Substance Use Disorder & Drug Addiction is Real
Subtle Signs & Symptoms of Addiction
48.5 million (16.7%) Americans (aged 12 and older) battled a substance use disorder in the past year
An Estimated 21% of Canadians, About 6 Million People, Will Meet the Criteria for Addiction in Their Lifetime.
Subtle Signs & Symptoms of Addiction
- Showing up late for work and events because you were “using”
- Things that used to bring you purpose and joy have been left behind for our secret obsessions.
- You spend less and less time with friends and family.
- Carrying a subconscious feeling of guilt and shame - something that just permeates all of life in a way that we cannot identify.
- You just aren’t happy with what you are doing.
- Your drink or substance of choice is hidden throughout your home, hidden from others.
- After you are done using, there’s a feeling of guilt. You “hate what you just did.”
- You’ve promised to never do it again. This time, you hope, will be different.
Addiction Can Start Small
It could have started years ago, so long ago that it’s hard to pin down. A drink after work, a joint with friends at a high school party, a couple lotto tickets or just another pair of shoes. It probably didn’t seem like a big deal at the time. There was probably a rush. Dopamine from the high, social reinforcement as your buddies cheered you on, or talk about how good of a night it was, even in the midst of a killer hangover.
All this to say, that whatever it was, you were doing it for a reason. Maybe it was an escape. Maybe you did it to feel better. Maybe it was because everyone else was doing it. Maybe it was to numb, or feel something, or because you felt drawn to it. But whatever the act itself was, you found yourself going back to it again. And again. And again.
Critical Signs & Symptoms of Addiction
- Overdosing
- Finding yourself in the hospital because of your substance use
- Losing your job
- Wrecking your relationships
- Emptying your bank accounts
- Causing long standing physical harm to your bodies
- Staring down the barrel of divorce or separation
- Abusive behavior towards others as well as yourself
The Coach Approach with Substance Use Disorder and Drug Addiction
Addiction Recovery Support through a certified Recovery Coach will assist individuals in learning how to handle stressors that come from the seemingly “drastic” change of addiction to recovery. Conversations with a coach will help clients find their own personal recovery.
Clients define what they do and what they do not want in their lives, boundaries, learning how to research and connect with supports, while also being able to establish practical goals to move forward. Coaching can help discover how they can “get in their own way” with compassion and understanding.
