Call 888-647-0579 to speak with an alcohol or drug abuse counselor.

Who Answers?

Recognizing Addiction Signs Early

If you are concerned that a loved one may have a drinking problem or a problem with substance abuse, you’re not alone. Recognizing the warning signs of drug or alcohol abuse early on can make a major difference when it comes to the length of time that it takes for the user to get well once he or she enters treatment. Here’s a look at what you should be watching out for and how you can tell that there is a need for addiction treatment:

Those who are addicted to drugs or alcohol will be unable to control their use of these substances despite your warnings or their own desire to do so. They will continue to use drugs or to drink alcohol even when it causes physical harm or costs them their relationships, their career or their own mental well-being. Dependence on drugs or alcohol is marked by very strong cravings to use and a number of harsh consequences but despite the reality of how bad the consequences are, the user may need help to stop.

The following signs warrant the need for treatment:

being unable to quit drinking or using drugs despite a desire to do so
suffering from physical withdrawal symptoms when less of the drug or alcohol is used
isolation from others in order to use drugs or to drink
isolation from activities and hobbies that were once fun
problems with relationships as a result of drug or alcohol use
denying that there is a problem
legal troubles that result from driving impaired, getting caught with drugs or another instance of drug or alcohol abuse
financial troubles that occur from job loss or overspending on drugs or alcohol
risky behaviors while under the influence of drugs or alcohol
blacking out while under the influence
doing whatever it takes to get more drugs or alcohol when supply runs low

Addiction Treatment

If you or someone you love needs treatment for addiction, call 1-888-885-4616 to speak with a treatment specialist today. Counselors are ready to take your call and answer any questions you have about addiction treatment as well as to help you find a localized treatment solution that will work for you.

More Treatment & Detox Articles

Five policies on mental health and addiction

This week – the countdown toward the federal election – has been Mental Illness Awareness week. The cost of mental illness to the Canadian economy in terms of health care and lost productivity is estimated to be $51 billion a year. Given the absence of mental health and addiction issues from the campaign, it appears….

Women who binge drink more likely to engage in unsafe sex

A U.S. study says women who have more than five alcoholic drinks at one sitting are at increased risk of having unsafe sex and contracting sexually transmitted diseases. Researchers at John Hopkins University medical school in Baltimore looked at the correlation between binge drinking and risky sexual behaviours in women. They interviewed patients at an….

Adverse Consequences of Binge Drinking

In the United States, a standard drink is one that contains about one-half an ounce of pure alcohol. Generally, this amount of pure alcohol is found in 12 ounces of regular beer, 10 ounces of wine cooler, 8 ounces of malt liquor, 5 ounces of wine or one-and-a-half ounces of 80-proof distilled spirits or liquor….

Irish spend three times EU average on alcohol

Irish people spend almost three and a half times more of their income on alcohol than the European average, an EU-wide survey reveals. A study on household expenditure across the 27 EU member states highlights how Irish consumers are the biggest spenders in Europe on alcohol by a long distance. It estimates that more than….

Medical-marijuana use can block chance at transplant

Timothy Garon’s face and arms are hauntingly skeletal, but the fluid building up in his abdomen makes the 56-year-old musician look eight months pregnant. His liver, ravaged by hepatitis C, is failing. Without a new one, his doctors tell him, he will be dead in days. But Garon has been refused a spot on the….