View our editorial content guidelines to learn how we create helpful content with integrity and compassion. Jessica graduated from the University of South Florida (USF) with an English degree and combines her writing expertise and passion for helping others to deliver reliable information to those impacted by addiction. Informed by her personal journey to recovery and support of loved ones in sobriety, Jessica’s empathetic and authentic approach resonates deeply with the Addiction Help community. No matter your stage, it’s never too late or too early to enter treatment. Individuals at the earlier stages of addiction likely will not need the same intensity of treatment that those in later stages will need. The addiction cycle typically follows five distinct stages, from initial use to eventual dependency.
However, these consequences are often ignored or rationalized in an attempt to continue using. The stages of the addiction cycle are based on research from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMSHA), which identified the areas heroin addiction of the brain where these stages occur. If your environment gives you easy access to substances, is highly stressful, or includes others who use substances (and encourage or pressure you to, too), you’re more likely to develop an addiction. It’s often triggered by something, like the environment you live in, stressors, and mental health conditions. Someone who’s started using substances may show signs of inebriation, like stumbling when they walk, slurring their words, or seeming spaced out.
Mental Health and Loneliness
You shall not attempt to damage, impair or disrupt the operation of the Service by any method, including through use of viruses, Trojan horses, worms, time bombs, denial of service attacks, flooding or spamming. Recognizing and comprehending these stages is essential for addicts, their loved ones, and healthcare professionals striving to provide effective support and intervention. Most people don’t really think about the possibility of addiction when they try a substance of abuse for the first time. In fact, in some cases, the first time someone uses the substance is for a legitimate medical reason via a doctor’s prescription. Other times someone might try a sip of alcohol or take a pill just to see what happens. Our team is here to support you through each stage of the recovery process, helping you break the addiction cycle and rebuild a healthier, more fulfilling life.
Dependence Formation
When a person reaches a certain tolerance level, they might turn to even stronger and more dangerous substances in order to keep chasing the effect they are looking for. For example, if you had been taking 10mg of a prescription drug, over time you might notice that in order to feel the way you used to feel when taking 10mg, you now have to take 15mg or 20mg. Contact Hygea Healthcare today for compassionate, professional support. Furthermore, many people start experiencing mood changes and withdrawal symptoms. I have worked in the substance abuse treatment field and I sent my own Mother to Silver Ridge to recover. Copyright © 2025, AddictionHelp.com The information provided by AddictionHelp.com is not a substitute for professional medical advice.
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What Are the 5 Stages in the Addiction Cycle?
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Regardless of the severity of the addiction, if you or a loved one is suffering from any type of substance abuse or addiction it is important to get the help that you need before it is too late. If you are experiencing 2-3 of these symptoms you might be suffering from a mild form of addiction. 6 or more could mean that you are suffering from a severe substance use disorder.
Hiding and spending more time alone can be a sign too, as this would keep other loved ones from noticing some of the more obvious signs. People in stage five may show signs of addiction in other areas of life, like having financial issues, losing their job, and having trouble with their relationships. You can become dependent on the substance to function without discomfort or unhappiness3, especially as your brain learns to make less dopamine and simply wait for more to come from the substance. This could be a beer on your 21st birthday or marijuana between classes in high school. You may consciously decide to take the substance or initiate it due to external factors like peer pressure and a desire to connect with others.
- Many addictive substances, especially depressants, enhance GABA activity, leading to relaxation and sedation.
- An encounter summary may be provided to the patient at the end of each encounter which may be kept for the patient’s records and may be shared with the patient’s local primary care or other provider, as appropriate.
- It’s these chemical changes that result in you needing to take more of the substance to reach your desired effects.
- In this phase, the person struggling with addiction and dependence once again seeks out the substance of choice to reclaim what they feel is a normal emotional and physical state.
Dr. Hoffman has successfully treated hundreds of patients battling addiction. Dr. Hoffman is the Co-Founder and Chief Medical Officer of AddictionHelp.com and ensures the website’s medical content and messaging quality. At this stage, the addict’s health, financial status, and social life have been severely affected by their addiction. Mental health conditions, stress, and grief can all trigger the need for soothing and distraction.
- Tolerance occurs when the brain becomes accustomed to the increased dopamine levels caused by drug use.
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- Ask your healthcare professional what option is ideal for the stage of addiction you’re currently in.
Paying for Treatment
Addiction is a complex and chronic disease that affects the brain and behavior, often leading to destructive outcomes. While many see addiction as simply the inability to stop using substances, the reality is far more intricate. The cycle of addiction involves brain chemistry, tolerance, withdrawal, and the body’s changing response to substances over time. Understanding these factors can help shed light on why breaking free from the cycle of addiction is so difficult and what choose the correct cycle of addiction happens biologically when someone becomes addicted. Coroners and Medical Examiners.Your healthcare providers may release medical information to a coroner or medical examiner to identify a deceased person or determine the cause of death. Lawsuits and Disputes.If you are involved in a lawsuit or a dispute, Your healthcare providers may use your medical information to defend themselves or to respond to a court order.
No matter the reason, drug use can rapidly begin impacting the brain and body. With strong substances like fentanyl and heroin, a person can begin to feel addicted from the very first use. Regardless of the reason for trying the substance, it is important to know how severe the consequences may be.
Signs of Tolerance and Dependence
Your healthcare providers may remove information that identifies you from this set of medical information so others may use it to study healthcare and healthcare delivery without learning the identity of the specific patients. Telemedicine involves the use of electronic communications to enable healthcare providers and service vendors at sites remote from patients to provide consultative services. Providers may include primary care practitioners, specialists, and/or subspecialists. The information may be used for diagnosis, therapy, follow-up and/or education, and may include live two-way audio and/or video and other materials (e.g. medical records, data from medical devices). An encounter summary may be provided to the patient at the end of each encounter which may be kept for the patient’s records and may be shared with the patient’s local primary care or other provider, as appropriate. We publish material that is researched, cited, edited and reviewed by licensed medical professionals.
