The Connection Between Behavior and Addiction

Behavior plays a large part in addiction. While some substances create a physical dependence on them, behavioral addiction can be especially hard to break. To get off of substances, you can go through detox within treatment. Clinical support will help you overcome the symptoms of withdrawal and work to being physically clean from substances. Once the substance is out of your system, you are left with working through the behavioral dependence. This is best done through therapeutic intervention and a personal commitment to changing your behavior. West Coast Recovery Centers understands the connection between behavior and addiction and aims to teach that to our clients. 

The Science of Addiction

When you get into treatment, it is important to understand how addiction works. Addiction is a chronic disease characterized by drug-seeking behavior. It is a dependence on a substance, despite the usage being harmful to the user. Addiction is formed by your brain seeking the pleasure of substances over your well-being. As you use substances more and more, you are exposed to the chemicals of them. Many of these substances create a physical dependence on the drug. This means that if you try to come off of them, you experience adverse effects.

These effects can be called withdrawal. Physical effects from withdrawal may include:

• Inability to sleep
• Shaking
• Sweating
• Nausea or vomiting
• Anxiety
• Aches and pains
• Hallucinations

It is important when you are coming off of a substance to find a treatment facility that can safely help you detox and get sober. With clinical support, the effects of withdrawal can be managed, and you can reach a point where you are not physically dependent on the substances anymore. Finding a care facility that understands the science of your addiction and can help you detox is important, but so is what follows in inpatient recovery. Treatment is also important because it will help you understand and break the behavioral addiction to substances. 

Behavior and Addiction

The National Institute of Drug Abuse (NIDA) explains that drugs change the way that your brain processes, and how your brain receives pleasure from their usage. Drugs change the way that neurons interact with each other, causing different feelings and physical effects in the body. Long-term usage of drugs overrides the brain's pleasure-reward circuit, making it so it is difficult to receive pleasure unless you are using drugs. Over time, this makes it so you can only turn to higher and higher dosages of substance to receive pleasure. 

This habit and continuation of the cycle can form a connection with substances through behavior and addiction. When you use a substance to get a release from negative emotion, you are more likely to reach for it when you are feeling down or triggered. If you are bored, it may also trigger your behavioral addiction to drugs, as you depend on the substance to trigger that part of your brain. Addiction can be difficult to overcome, but finding a treatment facility that can work with you is integral to breaking these behavioral habits. 

Behavior and addiction can also form from habits. As you use substances, you are building habits and pathways in your brain. To receive pleasure and work through stress, you use. This makes it difficult when you to reenter your life after treatment to stay clean for some people. It is important to talk about what to expect once you are sober while in treatment and set up a plan to change your behaviors.

Changing Behaviors to Maintain Sobriety

There are many different ways to help curb behavioral addiction to drugs. Through treatment, your care team will give you the skills that you need to cope with things that are tough throughout recovery. It is important to note that many of the changes that you will make will have to be behavioral. When you readapt back to life at home, you may have to change some aspects of your life to maintain your sobriety. These include things like what people you spend your time with, where you spend your time, and what you do with your free time. Behavioral changes can be integral to long-term recovery.

Filling your life with healthy hobbies and activities will fill your time. It will give you something to focus on even when you are struggling. Sometimes people and places that you spent time in before can be a trigger for addiction. You may have to choose to change the environment and people who surround you. It is important to find a group that supports your recovery and uplifts you. At West Coast Recovery Centers, we have a focus on aftercare and continuation of care for our clients. Through our alumni programs and resources, you can get a plan in place to live a healthy and fulfilling life in sobriety. 

Addiction often involves both physical and psychological dependence. When you work toward sobriety, you start with detoxing and coming off the substance. Clinical teams can help as you work the drug out of your system, but therapeutic intervention is needed to teach you how to break habits. Therapy can teach you the skills that you need to change your behavior. These changes include things like who you hang out with, where you spend your time, and how you spend your free time. If you can change your behaviors to align with your journey of recovery, you will succeed. If you are interested in learning more about behavior and addiction, call West Coast Recovery Centers today at (760) 492-6509.