Am I Addicted?
Drug Addiction Quiz
Being able to recognize addiction isn’t as easy as one may think. And there’s a fine line between addiction, dependence, and substance abuse. When a person is questioning whether they’re an addict or not, that is the first step toward their recovery.
Am I Addicted?
Drug Addiction Quiz
Being able to recognize addiction isn’t as easy as one may think. And there’s a fine line between addiction, dependence, and substance abuse. When a person is questioning whether they’re an addict or not, that is the first step toward their recovery.
Table of Contents
Trying to figure out when substance abuse has turned into addiction can be difficult. When a healthcare professional is trying to determine if an individual is addicted to a substance, they turn to the substance use disorders (SUD) criteria from the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th Edition (DSM-5).
The healthcare professional may use the DSM-5 criteria to ask person-specific questions. These questions may be in the form of a drug addiction quiz. The information from the person is used to help professionals determine if they require assistance to overcome addiction.
Defining Addiction
Addiction is defined by the American Society of Addiction Medicine (ASAM) as a primary, chronic disorder of motivation, brain reward, memory, and related circuitry.¹ By acknowledging the disorder is a condition, not a choice, outsiders have a better understanding of what addiction is. Addiction is a disease, not a temporary condition. It requires both therapeutic and medical treatment.
Most people voluntarily make the initial decision to use drugs, but when they continue to use, it can cause changes in the brain. These changes in the brain make it hard for people to resist urges to take drugs, challenging their self-control.
These can be persistent brain changes, which is why drug addiction is often referred to as a “relapsing” disease. Individuals in recovery from drug addiction have a higher risk of using drugs after initial treatment. This is possible even if it’s been years since they used drugs. Therefore, it is essential for people to build a strong foundation in their mental and behavioral health.
Relapse can be common for people with substance use disorder. If people do relapse, it doesn’t mean their treatment plan is ineffective. Treatment needs to be ongoing, like with other chronic health conditions. It needs to be adjusted based on the way the individual responds.
Healthcare professionals must review treatment plans often and alter them to fit the individual’s changing needs. Outside factors such as a person’s circumstances impacting their daily life and environment can influence addiction.
Addiction And The Brain
Excessive drug abuse affects various parts of a person’s body, but the brain is the organ most affected. When an individual uses a substance like alcohol or drugs, their brains produce large amounts of dopamine.
The increase in dopamine production triggers the reward system of the brain. If they continue using the substance, their brain won’t be able to create normal dopamine levels naturally. So, the addicted person may find it difficult to enjoy activities they once found pleasurable. They may no longer enjoy spending time with loved ones when they are not under the influence.
If a person is struggling with a drug problem, it’s essential that they seek treatment right away. Often, individuals will try to stop using drugs on their own, but this is usually very challenging and dangerous.
Signs of Addiction
If a person suspects they have a drug addiction, asking themselves questions to assess, their health may be helpful. If at least two of the signs below are present, the person may be struggling with addiction.
Inability to Stop Drug Use
In some cases, the person found themselves wanting sobriety, or have attempted to quit at least once. Some people may find that their desire to use drugs has overcome their desire for sobriety. They may find that their attempts to stop using drugs on their own led to eventual relapse.
Craving Substances
Maybe the person finds it hard to stop thinking about a substance after its effects have worn off. They may crave or actively look forward to their next opportunity to use the substance. Cravings are often tied to specific triggers, that make the individual need or want to use the substance.
Increase in Usage or Dosage
The potential addict may find that they are using a substance more than they intended to initially (i.e., more frequent usage or larger doses). Or that their behaviors surrounding the use of the substance have changed. For instance, perhaps their substance use started as a social activity and then transformed into something they cannot live without.
Prioritizing Drug Use Over Other Activities
Perhaps the individual has lost sight of the enjoyment of recreational or social activities that used to bring them fulfillment or joy. Ot they have stopped engaging in those activities so they could engage in drug use. In some cases, the person may find it hard to enjoy recreational or social activities when not on drugs.
Continued Drug Use Despite Consequences
The person may start to recognize that their drug use is causing negative physical or emotional consequences. For instance, addiction can frequently lead to increased medical conditions or mental illness. A potential addict may continue to prioritize drug use over improving their wellness.
Not Meeting Responsibilities Because of Drug Use
Drug use may have caused the person to fail to meet their responsibilities or obligations. In some cases, they start becoming less reliable to their family members, friends, employers, or peers. Potential addicts may find that they have lost the trust of their loved ones.
Experiencing Symptoms of Withdrawal
Withdrawal symptoms are frequently a trigger that causes cravings. Potential addicts often find that they feel irritable, sick, or restless as the drug starts wearing off. If they are addicted to the substance, using the drug eases those feelings in ways that other things can not.
Increased Tolerance to the Drug
Dependency often leads to tolerance. But, it’s not always simple for a person to detect an increasing tolerance within themselves. The person may start to notice that the same amount of the substance does not affect them anymore. Sometimes, the person may find that they need to take more of the substance to get the same effect.
Risk factors for Addiction
Individuals of all backgrounds, ages, and socioeconomic groups can develop drug or alcohol addictions. Certain groups are more susceptible to substance use disorder than others. However, a few factors can contribute to the start of addiction and addictive behaviors.
Genetics
During your time in active addiction, you might have done or said things that damaged the relationships you’ve built with family members and friends. This damage has occurred because when you’re addicted to a substance, the only thing you care about is the next time you can use it.
Continuing to use it will cause more damage to occur to the relationships in your life that you once deemed to be the most important. Mental health disorders can also cause damage to your relationships because people don’t want to deal with someone that is a loose cannon or is unpredictable.
People that are in contact with those that have co-occurring disorders might find them to be unreliable. When people aren’t able to rely on you, they won’t want to be around you. From there, they may decide to cut ties with you and move on.
Mental Health Disorders
Research shows that certain mental conditions increase a person’s risk for addiction.³
For example, a person struggling with a mental condition may start using drugs to try and make themselves feel better. While it may ease immediate pain, drug use often has adverse long-term effects. Using the drug can cause the brain to hold on to the rewarding effects. In some cases, continued use of one substance can lead to the development of other addictions.
Individuals with a mood disorder or anxiety are twice as likely to use alcohol or drugs.⁴ Individuals are also more likely to abuse drugs if they have:
- Psychotic disorders
- Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)
- Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
- Conduct disorder
- Antisocial personality disorder
- Schizophrenia and Schizoaffective disorder
When a person develops a mental condition, associated brain activity changes may raise the susceptibility to problematic use of substances by:
- Reducing awareness
- Enhancing the rewarding effects
- Alleviating unpleasant mental disorder symptoms
- Easing the side effects of medicine that's used to treat it
For instance, neuroimaging shows that ADHD is linked with neurobiological brain circuit changes that are also linked with drug cravings.⁵ This could partially explain why individuals with drug addiction and comorbid ADHD say they experience more significant cravings.
Can Drug Addiction Be Prevented or Cured?
Like with other chronic conditions, like asthma, heart disease, or diabetes, drug addiction treatment typically isn’t a cure. But, there is addiction treatment, and it can be managed successfully. People recovering from addiction will be at risk for relapse if they do not have a strong foundation in recovery.
Research shows that individuals experience the best chance of success when addiction treatment medication is combined with behavioral therapy.⁶ Treatment plans that are tailored to each person’s needs can help build a strong foundation for recovery.
Also, addiction and drug use are preventable. NIDA-funded research shows that when prevention programs, including families, communities, schools, and the media, can help prevent or reduce dependence and drug use.⁷
Generally, cultural factors and personal events impact drug use trends. However, if young people see drug use as dangerous or harmful, they may reduce their drug use. So, outreach and education are essential components in helping individuals understand the potential risks of drug use. Parents, teachers, and healthcare professionals have critical roles in educating young individuals and preventing addiction and drug use.
Treatment for Drug Addiction
Addiction treatment isn’t one-size-fits-all. Treatment plans will vary based on each person’s individual needs. Each person can decide on which treatment will work best for them based on a few factors.
These factors include the drug they’re abusing, their personal mental health needs, the level of care they need, or what health care options they’re able to afford. Some common addiction treatment plans that have helped individuals get on a successful road to recovery include the following.
Detoxification
Detoxification or medically-assisted detox helps a person’s body rid itself of addictive substances in a monitored and safe environment. This is generally needed since substance withdrawal can sometimes cause uncomfortable or life-threatening physical symptoms. Since detox doesn’t treat the addiction’s underlying behavioral causes, it’s generally combined with other therapies.
Inpatient Treatment
After the detoxification stage, the next step in long-term addiction treatment is inpatient treatment. Inpatient treatment or “residential” treatment offers people the chance to focus on their new sober life. During inpatient care, the individual participates in therapy sessions and other activities. The schedule is developed by treatment professionals and is aimed at helping them adjust to living a sober life and relearning good habits.
Outpatient Treatment
Outpatient treatment is the next step after inpatient treatment for addiction in a long-term treatment approach. During outpatient treatment, people will get the care and support they need as they transition. People who complete inpatient treatment and go back to their every day lives may have a greater risk of relapse. This is because treatment strategies are no longer being implemented in their day-to-day life.
Outpatient treatment allows individuals to step down their level of care gradually. When they gradually decrease their level of treatment, they can safely maintain the skills they acquired through inpatient treatment. This way, they’ll be able to practice healthy thought patterns and lifestyles with continued oversight.
Treatment professionals will work with each person to help plan their next steps that follow residential or inpatient treatment. The treatment team will incorporate this plan into the individual’s aftercare plan.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
CBT is an effective treatment, and mental health professionals can use it for various forms of addiction. This treatment method is helpful for alcohol addiction, food addiction, and drug addiction. CBT can not only help people recognize their unhealthy behavioral patterns but also help them identify triggers and learn coping strategies. It’s often combined with other therapies as well.
Medication-Assisted Treatment
Medication can play an integral role in recovery when combined with behavioral therapies. Specific medications are often used to improve mood, reduce cravings, and reduce addictive behaviors. For instance, the FDA recently approved lofexidine to help reduce withdrawal symptoms. Acamprosate is a medication that helps reduce drinking behavior.
Dual Diagnosis Treatment
Drug addiction frequently starts as an individual attempting to self-medicate mental illnesses. Or in some cases, people will develop mental illnesses because of an addiction. When a person has both a mental health illness and an addiction, it’s referred to as a dual diagnosis.
As drug use worsens, it will often fuel co-occurring illnesses. This will happen until it’s hard to separate the addiction symptoms from the co-occurring illness. If healthcare professionals treat the addiction separately from the co-occurring disorder, it can negatively affect the outcome.
When both conditions are treated together, it gives people the resources and education they need for a healthy recovery and lifestyle. This is why dual diagnosis treatment is so effective.
Addiction doesn’t typically act alone. Anxiety, stress, depression, and trauma can also lead to the development of drug addiction. Addiction, in turn, often creates new challenges in a person’s mental health.
Research shows that many people with other mental health conditions also struggle with alcohol or drug addiction.⁸ Many people with a drug addiction also have other mental illnesses or symptoms — dual diagnosis.
The mental health conditions below have been seen to co-occur with addiction:
- Anxiety
- Bipolar Disorder
- Eating Disorders
- Depression
- Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
- Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)
- Borderline Personality Disorder or other Personality Disorders
- Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
- Psychotic Disorders like Schizophrenia
Therapy
Therapy sessions are diverse, unique, and educational. Therapists allow the person to explore their own addiction experience. While also learning ways to move forward in their life without using drugs or alcohol.
Addiction therapy helps people identify and solve underlying problems that may be contributing to their patterns of addictive behavior. Therapy can also help people process their emotions about their addiction.
Different types of individual and group therapy help patients heal from active addiction. Through various holistic and evidence-based therapeutic approaches, people with addiction are provided with all the tools needed. They can build a solid long-term recovery foundation from drug addiction.
Professional Help is Available
Individuals struggling with addiction should know they don’t have to battle this alone. They can consult with a healthcare professional like Wellness Retreat and explore their options for successful addiction treatment. Taking a drug addiction quiz to see if they have an addiction is generally a good first step to overcoming addiction.
Contact us today to discuss our different drug addiction treatment programs to help you begin your path to successful recovery.
References
(1) American Society of Addiction Medicine. Short Definition of Addiction. Retrieved on September 9, 2022 from:
(2) National Institute on Drug Abuse. Common Comorbidities with Substance Use Disorders Research Report
Why is there comorbidity between substance use disorders and mental illnesses? Retrieved on September 9, 2022 from:
(3) National Institute on Drug Abuse. Common Comorbidities with Substance Use Disorders Research Report
Why is there comorbidity between substance use disorders and mental illnesses? Retrieved on September 9, 2022 from:
(4) National Library of Medicine. Mood Disorders and Substance Use Disorder: A Complex Comorbidity
Susan B. Quello, B.A., B.S, Kathleen T. Brady, M.D., Ph.D., and Susan C. Sonne, Pharm.D., B.C.P.P. Sci Pract Perspect. 2005 Dec; 3(1): 13–21. doi: 10.1151/spp053113
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2851027/
(5) National Institute on Drug Abuse. Common Comorbidities with Substance Use Disorders Research Report
Why is there comorbidity between substance use disorders and mental illnesses? Retrieved on September 9, 2022 from:
(6) National Institute on Drug Abuse. Drugs, Brains, and Behavior: The Science of Addiction
Treatment and Recovery. Can addiction be treated successfully? Retrieved on September 9, 2022 from:
https://nida.nih.gov/publications/drugs-brains-behavior-science-addiction/treatment-recovery
(7) National Institute on Drug Abuse. Drugs, Brains, and Behavior: The Science of Addiction
Preventing Drug Misuse and Addiction: The Best Strategy
Why is adolescence a critical time for preventing drug addiction?
(8) National Institute of Mental Health. Substance Use and Co-Occurring Mental Disorders. Retrieved on September 9, 2022 from:
https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/substance-use-and-mental-health
