The Psychological Signs of Addiction
The Psychological Signs Of Addiction.
When people first become addicted to a substance they are usually aware that they may change in some way or that their behaviour will be frowned upon so may hide it very well, but as the addiction grows and their needs becomes greater they will often become less conscious of their outward appearance and actions and will usually be less concerned about how they are viewed by others and less aware of the changes in their behaviour and personality. Over this time their mental status can alter.
Emotional Changes.
The emotional changes in some addicts can be quite severe. As the addiction grows, their need for satisfying their urges grow, so too will their irritability and their ability to concentrate on other issues. The person may easily change from upset to angry to jubilant with no explanation and they may become weepy and unwell if they have not had their ‘fix’; this is particularly true when the addiction relates to alcohol or drugs.Other more subtle and less noticeable emotional changes can manifest in the person’s lack of interest and emotional connection to others whom they paid a lot of attention to previously. Their interest in close relationships or family may decline and they may seem uncaring.
Behavioural Changes.
As people become addicted to substances and activities they will sometimes develop paranoia; this is especially true regarding illegal drugs. If the person is frightened of how others will judge them this can lead to paranoia where they may feel that everybody is suspicious of them and that they should feel suspicious of those around them.Secrecy is one of the key issues surrounding addiction and the addict will usually not want anyone to know where they have been, who with and what they were doing. They will hide their financial situation from those around them, meaning that they will not declare how much money they have, where it came from, what it has been spent on or how much they earn or are worth.
Social Changes.
A lot of people become addicts by a chance meeting with someone who is already addicted and tries a substance once or twice, because they feel they need it to cope or simply to fit in with others. In the initial stages of addiction the person may feel as though they have total control over their actions and carry on as normal in other aspects of their life but slowly things are likely to change. Often one of the first things to change is their circle of friends. They may start receiving phone calls from people that those around them do not know, have a reluctance to say where they have been or who they have been with, or have friends whose names they do not know or are reluctant to mention. Often this form of behaviour is more apparent when the addiction concerned relates to illegal drugs.The addict may also start to take part in activities that they previously would not have done or start going to places that they haven’t mentioned before. They could start coming home later and not having a reasonable reason as to where they have been or be unable to remember.
