Addiction affects people of all ages, genders, and socioeconomic status. That is why, at the first signs that someone is developing this type of disorder, it is important to seek help.

However, it can be difficult for untrained people in the health field to detect addiction disorders. Therefore, in this article we will see the main signs of addiction that show the need to seek professional help as soon as possible, as well as the impact they have on the life of the person affected and his/her environment.

The signs of addiction: when to seek professional help?

Addiction brings with it several physical, psychological and social signs that can be identified. Here we will see what they consist of, although we must take into account that they are guidelines for orientation and that each person is different and has his or her own particularities.

1. Lack of control over a substance or behavior

Abusive consumption of alcohol, stimulant drugs or other psychoactive substances, inability to resist shopping, leisure time dedicated entirely to watching a screen… These are signs that the person is seeing his/her freedom and autonomy conditioned by a behaviour that does not bring anything positive but that becomes one of his/her main priorities, or perhaps even his/her main priority.

To find out if this criterion is met or not, you should keep track of the occasions when such repetitive behaviour occurs.

2. Poor time management

The desire to satisfy the need produced by addiction cannot wait: that is one of the characteristics of any addiction disorder. That’s why, in people who develop these psychological and psychiatric disorders, there appears the difficulty in managing time in areas of life that have nothing to do with that kind of activity.

In this way, the tendency to become obsessed with the behavior that is the root of addiction arises and the whole schedule becomes subordinated to improvisation in order to avoid the abstinence syndrome in its different manifestations.

3. Family isolation

Another of the warning signs associated with addiction is lack of concern and withdrawal from close family members, with the substance/behavior being their priority choice when deciding what to do with their time.

After all, these needs imposed by the disorder can usually be satisfied alone , regardless of social interaction, and when they require the presence of someone else (for example, in gambling) the treatment is superficial and limited to fulfilling very specific roles (client and service provider, or competing players, etc.).

4. Difficulties in work and/or studies or lack of interest in it

Long-term projects lose their importance for the addicted person, who is given much more importance to impulses and short-term objectives (in practice, linked to the addiction) .

Some examples of this pattern of behavior are the habit of arriving late, lack of attention to activities, decreased performance, etc.

5. Difficulties in personal relationships (friendship or love)

Just as family relationships are damaged by addiction, so are other kinds of emotional ties, such as friendships.

Addicted people often reach a point where they have cash flow problems, which leads them to ask for money that sometimes they cannot pay back, and since the priority is to be able to continue to meet the need to satisfy the addiction, they are forced to lie to cover their backs in these cases. This can lead to the destruction of relationships .

6. Lack of interest in social/leisure activities

Another characteristic is the lack of attention to healthy and pleasurable activities in life , the renunciation of social, recreational or occupational activities, in order to focus on the substance or behaviour that you have chosen;

7. Neglect of personal hygiene

Personal care is no longer important, since it requires time and addiction goes against preserving a good level of well-being in general terms, so that it loses sense to worry about the image given, hygiene, etc .

8. Problems with physical health

Among these problems are frequent, for example, lack of energy and motivation, sleep problems, weight gain or loss, difficulties with concentration and memory, mood swings, etc.

9. Drastic changes in behavior toward family and friends

For example, draws attention to the lack of interest in being with them, irritability, aggressiveness, the search for social isolation , etc. The person is not able to provide coveting explanations about this change in behaviour, and sometimes even shows anger when asked about it.

10. Economic difficulties

Another sign that there is an addiction is, as we have seen before, the lack of capacity in money management, and the accumulation of debts and credits. This is an element that, as a consequence, produces the part of the deterioration of the quality of life of the person that does not have to do with the physical deterioration directly caused by the disorder.