10 Signs You May Need Rehab (And When It’s Time to Seek Help)

Addiction can be difficult to come to terms with. Due to its taboo nature, many people are in the dark about its key signs and symptoms. This makes it difficult to know when it might be the right time to go to rehab if you suspect yourself or a loved one has an addiction to alcohol or drugs. 

Understanding the warning signs of alcohol and drug dependency is therefore crucial.  

In this guide, we will outline 10 signs that you may need rehab for a drug or alcohol addiction, and explain when professional support can make all the difference to your recovery. 

10 Signs You May Need Rehab for Alcohol or Drug Addiction  

Increasing Alcohol or Drug Tolerance  

If you find that you are having to consume more of a substance to achieve the same effects, this is a clear sign that your body is building up a tolerance. This is a slippery slope, as it leads the user to increase their intake, often without them even realising it. 

This places the user at risk of developing a dependency on the substance, where they begin to rely on it to feel ‘good’ or ‘normal’. Having an increased tolerance is therefore an early sign of addiction. If this dependency deepens, rehab may be required to reverse the effects of addiction and pull the user out of dependency.  

Physical Changes 

Often, users who have developed an addiction will be able to observe physical changes to their body. Some of the most common physical symptoms include: 

• Lost weight 

• Poor hand-eye coordination 

• Slurred speech 

• Bloodshot eyes 

• Eye bags due to poor sleep 

• Agitated or restless body language  

These are some of the most visible signs that addiction is setting in. If you have noticed any of these in yourself or a loved one, then rehab may be required to prevent any further physical deterioration, which can lead to serious health complications further down the line. 

Loss of Self-control 

If you are starting to feel helpless over your substance consumption, or you have attempted to quit but failed to do so, this is a clear indication that you might be losing all control over your substance consumption.  

Once it is the substance that is calling the shots, and not you, then this is a clear sign that addiction is setting in. If not acted upon early, rehab is often required so you can regain control over your life and manage your cravings. 

Neglecting Responsibilities 

Do you find that you’re constantly running late for work? Do you feel guilty about neglecting family and friends? Or for slipping completely out of routine?  

Neglecting life responsibilities are all early signs of addiction, as it indicates that substance consumption has overtaken everything else on your priority list.  

Rehab is often required at this point so you can regain a sense of structure to your daily life, and prevent further breakdown of career commitments, life routines, and relationships. 

Mental Health Deterioration  

If you are experiencing sudden mood swings, or a general decline in your mental health, then this is another clear sign that addiction might be setting in. Symptoms include: 

• Sudden bursts of anger 

• Bouts of depression 

• Paranoia 

• Heightened levels of anxiety 

• General agitation or restlessness 

These emotional changes often occur because substances disrupt the brain’s natural chemistry. Left unaddressed, this can further strain relationships, work, and daily life.  

At this stage, professional support through rehab can help stabilise mood, address underlying issues, and provide strategies to regain emotional balance. 

Withdrawal Symptoms 

When a user with a drug or alcohol addiction suddenly stops using, the body may react to the absence of the substance by producing a range of withdrawal symptoms. The most common include:  

• Nausea  

• Shakes and tremors  

• Sweating  

• Insomnia and sleep troubles  

• Short-term memory loss 

• Anxiety, mood swings, or depression 

If you notice any of these signs in yourself or a loved one, it might be a sign that you need rehab. As some withdrawal symptoms can be severe in their impact on physical and mental health, it is not worth the risk ignoring them, or attempting to manage them on your own, which can be highly dangerous. 

Preoccupation & Cravings 

Are you spending more of your time thinking about alcohol or drugs? Do you find that you’re planning more of your time around sourcing, consuming, or recovering from substance consumption?  

If so, this is a strong indication that you have developed mental and physical cravings, which is a clear sign of addiction.  

Rehab is usually needed at this juncture, as professional rehabilitation helps users to overcome and conquer their cravings, or they run the risk of relapse and deeper dependency. 

Continued Use Despite Harm 

If you’re aware that substance consumption is bad for you, but you continue to use, then this is another sign that you are starting to lose self-control.  

Once you start prioritising alcohol or drugs over your physical and mental health, then this is clear indication that addiction is setting in.  

Depending on the strength of your cravings, rehab is often required to prevent users from dealing further harm to themselves. 

Secretive Behaviour  

Have you found yourself hiding your alcohol or drug use from friends or family? Do you often make up excuses, lie, or go out of your way to hide how much or how often you are using? 

Secretive behaviour is a strong indicator that substance use has started to control your life.  

When the need to hide your habits grows, it signals a similar growth in the severity of your dependency. This carries with it the risk of deeper addiction, and so rehab might be required to prevent it from getting worse. 

Risky Behaviour 

Using alcohol or drugs in dangerous situations, such as driving under the influence, engaging in criminal activity to obtain substances, or taking financial gambles to support your habit, are all signs that addiction has taken hold.  

This is especially the case if these behaviours are completely uncharacteristic of your usual personality. Rehab is crucial at this stage to help you regain control, and prevent serious legal and financial repercussions. 

So… When Is the Right Time to Go to Rehab? 

Ultimately, if you are experiencing any of the above early signs and symptoms, it is vital to reach out and seek help right away, even if it’s just telling a friend or family member.  

Admitting that you have a problem and reaching out to someone by telling them is the vital first step to getting the support you need to prevent your problem from worsening.  

With support from friends, family, and healthcare professionals, you can get the support and guidance you need to determine if and when rehab may be needed.  

What to Do If You See Early Signs of Drug or Alcohol Addiction 

If you see any of the above signs of addiction, it is of vital importance not to ignore them. Ignoring the signs of addiction is easier than acting upon them.  

Often, the user will seek to justify their consumption habits or the appearance of these signs, reassuring themselves with an evasive attitude of ‘it’s not that bad’, or ‘it could be worse’.  

However, this is to ignore the fact that addiction is a physical disease which typically worsens over time.  

Telling yourself that it could be worse, or that you’ll be able to overcome your consumption habits without seeking help from others, is therefore dangerous as it puts you at risk of falling deeper into dependency and giving more time for the addiction to bed-in. Therefore, the best time for you to reach out for support is right away. 

Why Acting Early Matters 

If caught early, professional rehabilitative therapy can help you to overcome drug or alcohol dependency before your signs and symptoms worsen and become more entrenched.  

As addiction is a physical disease, it is worth treating the signs and symptoms like that of any other physical disease –by not ignoring them and seeking help straight away. 

It is not a sign of weakness to reach out for professional help, but rather a sign of strength. It requires a great deal of courage to admit you have a problem, but taking that first vital step is crucial. 

When You Will Most Likely Need Rehab 

If you or a loved one experience any of the most severe signs of addiction, rehab is usually needed right away. This is because these signs indicate that the addiction is more developed, and has a far stronger grip on the individual.  

Such signs include: 

• Severe withdrawal symptoms: persistent shakes and tremors, severe insomnia, significant memory loss. 

• Significant physical symptoms: Dramatic weight loss or weight gain, poor motor skills, slurred speech. 

• Financial or legal troubles  

• High tolerance and significant substance intake  

• Deteriorated mental health or personality changes 

• Intense cravings 

• Inability to stop alcohol or drug consumption after repeated attempts to do so 

• Significantly deteriorated relationships, work problems, and or social isolation. 

If left untreated, these signs can lead to serious, and potentially life-threatening physical and mental health conditions, making professional intervention in the form of rehab crucial at this stage. 

Signs You Need Rehab: Reach out to New Leaf Recovery Today 

If you recognise any of these signs in yourself or a loved one, reach out to New Leaf Recovery today to take that first, vital step toward lasting sobriety. Our professional team—many of whom have lived experience of addiction—offer personalised support and structured addiction treatment programmes in a calming, residential setting.  

Our programmes are designed to empower you to take back control of your life, giving you all the tools you need to manage cravings, reset priorities, and build towards a healthier, brighter future.