Feigning Drugs: What Is Feening for Drugs?
What does it mean to be feening for drugs? Is it a mental health problem or a sign of addiction? Perhaps most importantly, can it be treated?
Feigning or feening for drugs is a sign of addiction. For addiction treatment in Northern California, contact Bright Future Recovery today.
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Is it Feigning for Drugs or Feening for Drugs?
Before we explore the meaning of feening drugs, let’s take a look at the word itself. Is “feening” the right term, or should we use “feigning” instead?
Actually, either option is OK.
As it stands on the day this post is being written, it’s common to see both versions used, which is why we made the decision to employ them both here.
What Is Feening for Drugs?
Feening or feigning for drugs is a slang term that refers to having intense cravings for addictive substances. The word appears to be an offshoot of “fiending,” which can also refer to having a powerful desire for something.
Fiending, in turn, is related to using the word “fiend” to describe someone who is a huge fan of something. An example of this would be, “They’ve been a science fiction fiend ever since they saw Star Wars.”
While the use of “fiend” in this way can apply to virtually any area of interest, feening or feigning are almost always used to describe drug-related cravings.
Does Feening for Drugs Mean You’re Addicted?
You won’t find feening or feigning in the fifth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5), but that doesn’t mean the term has no relation to addiction.
Having cravings, or a strong desire to use a substance, is one of 11 criteria for most types of addiction in the DSM-5. A person only needs to meet two criteria to be diagnosed with a mild substance use disorder (addiction), so feening for a drug is a strong indicator that you’re addicted.
The other 10 addiction criteria in the DSM-5 are:
- Frequently using the drug in a greater amount or for longer than you intended
- Having a persistent desire and/or a history of unsuccessful attempts to quit
- Spending a great deal of time acquiring, using, and recovering from the effects of the drug
- Failing to fulfill major obligations at home, in school, or at work as a result of your substance use
- Continuing to use the drug despite having social or interpersonal problems that were either caused or worsened by prior use
- Continuing to use the substance even though you know you’ve experienced physical or psychological harm that was caused or worsened by prior use
- Giving up or reducing your participation in important activities as a result of your drug use
- Using the substance in circumstances that you know are particularly hazardous, such as by combining it with other drugs or driving while under its influence
- Developing tolerance, or needing to use larger amounts of the drug to feel its effects
- Going through withdrawal when you try to stop using the drug
If you’ve been feigning for drugs or experiencing any other symptoms of addiction, you should talk to your doctor or schedule an assessment at a reputable addiction treatment center near you. Receiving an accurate diagnosis can be an essential step on your path toward effective treatment and a healthier future in recovery.
Signs that Someone is Feigning for Drugs
Feening for drugs can look quite different from one person to another. Some people are skilled at managing their compulsions, while others lack the ability or desire to hide what they’re feeling. Thus, there is no standard list of characteristics that prove someone is feigning for drugs.
However, possible warning signs include:
- Agitation and irritability
- Flu-like symptoms
- Distractibility
- Appetite loss
- Precipitous drop in energy
- Impulsivity
- Extreme mood swings
- Insomnia (inability to get to sleep and stay asleep) or hypersomnia (excessive sleeping)
- Trying to buy, borrow, or steal medications that were prescribed to someone else
These warning signs are similar to withdrawal symptoms that occur when an addicted person stops using substances. Withdrawal symptoms can be dangerous, so it’s vital to seek help from a drug and alcohol detox center to quit substance abuse safely.
Potential Dangers of Feening for Drugs
When someone is feening for drugs, they’re in a vulnerable position that can expose them to considerable harm, such as:
- While distracted by intense cravings, they may make unwise decisions that have a negative impact on their health, employment status, financial stability, relationships, and other parts of their life.
- They may feel compelled to engage in unsafe or illegal activities to acquire the drug. These choices can result in physical injuries, psychological damage, and risk of arrest.
- If they can’t find the drug their feening for, they may abuse substances that they’re not as familiar with, which can be extremely dangerous.
- When they acquire the drug they’re seeking, they may ingest more than they typically do, which can lead to overdose.
As noted earlier, feening for drugs can be a sign of addiction. The longer a person lives with untreated addiction, the greater their risk becomes of lasting damage, which can include:
- Strained and ruined relationships
- Separation, divorce, and loss of child custody
- Being arrested, fined, and/or jailed
- Losing their job
- Long-term unemployment
- Financial difficulties
- Serious medical problems
- Onset or worsening of co-occurring mental illnesses
- Becoming unhoused
- Social withdrawal and isolation
- Pervasive sense of hopelessness
- Thoughts of self-harm and suicide
If overwhelming urges and feigning/feening for drugs or alcohol have derailed your life, please know that help is available and treatment works. When you get the help you need, you can learn to manage your cravings and build a healthier future for yourself in recovery.
Find Help for Drug Cravings in Northern California
Bright Future Recovery is a trusted provider of personalized residential and outpatient treatment for adults who have substance use disorders and various co-occurring mental health concerns. Your options at our drug rehab center in Northern California include detox, residential care, a partial hospitalization program (PHP), an intensive outpatient program (IOP), and a virtual outpatient program. We’ll work closely with you to identify the full scope of your needs, then develop a customized plan to help you end your drug use and establish a solid foothold in early recovery.
To learn more or to schedule a free consultation, please visit our Admissions page or call us today.
