What Are the Behavioral Signs of Addiction?

Addiction can drastically impact not just your life, but the lives of friends and family members who love and care for you. This is because loved ones watch as an addict falls deeper and deeper into the chains of addiction. An addict’s behavior negatively changes, so nearly every decision and action they take is by preserving and fueling their addiction. This can be debilitating for loved ones to witness, as addiction dramatically changes an addict’s behavior.

At Rise in Malibu, we are a luxury drug rehab in Malibu committed to helping addicts take back their life for good. Addiction can drastically impact an individual’s physical, mental, behavioral, and emotional well-being for the worst. That’s why at Rise in Malibu, we provide various Southern California addiction treatments so every individual can receive the exact care they need to live a long-term life of sobriety.

What Causes Addiction?

There are countless causes of addiction that further show that no addiction is ever the same. While many addicts may become addicted to the same substances, how and why they became addicted in the first place are important factors to understand.

Three main causes of addiction include:

Genetics: If you were born in a family where one or more family members have a history of substance abuse/addiction, this may increase your chances of becoming an addict yourself.
Social/ Situational: If you grew up in an area or among a friend group where drug abuse was commonplace, especially at an early age, this can also be a cause of addiction.
Mental Health: If you struggle with a mental health condition, especially a mental illness that is left untreated, this can increase your chances of becoming addicted.

While addiction isn’t predictable, many causes can increase an individual’s ability to become addicted to drugs or alcohol.

How Does Addiction Affect the Brain?

Addiction, in terms of drug and alcohol addiction, can greatly affect the brain and thus alter how you think, feel, and act. Specifically, addiction and drug use can impact three main areas of the brain:

The basal ganglia (responsible for providing positive motivation during pleasurable activities)
The extended amygdala (responsible for stress and anxiety, such as how you feel during addiction withdrawal)
The prefrontal cortex (responsible for decision-making and self-control)

Drug abuse can be addictive because drugs trigger the reward system of the brain, so your brain experiences pleasure and satisfaction upon taking the drug. Over time, as you use more and more of the drug, your brain will become dependent upon the drug to trigger that desired effect you feel when using.

What Are the Behavioral Signs of Addiction?

The behaviors of addiction can dramatically alter an addict’s life for the worst. Behavioral signs of addiction involve changes in how one acts or functions, especially with oneself or towards others in their life (i.e., family, friends, coworkers, etc.).

Here are some common behavioral signs of addiction:

Obsessive thoughts and actions: Constantly obsessing over the drug/ when you will next use it such that it interferes with personal and professional obligations are signs of addictive behavior.
Loss of Control to Quit: An addict may know that using is only making their life worse, but they continue to use their drug of choice as they may feel out of control/ unable to quit.
Fracture Relationships with Others: Substance abuse can cause many bad physical and mental signs that can worry the loved ones of the addict; however, the addict continues to use, even despite their loved one’s concerns.
Denial Or Hiding their Addiction: An addict may try and deny the negative effects of their addiction or essentially downplay all the ways addiction has negatively altered their life. Or, an addict may go as far as to cover up and hide their addiction to prevent any form of confrontation from family or friends.

There are many signs of addiction, including physical, mental, emotional, and of course, behavioral signs of addiction. Behaviors of addiction can greatly impact the lives of those in and around the addict’s life. Oftentimes, an addict may know that using is bad; however, they may feel they are unable to quit, so they continue to use, despite the damage caused to their loved ones.

How to Recognize Addiction Issues and Get Help at a Malibu Drug Rehab

Addiction can show itself in various signs of addictive behavior. Sometimes, addiction can be difficult to recognize, especially if an addict actively works to hide their addiction. However, being aware of the behavioral signs of addiction mentioned above and recognizing signs of other abnormal physical, mental, and emotional changes can help one recognize that a loved one may be struggling with addiction.

Rise in Malibu is a luxury drug rehab center that provides all clients with tailored treatment plans essential to living a long-lasting life of sobriety. We understand how difficult recovering from addiction can be, and that’s why our team of highly experienced addiction specialists is here to help you every step of the way on your road to recovery.

If you or a loved one is struggling with addiction, contact us today or call to learn more about how we can help you on your road to recovery.