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Natalie Wilson


Registered On - 02/09/2022 Last Seen On - 30/11/-0001

How Does Addiction Affect Behavior

Alcohol or drug addiction impacts life in many different ways. It can disrupt your family relationships, resulting in unemployment, and even cause death. Such conditions arise after prolonged misuse of alcohol which is classified as a drug and the consumption of it can lead to abuse or dependence on other substances. Overall, addiction hampers social life by compromising your decision-making ability and impairing your judgment, which causes you to make poor choices that ultimately have a negative impact on relationships with friends and family members, hence it is important to not ignore the warning signs and seek help at magnolia ranch recovery. Having said that, this article will examine the psychological disorders that are associated with alcoholism and substance misuse as well as the genetic aspects of addiction. This article will also discuss the risk factors that lead to addiction and the different stages of alcohol and/or drug addiction in brief.

According to terms from the Diagnostic & Statistical Manual (DSM), psychological disorders are those that are characterized by significant impairment in functioning, with four primary areas of impairment: cognitive, emotional, behavioral, and psychosocial. Thus, alcohol addiction can cause psychological disorders. That said, in order to understand the role of alcohol in these psychological disorders, one must understand what happens in the brain when alcohol is consumed.

Who is likely to get addicted to drugs or alcohol?

A person who has a family history of alcoholism or substance misuse is more likely to develop an addiction themselves if they consume alcohol. The individuals that have this condition share genetic traits with people who develop alcoholism because they have a family member that is an alcoholic. This means that those people will be more likely to have symptoms of chronic alcoholism and the possibility of developing alcohol abuse and dependence.

Evidence from twin studies shows that genetics accounts for 50–60% of the risk for alcoholism. Not only does having a parent who is an alcoholic increase your risk for developing alcohol abuse or dependence, but if you are adopted and have a biological parent who is an alcoholic, you are at a higher risk of developing this disorder. This study was conducted to see if people with biological parents or adopted parents that were alcoholics had the same rates of alcoholism.

How does addiction impact behaviour of an individual?

When the brain is addicted to a chemical, it changes its behavior. Addiction can have major impacts on decision-making and impulse control. The addict will engage in activities that are unnecessary for survival and require more time, effort, money, or other resources than the addict can provide for himself or herself. For example, an alcoholic's drinking may affect his/her job performance, relationships with friends and family members, as well as financial resources.

When an individual is addicted to a chemical (such as nicotine, alcohol, methamphetamines, opiate), his/her brain is in a state of reward dependence and the individual will continue to engage in behaviors that are rewarding (ie: pleasurable) because the behavior becomes compulsive. The behavior is rewarding and makes the individual feel "good" or "better" and they want to continue to engage in it. The brain has been conditioned by drugs or alcohol and the addiction drives the person further into addiction.

The brain is dependent on the chemical and it is altering behavior to obtain the chemical or prevent withdrawal. The compulsion to continue using (and/or consume more) will cause the person to take more of the drug, misuse other substances, and/or become restless or agitated when they don't have access to drugs. How does this addiction affect behavior?

The addict will engage in activities that are unnecessary for survival and require more time, effort, money, or other resources than the addict can provide for himself or herself. For example, an alcoholic's drinking may affect his/her job performance, relationships with friends and family members, as well as financial resources.

Just because someone is addicted doesn't mean that they don't know right from wrong or the consequences. When the brain is addicted to a chemical, it changes its behavior. Addiction can have major impacts on decision-making and impulse control, hence it is crucial to get enrolled in a rehab wherein professional help would be provided and suitable treatment, here at magnolia ranch recovery, you’d be guided at every step in order to achieve a sober life in the long term.

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