Contrary to popular belief, addiction isn’t a moral failing or a bad decision that someone is making over and over. You then may be asking yourself, “What is addiction?” and simply put, it’s a serious mental illness. Thousands of people die each year from addiction, and the troubling part is that many people don’t even know they have a problem that is killing them. Due to a lack of education on the subject, people don’t realize when addiction takes control of their lives.
What are the Symptoms of Addiction?
Addiction is now listed as a legitimate mental illness, and it’s also classified as a disease due to the symptoms. In order to be a disease, there needs to be specific, chronic symptoms of addiction that affect a specific organ. In the case of addiction, it affects the way the brain functions, and it’s become as big of a problem as cancer. Addiction hijacks the brain and makes a person seek drugs or alcohol as a way of survival.
Some questions you should ask to find out what is addiction include:
- Do you find it difficult or impossible to stop once you have one drink or drug?
- Do you find that most of your thoughts and actions revolve around alcohol or drugs?
- Do you ever feel guilty for drinking or using drugs?
- Have friends, family or coworkers talked to you about drinking too much?
- Do you ever lie about how much you drink or use?
What is Addiction and Self-Awareness?
The reason it’s so important to ask yourself these questions is because addiction makes you lack self-awareness. Thousands of people die from addiction simply because they were unknowingly in denial about the problem. The other issue is that when loved ones don’t know what to look for, they can’t help. In most cases, in order to get help, the person is going to need to realize there is a problem.
What is Addiction for a Loved One?
Dealing with your loved one who has an addiction can be extremely difficult on multiple levels. Addiction has a way of tearing families apart because the person with addiction acts extremely abnormal. The person may have once been very kind, loving and honest, but now they’re the exact opposite. This can make some loved ones ignore the problem, or try to love the person more or in the alternative, cut them off.
Once you understand the answer to “What is addiction?” there is hope to help yourself or a loved one get well. Serenity House Detox & Recovery provides detox services to help people get started on the road to a new life. We use the latest in addiction medicine and also provide treatment programs to help people stay sober. You can find out more about how you can begin healing by calling us today at 866-294-5306.
