Useful Health Tips

Alcohol or drug abuse can wreak havoc on your life. It can ruin your health and put immense strain on your relationships. Even your finances can suffer. Despite the serious consequences, most people don’t get the help they need to improve their quality of life.

Research showed that in 2013, 17.3 million people in America were dependent on alcohol or had problems relating to its use. A further 4.2 million had problems with marijuana and 1.9 million had problems with prescription painkillers. In total, 22.7 million Americans needed treatment for drug or alcohol-related problems but only 2.5 million received it. One thing to note about this rehab gap is that many people simply don’t know when it’s time to get treatment.

How to find the right time to go to Rehab?

If you believe you may have a problem with drugs or alcohol, here’s how to tell it’s time to go to rehab.

1. You’ve been driving under the influence

Driving while drunk or intoxicated doesn’t seem serious if you make it home unscathed. However, when you drive under the influence of drugs or alcohol, you put your life and the lives of everyone around you in danger.

2. You’ve developed health problems due to drug or alcohol use

Prolonged or excessive drug use can damage various organs in the body including the heart, brain, and liver. If you inject drugs and share needles, you also put yourself at risk for HIV or Hepatitis C. If you’ve become unwell and your doctor tells you substance abuse is the reason for your illness, you need to get your drug problem treated.

3. You’ve been arrested for a crime you committed under the influence

Maybe the police caught you in possession of a controlled substance or you were charged for public intoxication. Maybe you got into a fight while drunk and injured someone. If you’re looking at jail time because of your drug use, you need help getting better.

4. Your loved ones have asked you to stop drinking or using drugs

Maybe your parents have tearfully pleaded with you to sober up or your partner has threatened to leave if you keep coming home drunk. Maybe your family has already stopped inviting you to events because you can’t control your drinking. If your loved ones appear distressed by the way you behave when you use certain substances, it’s time for a change.

5. You’ve isolated yourself from your family or friends

Addicts often find themselves lying to their loved ones or getting angry with them when they express concern about their behavior. You may have stopped interacting with your relatives and friends out of embarrassment or discomfort but isolation won’t help you.

6. You’ve lost your job due to drug-related issues

You may have managed to hide your problem for some time but then you began arriving late after a night out. This turned into missing entire days or failing to deliver on your commitments. Finally, your boss had enough. When drugs or alcohol have affected your ability to perform, you need to go to rehab.

7. You’ve tried unsuccessfully to quit on your own several times

Maybe you already know dependency or addiction is ruining your life and you tried to limit your use of your preferred substance. If you can’t do so for any significant length of time, you need to get professional help.

If your life is crashing around you and you feel like you can’t handle your drug or alcohol problems on your own, get the professional help you need to get your life back on track.