutting back on your drug use despite your best intentions, you may begin to feel like you’ve lost control. You may have been able to keep your drug use private or discreet, but because an addiction may be present, keeping it secret is likely very difficult. If you feel like you have lost control and need help, consider checking into an inpatient facility. Outpatient drug programs are a good alternative as well if you do not have the money for inpatient therapy. You can read our official guide on inpatient vs. outpatient drug treatment to better understand the benefits of each program.

3) Neglecting Other Activities

When you are at the point where you are spending less time participating in the things you once loved to do, you may be ready for drug rehab, even if you are currently involved in an any of the local drug programs. Getting, taking, and hiding drugs may start to take up more and more of your time, focus, and energy, leaving you little time or energy to engage in the simple things you once enjoyed, like going to a movie or hanging out with friends. It is also possible that the people you do spend time with have addiction or dependency issues of their own. If you are experiencing these signs, it is most certainly time to look into rehab. Drug addicts who don’t seek professional treatment tend to find themselves isolated from those who don’t use drugs because they simply don’t have the time or mental focus to think about anything besides drugs. Once they have taken the drugs, they tend to stay away from the people who care about them the most, as those are usually the ones who will try to get them to enroll in some type of drug abuse treatment center. Since most addicts have tried at one point or another to get off the drugs on their own, they are well aware of what withdrawal symptoms feel like. No matter how much they want to stop at this point, knowing the pain of withdrawal ahead of them is oftentimes enough to keep them on drugs and away from drug programs.

4) Stealing to Support a Habit

As your addiction progresses, you may begin to have trouble funding your addiction. Feeding an addiction is expensive, even to those who are wealthy. If you have ever considered stealing from your family members, friends, or employer to feed your addiction, this is a sign that you should consider enrolling in one of the local drug programs or outpatient drug abuse treatment centers as soon as possible. If this pattern of stealing continues, you may lose your friends, your job, or members of your family. Before losing it all, it is best to admit that you are a good candidate for drug rehab and start the process of seeking help.

5) Continued Use Despite Negative Consequences

All of the other signs you need drug abuse treatment lead up to this one: a continued pattern of behavior despite any negative consequences that have come from it. By this time, drugs have caused significant changes in your life. Your marriage or your relationship with your family and friends may be damaged. You may also suffer from significant health problems due to excessive drug use. It is possible that you’ve lost your job or your job is in jeopardy because of your repeated drug use. If you are experiencing these symptoms of addiction and still have not been able to end your addiction, it is time to enter treatment.

6) Social, Financial and Legal Problems

If you’re addicted to drugs and haven’t entered drug rehab or sought out professional treatment, there are some very familiar patterns and signs that you may have experienced in your life. One of the most common signs you is you are socially isolated from friends who are not drug users themselves. Other personal relationships, such as your marriage, might also be in trouble. Your family may have turned their backs on you after dealing with your erratic behavior and fixing your problems for such a long time, especially if you have been stealing from them, if they have been giving you money, or if you have resisted their help in getting into any of the local drug programs. Chances are that you have either lost your job or are in jeopardy of losing it. Money is a very big issue, and the only thought you have about your financial situation is to get more money to buy more drugs. Because of your lack of treatment, you are probably experiencing health problems from the drugs, although those problems may be severe or mild depending on your drug of choice. You may have also found yourself in trouble with the law more than once, either for dealing or buying drugs or driving while impaired. If you are experiencing any one of these issues, seek out drug abuse treatment and enter rehab. Ask someone to help you compare different residential drug programs until you find the one best suited for you.