When you think of addictions your thoughts may automatically go to drugs, alcohol or even gambling. You may not realize that people can have addictions to things like working out, eating disorders or even taking supplements. What at first seems like ways of becoming healthier, can quickly spiral into dangerous behaviors that cause serious problems in some people’s lives. There are some key signs to recognizing these behaviors and knowing when to get your friend or family member help.
Working Out Too Much:
People can become so obsessed with the high they get from the workout that it takes over their lives. They constantly think of their next workout or how they can do it more often. This can be dangerous because some people will work out to the point of injuring themselves and causing long-term health conditions. Injuries such as muscle strains, torn ligaments and stress fractures can occur from exercising in unhealthy amounts. People addicted to exercise keep going even though their body is trying to tell them to stop.
A Love or Hatred for Food:
Binge eating, anorexia and bulimia are just a few of the food disorders that many suffer with. They affect both men and women and can be very dangerous even leading to death in severe cases. One addictive behavior could be that a person only eats a certain amount of food a day or they don’t eat at all. When you do not feed yourself properly, your body does not getting the nutrients it needs to survive. People often suffer silently and try to convince everyone they are fine. These destructive behaviors can lead to weight gain and disease or losing too much weight and eventually death if left untreated.
Watch for the Signs:
How can you tell if your loved ones have an addictive disorder? One sign of addiction is that your friend or family member is obsessed with the addiction. The object of their addiction is all they talk about or think about. It’s always on their mind. Another sign is they go looking for ways to participate in the addictive behavior, while attempting to hide its unhealthy effects on their body from those closest to them. They do not realize that it is hurting them and those that care about them can clearly see it.
Addictive behaviors can ruin your life and take over your mind. Places like www.drugrehab.org can give you resources to get you past whatever you struggle with. As you work through a program, you can track your addiction recovery progress, recognizing and working to move past any addictive lifestyle is critical to living a happy, healthy life.
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Nora Charles is a freelance writer that has worked with many bloggers for several years now.