Substance abuse has a significant impact on not only the person misusing alcohol and drugs, but everyone around them. In many cases, the warning signs of substance abuse can be initially confusing for the loved ones of the abuser.
At Klarity Clinic, experienced physicians, Henry Liang DO, Nirvana Kundu, MD and Adam Tibble, MD, understand how drug addiction and alcohol abuse can affect individuals and those around them. They offer the following guidance to help you make sense of the behavioral changes that may signify someone you care has a substance abuse problem.
Substance abuse is a chronic disease that involves the misuse or overuse of substances, like prescription medications, illegal drugs, and different types of alcohol. Continued use of these substances can lead to brain changes that make it increasingly more difficult to stop using them. These brain changes also affect the way you think, act, and feel.
When left untreated, substance abuse creates a vicious cycle of events that reduce your quality of life, your relationships, and your ability to stay engaged in society. Many who struggle under the weight of substance abuse find it difficult to maintain a job or maintain control over their actions and behaviors.
Focus often turns solely to getting more drugs or alcohol, regardless of the consequences they will face from their activities.
Because the brain physically changes to adapt to the misuse of drugs and alcohol, symptoms can present themselves in all aspects of a person’s life.
Some of the most common early warning signs of substance abuse include:
As the dependence on drugs or alcohol increases, you may notice that you or your loved one is involved more often in family conflicts or is experiencing more financial distress.
Those who begin spiraling further out of control under the hold of substance abuse may be more likely to get in trouble with the law, their employer, and those closest to them.
Because many substance abusers will engage in their destructive activities in private, it can be difficult to understand why their behaviors are changing without specific evidence.
For some, the weight of addiction eventually makes them less able to hide their secret use of drugs or alcohol, and it may become more common to find paraphernalia, alcohol bottles, and actual drugs on their person or around their property.
Many who are substance abusers eventually tire of the lifestyle – leading them to treatment on their own. Families often intervene on the user’s behalf to get help to end the addiction.
At Klarity Clinic, the skilled medical team offers solutions to fight back against addiction and help those in trouble achieve long-term, consistent recovery from drugs and alcohol. They offer comprehensive treatments using ketamine infusion therapy to address two of the biggest hurdles of overcoming addiction – cravings and the fear of withdrawals.
Under careful medical supervision, prescription ketamine is delivered through an intravenous (IV) infusion that goes directly into the bloodstream. This medicine helps disrupt the pathways in the brain that demand more drugs or alcohol to help patients achieve sobriety.
This infusion therapy is also beneficial for reducing the severity of withdrawal symptoms, like anxiety, irritability, and depression. The medical team can combine ketamine therapy with NAD+, a coenzyme that contributes to chemical reactions in brain cells.
This innovative therapy can be the solution you need to overcome your addiction to alcohol and drugs. Start on your journey to a new, healthier you by calling Klarity Clinic today to learn more about treatment options for drug and alcohol addiction, or request a consultation online now.
