Here are 10 signs you may have a substance use disorder problem,
IF:
• You feel you have to use a particular drug regularly, up to several times a day.
• You obsess about getting high, to the point that all other thoughts about work, school, relationships or responsibilities seem to diminish in priority.
• You have to use more of the drug than you once did to achieve the same effects that smaller amounts used to give you.
• You feel the need to cover up, hide or lie about what or how much you’re using, even to those closest to you.
• You’re suffering financial or vocational consequences because of your drug use: money problems, reprimands by your employers, failed urine drug screens or other consequences.
• Your efforts to cut back or stop your using result in failure. No matter how many times you construct a strict schedule to dictate what and how much you use, you often find yourself “moving the goalposts,” so to speak — rationalizing and justifying why you should indulge until those boundaries are meaningless.
• You lose control of your ability to self-regulate after the first one, meaning that you’re unable to do “just one,” or you add additional drugs and alcohol to the mix, until what began as a noble intention to get a slight buzz ends with you getting completely wasted.
• You experience withdrawal symptoms when you go for long periods without using, ranging from mild (mood swings and irritability) to severe (gastrointestinal distress, leg cramps, insomnia, restlessness).
• Your life seems to hold little meaning outside of getting high: The things that once brought you enjoyment, and the interests you once pursued passionately, fall by the wayside or seem utterly pointless if you can’t use drugs while taking part in them.
• You’ve suffered legal or health problems because of your drug use: an arrest, an overdose, the contraction of a drug-related disease or other consequences, and yet they weren’t enough to lead you to decide to stop.
• You find that you even though you only use on occasions, you tend to binge use causing you problems.
If you answered YES to some or all of these questions, then you may have a problem. Its worth having a screening where a licensed professional can help you fully answer that question.