There likely comes a juncture when dealing with substance use habits when individuals are forced to admit that they need help. For many, it’s a last resort, or a solution you arrive at reluctantly. No matter how you’ve come to consider rehab, congratulations: it’s a big deal. You’re taking the first big step toward effective management of substance use practices.
How do you know when it’s time to consider rehab? Here are a few indicators that it might be time to consider the possibility of reaching out to a medical professional.
1. Substance use is a top priority
If you find your mind occupied a majority of the time with thoughts of a substance, how to obtain it, when you’ll get it and the effects of a new episode of use, you might want to consider substance use rehab.
When battling substance use addiction, anything other than the substance use habits is pushed to the backburner and becomes a lower priority. This could mean losing interest in hobbies or activities, lack of motivation at work or school, and even a falling out with friends and family members who no longer receive your full attention.
2. Experiencing side effects on your health
These effects could be either mental or physical in nature. Physical side effects of substance use practices will obviously vary depending on the substance itself, alongside severity and frequency of the habit. However, all substance abuse takes a toll on the body, the longer the use progresses. The mental side effects could include paranoia, anxiety or depression.
Substance use can impact your thoughts, behavior and/or actions, and can leave you feeling perpetually unwell. It’s important to consider just how much authority substances have in your own life, when it comes to controlling your own feelings when deciding whether or not you need to attend rehab.
3. Continuing to use regardless of consequences
If you find yourself continuing to pursue self-destructive substance use practices despite the negative consequences you know will follow, it might be time to consider rehab as an option. This includes spending money on substances even if you can’t financially afford them. It also includes disregarding the physical and mental toll that usage imposes on the body. A lack of care will be present when relationships begin to fall apart. School and/or work are likely to suffer, but usage continues.
4. Engaging in reckless behavior
No surprise here: if drug or alcohol use becomes a top concern in your life, making smart and safe choices is a priority that easily falls to the wayside. Driving under the influence is a telltale sign of needing rehab, as well as other reckless behaviors such as stealing in order to obtain the same substances you believe you have full control over.
5. Taking increasing doses
The longer usage continues, the higher tolerance becomes. This means that what used to result in a high or a fully intoxicated feeling will no longer do so. Thus, taking more of the same substance becomes necessary to reach that same level. More and more of the substance is required to feel the effects you’re pursuing. Ultimately, this can lead to dangerously high dosages and overdose.
6. Experiencing withdrawal symptoms
Taking a substance affects your body and your brain. When you suddenly stop using the substance, your body responds, sometimes quiet aggressively. These withdrawal symptoms are a good indication of addiction on a purely physical level. If your body can’t operate or shuts down when not using, addiction is likely the cause.
7. Unsuccessful attempts to quit on your own
Addiction recovery is more than just sheer willpower to quit; few actually succeed in doing so alone. If you have tried to quit and had little to no success sticking to these new resolutions, the problem might be bigger than one you’re capable of handling alone.
It might be time to consider rehab
If substance use habits have become more than you can manage, or you’ve started experiencing the full drastic effects of sustained use, it’s important to remember that this in no way qualifies you as a failure. In fact, attending rehab should not be considered a last resort by any means. Choosing rehab is a step in the right direction to managing triggers and achieving freedom from the hold that addiction has on your life.
Our therapists at Rehab After Work work with clients to reduce the effects of these substances, to find that motivation to succeed in work and school and once again engage in positively fulfilling activities which once took up the hours in your days. Call us today at (610) 644-6464, or visit us online to learn even more about all the ways we help clients recognize triggers and distance themselves from dangerous substance use issues.
