When Ambien abuse is in its earliest stages, symptoms will likely include a return of insomnia that motivated the drug use in the first place. The person will demonstrate other signs associated with the overuse of Ambien, including:
- Persistent drowsiness
- Mental confusion
- Memory problems
- Slowed reaction and thinking times
- Unsteadiness when walking
- Mood swings
- Shakiness
- Stomach pain
- Diarrhea
- Heartburn
- Blurred vision
- Muscle weakness
- Low pulse rate
- Slowed breathing
Ambien addiction signs will develop if the use of the drug continues to escalate, and that will be true for those taking the drug recreationally as well as those who started out with a legitimate prescription. Cravings will be experienced if the individual tries to stop using Ambien, derailing even the sincerest efforts to quit.
In addition to continuing physical symptoms of overuse, some of the strongest behavioral indicators of a burgeoning Ambien addiction include:
- Ever-growing consumption of the drug, as the body’s tolerance for it continues to increase
- Permanent loss of ability to sleep without the drug, and in higher doses than originally prescribed
- Mixing Ambien with alcohol to increase its sedating effects
- Doctor shopping in search of new prescriptions
- Borrowing or stealing drugs from friends or family members, or searching for additional supplies on the black market
- Taking the drug earlier in the day, with no intention of sleeping
- Neglect of job, family, or personal responsibilities related to Ambien consumption and/or the search for more of the drug
- Falling asleep randomly, repeatedly, and in inappropriate locations
- Encounters with the law, for driving under the influence or other infractions
- Risky, impulsive, dangerous behavior that seems out of context given the individual’s normal personality
- Isolation from family and friends; secretiveness
- Lying about drug use
- Blackouts, amnesia, or gaps in memory
- Sleepwalking
The latter is one of the more unique and frightening Ambien addiction signs.
People under the influence of Ambien sometimes enter an altered state halfway between sleeping and waking. They may be up and around performing a host of normal, everyday duties, such as driving, cleaning the house, preparing food, or walking to the store, or even holding conversations with friends, family members, or strangers. Other times, they may do or say strange or unexpected things. But they will not be fully awake while doing any of this and will have no memory of what they did or said later on.
Ambien addiction is a powerful form of drug dependency, and the control it asserts over sufferers’ lives can be extreme.
