Alcohol and drug addiction have been found to cause changes in people’s physical attention. The changes become very noticeable when addiction begins to cause significant personality changes. However, regardless of the changes an addiction can cause, a person with an addiction may not be the first to notice. Often, family members and friends may have to intervene in pointing out addiction signs to a person getting addicted.
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What Are the Behavioral Signs of Addiction?
Addiction causes behavioral changes, but the changes are not always the same. Media outlets are often in the act of giving stereotype descriptions and signs of addiction.
Stereotype descriptions of addictions are often misleading because people fail to realize that they have addiction challenges when they fail to show popular addiction symptoms.
If you are uncertain whether you or a known folk are subject to addiction, the telltale behavioral signs of addiction can help you figure out your addiction status. Below are a few behavioral signs of addiction.
General Appearance
Drug and alcohol addiction alters feeding appetite. An altered feeding pattern causes a considerable change in the body weight of an addicted person because the subject has been consuming larger or smaller food amounts.
When an addiction changes a person’s feeding pattern, the changes may occur rapidly or take longer. Rapid changes in body composition may, however, indicate substance abuse.
Paraphernalia
An obvious indication of addictive behavior is when you find addiction-signifying materials in a person’s custody. Some items that indicate addiction include syringes, razor blades, cigarette wrapping papers, cut-up straws, lighters, and so on.
Usually, items signifying addiction are not found singly; they are often among other items of drug abuse. For example, although not all drugs require material aid to abuse them when some materials are seen in people’s custody, they signify drug abuse.
For instance, prescription medication containers from different doctors may indicate drug misuse. Also, eyewash can be used to mask the appearance of bloodshot eyes.
Using eyewash may not be a clear-cut indication of drug abuse, but using eyewash to excessive limits can be an indication. So often, people with addiction go to great lengths to cover up their symptoms.
How Does Addiction Affect Behavior?
When substance abuse or addiction takes over a person, they begin to exhibit new behaviors. The behavioral shift caused by drugs is usually distinct and noticeable. Addiction subjects’ routines and daily activities are impacted as they get abandoned.
Also, people with addiction exhibit behaviors that affect their relationships with neighbors, co-workers, and family members. When someone begins to act strangely suddenly, it may result from addiction.
Here are some behaviors that can help you know when there is an addiction.
Declining interest
The National Institute on Drug Abuse explains that drugs have a pleasurable effect caused by a great surge of chemicals and neurotransmitters in the brain.
When people are addicting a drug, the drug begins to give them the satisfaction that surpasses other activities in which they may be involved. Keep an eye out for signs that someone is losing interest in activities they formerly took great pride in.
This behavior does not always mean that people are addicted. Notwithstanding, losing interest all of a sudden in an activity that was formerly exciting may mean that someone is devoting all of their efforts to stoking their drug-use compulsion.
Having Stoppage Issues
Addiction makes it challenging to adhere to even self-imposed limits. This can appear as the desire to continue using a prescription medication after the health issue it treats has been resolved. This can also appear as the desire to continue to increase the doses of recommended medications.
If you have issues with stopping mediation use but are unable to adhere to the stoppage, this requires attention.
Mood Swings
When substance abuse is taking over a person, it becomes increasingly difficult for the person to control their emotions. The inability of a substance-addicted person to control their emotions can make them have outbursts in situations they would have been calm.
Addicted persons may also express frequent disappointments, acute distress, and impatience. However, in other situations, they may be extremely calm and collected in instances where they would have been extremely displeased.
How to Find Centers for Addictive Behavioral Reform and Recovery
Talking about addiction can be challenging even with individuals you are extremely close to. You should contact an expert if you’ve noticed any signs of addiction in a loved one or yourself.
At Living Now Recovery, we offer crucial assistance and guidance and assist families in approaching the subject of addiction with clarity and understanding. Our Los Angeles sober living programs help with addictive behaviors of diverse sorts. We offer specialist recovery plans for diverse addiction behaviors at affordable costs. Contact us today to help you with your addictive behavior.