5 Signs You Need to go to Rehab
According to SAMHSA’s National Survey on Drug Use and Health, over 20 million people in the United States had a past-year substance use disorder in 2019.
A 2015 NIAAA study showed that 10% of American adults experience drug use disorder at some point in life.
Despite an ineffective War on Drugs and punitive policies pertaining to substance abuse, addiction remains a clear and present danger in the US impacting up to 1 in 10 people.
If you’re on the business end of addiction, though, it can be tough to objectively admit you have a problem that requires treatment. Clouding the issue further, denial often plays a central role in addiction.
It’s no surprise, then, that SAMHSA data shows less than 10% of those needing treatment for substance use disorder went on to receive treatment at a recognized addiction treatment center. The primary stated barrier to treatment is a lack of insurance coverage, an issue to some extent addressed through the enactment of the Affordable Care Act, mandating insurance providers to offer coverage for mental health conditions like substance use disorder.
Addiction is now widely viewed as a chronic and relapsing disease with no cure. It is, however, eminently treatable. If you feel you could be abusing drink or drugs to the extent you require professional intervention, see whether any of the following markers for addiction are in place.
5 Common Signs It’s Time to Consider Rehab
1. Your physical and mental health is suffering
2. Substance use is the driving force in your life
3. Tolerance is building so you need more of the substance to achieve the same effect
4. Friends and family members are expressing concern about your substance use
5. You satisfy more than three of the criteria for substance use disorder in DSM-5
1) Your physical and mental health is suffering
Substance abuse will trigger a laundry list of negative health outcomes. From the long-term liver problems caused by alcohol abuse through to psychosis from cocaine abuse, the substance in question will dictate the side effects.
The physical health issues caused by substance abuse vary between mild and lethal, depending on the type of substance, how long you have been using it, and how much you have been taking.
All drugs bring about some change in your mental state. This could be increased agitation and anxiety after using meth, depression as a result of alcohol abuse, or even stimulant-induced psychosis.
If you are noticing severe physical or mental ill effects as a result of substance abuse, you should strongly consider investigating your treatment options. If you engage with any form of addiction treatment, your physical and mental health will be closely monitored as you proceed with detox and recovery.
2) Substance use is the driving force in your life
One of the brightest red flags for addiction is when your substance of choice is the central force in your life. If thoughts of the substance in question consume you throughout the day, and if you’re spending inordinate amounts of time obtaining and using the substance, you could already be addicted.
To inflame this, addiction is a progressive disease, and as you move further down that road, you’ll find more hobbies, interests, and activities fading from your life. Substance use becomes all-consuming.
When anything dominates your life, obsession can easily lead to imbalance. When the thing in question is an addictive substance, you should consider treatment if you are devoting excessive time and money to drinking or drug use.
3) Tolerance is building so you need more of the substance to achieve the same effect
The first time you take any substance, you’re not accustomed to the payload, and you’ll feel the effects intensely. For this reason, many drug users describe the first high as the best. In many cases, lives are ruined fruitlessly chasing something that will never again be delivered: that first soaring high.
If you continue using the substance, whether alcohol, prescription medication, or illicit drugs, tolerance builds. Your body adapts to the presence of the substance — even if it’s a poison like nicotine — and you’ll need more of the substance to generate the same outcome.
Using more of any substance heightens the risk of overdose. This risk is further magnified when you are using more than one substance in combination. The risk is additionally complicated with drugs like heroin and cocaine, now routinely adulterated with fentanyl. Fentanyl is a lethal synthetic opioid 50 times more potent than heroin, associated with a disconcerting increase in drug overdoses in the United States.
So, if you find yourself using your preferred substance in ever-increasing quantities, the writing is already on the wall. Act now before addiction sets in more firmly, and your resultant recovery becomes more challenging.
4) Friends and family members are expressing concern about your substance use
Have friends, family, or co-workers pulled you aside and expressed concern about your health or your substance use?
Maybe some of your loved ones have directly suggested you consider attending a treatment center.
If this happens, it’s natural to become defensive, and it’s commonplace for people in this position to feel attacked or bullied. Take a step back and ask yourself why your loved ones are upbraiding you for substance abuse. It’s likely to be for one primary reason: they care about you and your welfare.
Consider this the first stage of an ongoing dialogue with your loved ones concerning your addiction. Never be afraid to ask for help if you’re ready to put drink or drugs behind you and commit to sustained sobriety.
5) You satisfy more than three of the criteria for substance use disorder in DSM-5
Sometimes referred to as the bible of psychiatry, the APA’s DSM-5 (fifth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders), is used as a diagnostic tool for substance use disorder.
These 11 markers for addiction outlined in DSM-5 are:
- Giving up hobbies and interests
- Insatiable cravings
- Increasing tolerance for the substance
- Putting yourself or others in danger
- Lots of time using the substance
- Health issues manifesting
- Using more of the substance and for longer periods
- Social and interpersonal problems
- Neglecting responsibilities
- Repeated failed attempts to quit
- Withdrawal symptoms upon discontinuing use
If you meet 2 or 3 of the above criteria, you could have a mild substance use disorder. Meeting 4 or 5 of these criteria results in a diagnosis of a moderate substance use disorder, and the SUD is considered severe when you meet 6 or more diagnostic criteria.
In most cases, mild addiction responds favorably to outpatient treatment. With outpatient rehab, you attend sessions for a few hours each day and return home or to a sober living home in the evening and at weekends. Most health insurance policies offer coverage for outpatient programs. Affordable, flexible, and proven effective, outpatient programs lower the financial barrier to treatment without compromising outcomes.
Most moderate and severe cases of addiction require inpatient rehab, also known as residential rehab. With inpatient rehab, you’ll spend 30 to 90 days living at a treatment center. This is the most intensive form of addiction treatment, and it’s also the most expensive.
The last thing you should do is panic if you find you meet several of these criteria. Instead, take this as the perfect opportunity to commit to the treatment for addiction you need.
