Addiction - the signs

The german center for addiction issues (dhs) names a total of six signs that may indicate an addiction.

Addiction - the signs

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Addiction - the signs

  • Six warning signals

  • Physical and mental symptoms

  • Stealth and guilt

Six warning signals

The German Center for Addiction Issues (DHS) names a total of six signs that may indicate an addiction. These alerts can be transmitted to all types of addictions - from alcohol, drug, drug and nicotine to gambling addiction.

The boundaries between dangerous consumption (or behavior) and dependency are fluid. Each of the warnings below is a clear alarm. If three of the points below apply, there is usually an addiction.

1. Strong desire or compulsionto consume a substance or do something over and over again. Thus, an alcoholic person feels an almost indomitable desire for the next sip, the nicotine addict greed for the next cigarette. This desire can be strong even if there is no physical dependence, so no physical symptoms occur during withdrawal.

2. loss of control
A second key sign of addiction is loss of control. For example, an alcoholic is barely able to control when he drinks or when he stops drinking and how much alcohol he consumes. A gambling addict or a shopaholic will continue to play and shop, even if he can not afford it financially.

3. Abstinence incapacity
The inability to control the consumption of a drug or to renounce a certain behavior results in the inability to abstinence. It goes so far that the addicted person can not do without his drugs even if the addiction already has serious health or social consequences. So there are heavy smokers who, despite a smoker's leg, do not give up cigarettes, people with liver cirrhosis who continue to drink, or gambling addicts who keep playing even though their family is in danger of breaking down and they are financially exhausted.

4. Tolerance formation
People slipping into an addiction need more and more of their drug to achieve the same effect. The body gets used to the drug, the consumption increases. This may also apply to addictive behaviors that often continue to outgrow. An example is gambling addiction.

5. withdrawal symptoms
The most severe withdrawal symptoms occur in the discontinuation of hard drugs such as heroin, but also in heavy alcoholics during withdrawal. They range from relatively mild symptoms such as sweating, freezing and shaking to severe body aches, sleep disorders, hallucinations and circulatory collapse. Since the greed for the drug grows immeasurably, a withdrawal of his own willpower is hardly to create.

Behavior cravings or constraints such as gambling or buying addiction, of course, do not make you physically dependent, as do addictions based on the abuse of substances. But the kick for addicts is based on biochemical processes in the brain. If they stay away, withdrawal symptoms can appear, such as nervousness, aggressiveness and the irresistible urge to re-engage in addictive behavior.

6. Retreat from social life
Anyone caught in an addiction loses interest in other occupations. Hobbies, social contacts and even the profession are neglected. The drug, be it a substance or a behavior, becomes the center of life.

Physical and mental symptoms

In addition to these main diagnostic criteria for addiction, there are a number of other signs of addiction.

The dependence on intoxicants, for example, is accompanied by a number of physical and psychological symptoms. They can also be recognized by attentive parents or other loved ones. The Federal Center for Health Education (BZgA) calls this:

  • Frequent sweats
  • hand tremors
  • sleep disorders
  • unrest
  • Physical neglect
  • difficulty concentrating

Stealth and guilt

Questionnaires intended to reveal a possible addiction to addiction, in addition to the warning signals, assess the secret consumption of certain substances or feelings of guilt after consumption as warnings. An alert signal for an addiction is also often that others have already addressed the affected person on his behavior.
Addiction - the signs

FAQ - 💬

❓ What are the five signs of addiction?

👉 What Are Behavioral Signs of Drug Abuse?

  • Increased aggression or irritability.
  • Changes in attitude/personality.
  • Lethargy.
  • Depression.
  • Sudden changes in a social network.
  • Dramatic changes in habits and/or priorities.
  • Involvement in criminal activity.
6 days ago

❓ What are the signs of addiction to a person?

👉 Signs someone else is addicted:

  • Changes in personality and behavior like a lack of motivation, irritability, and agitation.
  • Bloodshot eyes and frequent bloody noses.
  • Shakes, tremors, or slurred speech.
  • Change in their daily routines.
  • Lack of concern for personal hygiene.
  • Unusual need for money; financial problems.

❓ What are the biggest warning signs for addicts?

👉 Physical warning signs of drug abuse

  • Bloodshot eyes, pupils larger or smaller than usual.
  • Changes in appetite, sleep patterns, physical appearance.
  • Unusual smells on breath, body, or clothing, or impaired coordination.

❓ What are the classic signs of addiction?

👉 Signs of Drug or Alcohol Addiction Loss of energy or motivation. Neglecting one's appearance. Spending excessive amounts of money on the substance. Obsessing about the next dose, ensuring a consistent supply of the substance, and worrying about the next source of the substance.

❓ What are the six major characteristics of addictive behavior?

👉 Take a closer look at these characteristics to see if you may be at risk for addiction.

  • #1: Inability to Stop. ...
  • #2: They Continue to Use with Negative Consequences. ...
  • #3: They Are Preoccupied with Substance Use. ...
  • #4: Changes in Behavior. ...
  • #5: Increasing Use of Substances. ...
  • #6: Experiencing Withdrawal Symptoms.

❓ How does the brain get addicted?

👉 Instead of a simple, pleasurable surge of dopamine, many drugs of abuse—such as opioids, cocaine, or nicotine—cause dopamine to flood the reward pathway, 10 times more than a natural reward. The brain remembers this surge and associates it with the addictive substance.

❓ How do addicts behave in relationships?

👉 Typical addict behavior in relationships involves neglecting all of their relationships and only spending time with the people who share their addiction. Their sleeping and eating habits will change dramatically and they will often blame it on something else.

❓ What are the red flags of addiction?

👉 Behavioral Red Flags

  • Drinking or using more than before.
  • Extremely talkative.
  • Unusual or erratic behavior.
  • Poor judgment.
  • Personality changes when drinking or using.
  • Loss of interests, activities, friends.
  • Anger or defensiveness if topic of alcohol or drugs is brought up.
  • Tries to stop drinking or using for periods of time.

❓ What are triggers and warning signs?

👉 Where triggers are typically external factors from the environment or our surroundings that make us feel a certain way, warning signs tend to be internal or things that we do in response to those triggers. For example, let's continue thinking of a person recovering from alcohol abuse.

❓ How do I stop being addicted?

👉 10 Ways ANYONE Can Stop Addiction Now

  1. Admit There Is A Problem. The hardest part to recovery is admitting you have an addiction. ...
  2. Reflect On Your Addiction. ...
  3. Seek Professional Support. ...
  4. Appreciate The Benefits of Sobriety. ...
  5. Identify Your Triggers. ...
  6. Change Your Environment. ...
  7. Exercise. ...
  8. Accept The Past.

❓ What kind of person is an addict?

👉 People with addictive personalities typically switch from one addiction to the next. These individuals may show impulsive behavior such as excessive caffeine consumption, Internet use, eating chocolate or other sugar-laden foods, television watching, or even running.

❓ What are the signs and symptoms of addiction?

👉 However, there are several signs and symptoms that are common to most types of addiction. These include: Exacerbation of any existing mental health conditions such as depression, anxiety or stress Continuing to use the substance, or engage in certain behaviours, despite the negative consequences that these cause

❓ How many people are addicted to something?

👉 According to U.K. charity Action on Addiction, 1 in 3 people in the world have an addiction of some kind. Addiction can come in the form of any substance or behavior. The most well-known and serious addiction is to drugs and alcohol. Nearly 1 in 10 Americans have an addiction to both.

❓ Are addictions psychological or physical?

👉 All addictions, whether to substances or to behaviors, involve physical or psychological processes. 1  Each person’s experience of addiction is slightly different, but usually involves a cluster of some of the below signs and symptoms of addiction.

❓ What are the signs of intoxication?

👉 Consistent intoxication on the drug, including signs like drowsiness, euphoria, depression, constipation, pinpoint pupils, confusion, delirium, changes in appetite, and depressed breathing Experiencing withdrawal symptoms, many of which manifest as severe flu symptoms, when unable to take the drug


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