Substance use disorder (SUD) affects around 20.2 million adults aged 18 or older, according to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). SUDs can greatly affect a person’s ability to perform tasks at work or school, and many people with SUDs go on to experience trouble with the law, difficulties at home and withdrawal symptoms if they try to quit. If you have a loved one who you think may have an SUD, it’s best to recognize the warning signs of dependency, which is often a transition into addiction.
The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) defines dependency as this:
“…Dependency develops when the neurons adapt to the repeated drug exposure and only function normally in the presence of the drug.”
The following are some of the major warning signs for dependency:
- A persistent desire to use
- Larger amounts of a substance are taken over time, which typically end up being more than the person intended
- Withdrawal symptoms occur when a person ceases substance use to manage responsibilities
- Social groups and recreational activities begin to fade away as a person focuses more on the use of substances
- A person continues using substances despite the problems it is causing them in their life
- And more
SUDs rarely improve for a person on their own. Treatment is an incredibly important aspect of recovery, and intensive outpatient programs can provide individuals with the tools, resources and support they need to form structure and stability in their daily lives.
If you know of someone who may have developed substance dependency, urge them to seek help right away. The sooner they seek help, the greater the chance they will be able to recover with less pain. If you are currently struggling with substance abuse, get enrolled in Cumberland Heights’ Intensive Outpatient Treatment Program. As American novelist Anne Lamott once stated,
““Hope begins in the dark, the stubborn hope that if you just show up and try to do the right thing, the dawn will come. You wait and watch and work: you don’t give up.”
Cumberland Heights’ Intensive Outpatient Program in Sumner County Tennessee is designed for people whose needs and schedules vary. A quality intensive outpatient drug and alcohol rehab program will be designed to treat the whole person, not just the addiction. Take the first step by contacting us at 615-356-2700. Recovery is possible, and Hendersonville Treatment can help.
