Seeking help for an addiction requires knowing the symptoms of addiction. If an individual is an addict of a particular type of drug, he or she may not see it as an addiction. Once the individual can see that he or she fits the description of an individual who needs help, it may produce the drive to attend rehabilitation and restore the life had before drugs became involved. Sites like http://www.recoveryhub.com/ list many different forms of addictions and related therapies, demonstrating that nearly any substance can lead to an addiction. Symptoms of drug abuse can start off as subtle changes, then quickly escalate to spiraling out of control, leaving the addicted individual’s life in ruins.

Money Becomes Tight
As drug use begins, the user finds that the drug is quite enjoyable. Extra money is spent here and there for the recreational drug. As daily stress occurs, the user continues to turn to the drug more and more frequently, causing finances to become tight. He or she might be caught between buying the drug or a new pair of work shoes, for example. This financial stress only makes matters worse.

Hobbies and Passions Take a Backseat in Daily Life
As drugs become more appealing, the user might not find as much satisfaction in hobbies that were enjoyed before drugs came into the picture. These enjoyable activities slowly dissipate, soon becoming a distant memory. He or she may find that keeping up with the hobby has become more of a chore, potentially getting in the way of drug use. This is very true of hobbies that require an investment such as collections, gaming, photography, or traveling.

Friends and Family Are Frequently Dropped
As drug use intensifies, the user will be more likely to put friends and family on the back burner. Social events suffer numerous absences, while family time always seems to be interrupted by another unexpected event. The user may not be interested in seeing friends and family, or the individual might be embarrassed of the drug use and the problems that it has caused in life. The behavior of addicts tends to revolve around not only the drug, but embarrassment of the drug use as well.

Drug Tolerance Builds
As drug use, tolerance begins to take hold. The more a substance is used, the more the user requires in order to reach that peak high. This is where drug abuse becomes incredibly dangerous, as it gets out of control. The user is consumed by the need to ingest drugs, and must use in order to fend off withdrawal symptoms. When tolerance begins to empty the wallet and bank account, the user may participate in appalling activities just to access more of the drug.

Financial Trouble
With drug tolerance and heavy use comes severe financial trouble. The havoc caused by drug abuse is financially crippling. A user may lose his or her job, home, and vehicle over the course of an addiction. Personal items, including valuables, may be sold in an effort to secure more drugs. After hitting rock bottom, many drug addicts find that they have left themselves with virtually nothing.

Legal Trouble
Once drug use escalates so far, the individual may not even be concerned with legal trouble. The desire for a high is so strong that going without the drug might seem horrific compared to charges on one’s permanent record. Being arrested sometimes provides the necessary wake up call to seek treatment and rehabilitation as the individual sobers up while incarcerated. Incarceration has turned many lives around, especially when the user is offered the opportunity to attend rehabilitation.

Drug Use Becomes a Priority
Once drug abuse has consumed a life, the user can only think about one thing: becoming high. Relationships are sacrificed, life savings are decimated, personal belongings are lost, and morals tend to go out of the window as well. The user wakes up thinking about drug use, and falls asleep in the same fashion. This is usually the breaking point for both the individual and family members; once a life changing event occurs, the user tends to realize what he or she has done to their life and sees the need to repair it. Learning of a pregnancy, a death, being involved in an accident, and being arrested can all be life changing moments once a drug user reaches this point in the addiction.