Am I Addicted?
That depends…are you suffering? In the end, the only person that really has to answer this question is you. There is no easy test that can prove you’re an addict or alcoholic; the realization has to come from within.
When suffering from alcohol and drug abuse, we make excuses and rationalizations all the time to convince ourselves otherwise. “I can’t be a drug addict! I’m the CEO of a large, successful company.” Or, “I can’t be an alcoholic! I’m too young.” It is a good bet that every substance abuser, whether recovering or still practicing, has said at one time or another, “Not me! I’m too ________.”
The truth is that substance abusers come from every walk of life and profession, every ethnicity and neighborhood. Many Americans mistakenly have the image of the homeless alcoholic and the washed-out, rockstar drug addict. However, the vast majority of substance abusers look just like you or your aunt, boss, or postman. The only constant between addicts is that we’ve all felt the bitterness, pain and remorse that comes from hurting ourselves and those around us through our use of chemicals. We’ve all wished we could control this monster and come away feeling weaker every time we can’t.
Sometimes addiction is only obvious to the substance abuser, because they’ve done such a good job of hiding the signs and symptoms from others. It is these cases where someone checks into rehab and his friends or coworkers are astounded at their seemingly brash decision. Then there are the cases where one’s alcohol and drug addiction is painfully obvious to everyone but the addict. These are the Hollywood-worthy stories where people loose their jobs, wives and homes, sometimes never accepting their addiction and reaching an early grave because of it.
As a general rule, if you worry about self-control when it comes to alcohol and drug intake, you probably aren’t a recreational user anymore. If you find yourself setting limits on your drug use that you break, you most likely have a problem with chemical dependency. There are many other ways to assess alcohol use and abuse; call our trained professionals who can discuss the warning signs that you or your loved one shows. If you’ve come this far, chances are the problem has gotten serious enough to bother you. If you or someone you love is suffering, why wait any longer? Call us today at 808-593-1969 free of charge, even if you just want information without enrolling in a treatment program.
