It is far easier to ignore regular increases in the amount of drugs a person is taking than actually face up to the fact.

Reasons for ignoring increased drug use:

Users ignore increased drug use for a variety of reasons. Many are confident they can cease use whenever they really need to, they maintain that this is just a phase of life they are going through and it will soon pass, or they convince themselves that this increasing use is nowhere near as potentially dangerous as it really is.

Reasons increased drug use cannot be ignored:

Whatever reasons and self-excuses are used it is vital for a person to understand that the reality is very different. Increased drug use will not go away on its own. It will not suddenly stop. It will do exactly the opposite; lead to heavier, sustained use that leaves a person wide open to dependence.

5 signs that dependence is heading your way:

Rather than allowing drug use to increase and go unchecked it is imperative that a person faces up to signs that show dependence is growing. If these pointers are allowed to pass, the resulting outcome will be dependence.

Here are 5 signs that show drug use is either out of hand or rapidly approaching this point:

  • An ever increasing priority: If constant thoughts of when it is time for your next hit surface, or increasingly regular thoughts of when, where and how you will secure your next deal play on your mind this is a key sign that drugs are becoming all-consuming.
  • Increased anxiety: Anxiety is part and parcel of a regular drug user’s life. They will feel anxious before taking their next ‘dose’, and anxious when coming down. Another strand of anxiety shows itself in terms of the unthinkable; being unable to secure more of their drug of choice.
  • Depression and Fear: These two feelings combine rapidly. Depression is a given when a user is not high or their supply is getting low. This is supplemented by fear of how they will possibly cope without their drug of choice, and a fear that when it is time to score again their required drug will not immediately be available.
  • Mood swings: Users who are getting deeper into the dependence cycle often find they are prone to erratic mood swings. While high and at ease with the world everything is fine and a good mood is theirs. The opposite effects surface when they are coming down or have concerns about where their next hit is coming from.
  • Appearance: Personal grooming is often not high on the list of an addicts priorities. Physically they will look pale, drawn and generally unwell, and in terms of manner of dress and personal hygiene this can also take a back-seat.

Professional help is needed:

If you are currently struggling with ever-increasing drug use please understand that the problem will not go away on its own. Professional rehabilitation help is needed and it is available.

The sooner a person face up to this fact, the sooner they can start to get their lives back on track.