Recreational drug use is common in America today. For many people, it is normal to use various substances on occasion, often at social events. However, this behavior can transform into addiction. How do you know when your recreational drug use is becoming a problem?
Like so many of my peers, I used substances for the first time at a party. At seventeen, the thrill of smoking a joint was more than alluring. In the years that followed, I tried various other substances.
By my mid-twenties, I had become totally accustomed to snorting cocaine or taking ketamine at weekend gatherings. It didn’t seem like a problem as my use was recreational. So, when a friend told me they were concerned about my drug use, it took me by surprise.
At first, I dismissed them out of hand. But others began to tell me the same thing until I was ready to reassess what I called normal.
If you’re going through something similar, here are 7 warning signs your recreational drug use is becoming a problem.
1. You Use Drugs to Cope in Difficult Moments
The term ‘recreation’ refers to anything that you do specifically for enjoyment. That doesn’t mean everything you enjoy is recreational. Rather, it depends on your intention.
When you’re using drugs at a party because you want to have more fun or experience a different state of mind, that’s recreational. But when you’re using drugs to cope with difficult emotions, it is one of the early signs of addiction.
It’s normal to face challenges in day-to-day life and everyone feels sad, anxious, or ashamed sometimes. In these moments, we call on our coping skills. Healthy coping mechanisms include self-soothing, talking to loved ones, and problem solving.
Addiction often begins when drugs replace healthy coping mechanisms. Instead of facing the challenge, you choose brief respite by getting high. This leads to a vicious cycle, in which you use substances more and more in an attempt to avoid dealing with your challenges.
2. You’ve Started Using Alone
Recreational activities don’t always involve others. But whereas a hobby may be a fun activity to undertake on your own, recreational drug use tends to be a social activity.
If you have started using drugs when alone, you may be doing so as a coping mechanism or in response to a craving. Both instances often mask themselves as boredom. The fact is that, when healthy, boredom isn’t a problem, even if it is unpleasant. When you cannot bear being bored, it’s because feelings come up that you don’t feel capable of managing.
These feelings may be difficult emotions or, if you are already dependent on substances, withdrawal symptoms.
3. Your Tolerance is Increasing
Addiction is both a psychological and physical illness. Using substances frequently makes you dependent on them for coping, as we’ve discussed. It also makes you dependent on them physically.
This is because your body gets used to their presence and assumes they will be there to take care of certain functions. It begins to provide less of the chemicals that are provided by the drugs.
Gradually, you need to use more and more of the substance in order to get high. This phenomenon is called tolerance to drugs and is the same mechanism that causes withdrawals when you stop using.
4. You’ve Had Close Calls or Scary Moments
We’ve all seen someone make potentially catastrophic decisions when under the influence of substances. Maybe they blacked out in public or needed to be rushed to hospital after drinking too much. When this happens to someone else, it is normal for us to make assumptions. On the one hand, we wonder if they overdid it because of an underlying problem. On the other hand, we assume that they will learn from this close call.
But what about if it has happened to you? Have you wondered whether you have a problem? And has your behavior changed?
Close calls or scary moments can happen to anyone, even if they’re more likely when someone is addicted. However, it is a strong sign of addiction when the person continues the same behavior in spite of the consequences.
5. It’s Interfering With Your Responsibilities
The consequences are not always life or death. In fact, the most recognizable consequences of addiction are often much more mundane. You come in late to the office or do sloppy work. You forget to pick your kids up at the right time. Your fridge is empty and there is a growing list of errands you were supposed to run by now.
With addiction, the substance becomes one of your biggest priorities. It starts to take over your life, until you’re not giving your normal responsibilities enough attention. Contrast this with recreational activities, which may be fun but don’t come at the expense of your professional and social life.
6. You Hide or Downplay Your Use
There are some people who you will never tell about your drug use, whether because they have specific attitudes towards drugs or because of your relationship to them. But if you’ve started hiding or downplaying your use even with people who you had previously been open with, this is a sign you might have a problem.
Many people know they are addicted subconsciously before they are actively aware of it. The guilt of using substances is present but you don’t notice it. Instead, you project it on others.
Hiding or downplaying your use is also often a sign that you’re worried others will call you out for your substance use if they know its extent. If you weren’t worried about it, their concerns would not necessarily bother you.
7. You’ve Tried to Cut Back Unsuccessfully
Finally, one of the biggest signs your recreational drug use has become a problem is an unsuccessful attempt to cut back. You may have given into a craving. Or you may have come up with a reason why you won’t actually benefit from cutting back. Either way, you have an idea that there’s a problem but something is getting in the way of solving it.
Have you or a loved one shown any of the above signs of addiction to drugs? Get in touch with one of our recommended rehab centers today to start your recovery journey!
Sources
NIDA: Common Comorbidities with Substance Use Disorders Research Report
Verywell Mind: What Is Self-Medication?
