Addiction is hard to come by, especially when you feel like you’re stuck dealing with it on your own. It’s natural to wonder if you can possibly become an addict if you were raised by a parent with alcohol or drug addiction symptoms that they couldn’t get over. Sometimes, they can have a huge substance abuse problem but don’t seek out the help they need to become healthy again. Genetic and environmental factors do play a factor on how individuals can develop a type of addiction, but rest assured that they can’t determine your entire fate. If your parent or someone who’s close to you is an addict, it’s wise that you become more thoughtful about their relationship to drugs and alcohol so you can learn from their experience firsthand. Being vigilant can ultimately prevent the vicious cycle of alcohol or drug addiction from being passed on by example to your future. The most important thing you must remember is that you can control your choices, actions, and future outcomes. The decisions that you make each and every day shape your life entirely, not your friend’s or parent’s decisions. So while children of individuals who are addicts are more likely to abuse substances themselves, there is no guarantee. As the daughter of a parent who struggled with an alcohol addiction, I took their experience as a lesson for myself to live a life that’s healthy, sustainable, and substance free.
Drug Addict Symptoms
Just about anyone can develop their own version of substance addiction. The same sensors that are triggered by pleasurable experiences in our brains cause individuals to become addicted by a variety of things. People who have higher risk to developing a drug addiction are often experiencing other mental health issues like anxiety or depression. For example, according to Brain Facts, many studies over the past few decades demonstrated a strong link between schizophrenia and addiction to nicotine. It’s been shown that nicotine can even temporarily lessen some of the symptoms of schizophreniawhich speaks to why people can become addicted to using it.
Addicts are also sometimes more adventurous and risk-taking than others, feel somewhat disconnected to others in their life, are obsessive, and have trouble self-regulating their decisions throughout the day. People who thrive in taking risks usually have little impulse control when it comes to taking part in dangerous activities like abusing highly addictive prescription drugs. I’ve seen so many students throughout my time in college take part in doing intense drugs to escape all the stress that school causes. Cocaine, marijuana, or Adderall are just the tip of the iceberg of drugs that help students escape their reality and feel somewhat closer to their peers. Over time, that social bond doesn’t outweigh the high price tag that drugs bring, the painful withdrawal symptoms, and possibly legal consequences that using illicit substances bring. Symptoms of a drug addict are also pretty obvious to your sober peers so you don’t want to risk losing your reputation. Make sure you’re aware of all the negative events that can happen in your life before spiraling down the road of drug addiction. It’s easy to fall into but extremely difficult to get out of unless you play your cards right.
Less Discussed Addictions
Drugs and alcohol don’t have to be the only addictions that people can fall into. Some other popular addictions are gambling or video games, especially in men. Gambling addiction, also called gambling disorder, refers to any and all types of gambling or choices that can seriously endanger a person’s life, professional career, or even family. It could mean going to the casino every night and playing poker with hope to win big, or staying up for all night for a luxurious game of sports betting. You’ll know you have this addiction if you’re placing bets more than usual, “chase” losses by betting even more, feel extremely angry when you can’t gamble, or are staying up for hours just thinking about a game.
Video game addiction comes into play when you’re stuck holding a controller for hours of your life. As games today are constantly getting better, more people than ever are playing the newest versions around the world. Communicating with headsets and shooting the enemy gives off a happy feeling that so many can’t shake off. Similarly, taking on the role of someone else in an alternate universe with no consequences can be alluring. Compared to a substance abuse addiction, video game addiction may sound harmless as we’ve all played a type of game at some point in our life. However, compulsive play interrupts a person’s social life, mental health, sleeping habits, work productivity, and physical health overall. Anyone who doesn’t get enough treatment could be isolating themselves from reality and lose their ability to function completely.
Get Help
If some symptoms resonated with you about dealing with either drug addiction symptoms or another process addiction, it’s not too late to get help. Contact your local rehab center to get more options about how to detox your body, form your own treatment plan with a specialist, and live a healthier lifestyle for the long term. Going to online forums or taking online addiction quizzes are also helpful for quicker feedback about your current addiction and what steps to take to conquer it. These are free and are easily done from the comfort of your own home, the bus, sitting in drive thru, or waiting for the next task during work. If you truly want to see results and get better you’ve got to your research on options that work best for you. One treatment plan certainly does not fit the lifestyles of everyone else so it’s best to look at your personal goals, health history, and daily schedule.
