LIFESTYLE NEWS - Do your thoughts revolve around how or when your next fix will be? Are you unable to stop yourself from using drugs despite wanting to stop? Do you hide or deny the extent to which you consume substances? Does your drug use affect your physical and mental health? All of these are typical signs of an addiction.

To be able to identify addiction we must first understand the meaning and concepts of what substance abuse and addictions are. 

Substance abuse is defined as the use of illegal, prescription or over-the-counter drugs, or alcohol, for purposes other than their intended use, often leading to social, physical, emotional and job-related problems when consumed in excessive amounts. 

Addiction is defined as the inability to stop using a substance or engaging in a specific behaviour even though it is causing psychological and physical harm.

The “Four Cs” of addiction is a helpful tool in identifying and explaining addictions as it has been created to categorise the disease into its most fundamental parts: compulsion, cravings, consequence, and control. Exhibiting all four of these characteristics is an indication of active addiction.

1. Compulsion
Compulsion is defined as an overwhelming irresistible urge to do something repeatedly, having no control over said urge.
People with addictions are known to exhibit behaviour such as feeling an overwhelming and overpowering need to attain and consume drugs. This is described as compulsive drug-seeking.

2. Cravings
Drug cravings is defined as the urge to keep actively indulging in drug abuse.
People with addictions become agitated and consumed in what feels like the necessity to take drugs and cannot function normally before these cravings have been satisfied.

3. Consequences
Consequences are defined as the result of a situation or action, usually in a negative light. Here consequence refers to when an individual continues to use drugs despite being aware of all the negative consequences.
The consequences of addiction can be extensive as they affect many areas of one’s life, harming one’s physical, mental, emotional, financial, social, and professional health and life.

4. Control
When discussing the Four Cs of addiction, control is defined and characterised by the lack and loss of control due to substance abuse.
If a person becomes unable to exercise restraint when it comes to their drug habits, it indicates that severe addiction has set in and treatment becomes necessary and essential.

Taking these categories into consideration gives us the opportunity to better identify when unhealthy habits become full-blown addiction and keep a lookout for indicators.

Addiction will inevitably have adverse effects on many aspects of your life, contributing heavily to health risks such as lung or cardiovascular disease, infectious diseases such as Hepatitis B or C, HIV/Aids, as well as worsening pre-existing conditions.

Personal and professional life relationships deteriorate as your addiction becomes a priority - when you become desperate to the point of being willing to go to extreme lengths to attain drugs, in many cases stealing or risking the health and safety of those around you and yourself. Often, people who are addicted become unreliable, emotionally erratic, depressive or suicidal, and in some cases addiction trigger severe mental illnesses.

Acknowledging the signs and seeking out professional help can mean the difference in growing, learning and becoming better as an individual or letting your addiction consume you and ruin your life.

Joining a rehabilitation programme is beneficial to all aspects of your life, reducing the major risk factors posed by the substance abuse. Scientific evidence indicates that, in the long run, treatment for substance abuse like rehabilitation programmes (including inpatient, residential, and outpatient treatments) are more cost-effective than no treatment.

Take the next step toward bettering your life.

Visit www.sadag.org for more resources, helplines and counsellor information.

If you or a family member are interested in considering rehabilitation, visit Cut the Mustard, to explore word class rehabilitation centers: Click here.

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