Does your partner drink too much? Is your adolescent or adult child suffering from unexplained mood swings? Is your brother or sister chronically short on money? There are a number of signs and symptoms to look for if you are concerned that addiction may be affecting someone you love. Addiction can be hard to address – especially if prior attempts resulted in hostility. If this sounds like someone you know and love, they may meet the criteria for an addictive disorder.
At Beachcomber, we recognize that each client we work with is someone’s loved one, and we try to treat our clients the same way we’d treat our very own family memes. With Holistic drug and alcohol treatment programs tailored to the needs of each client, and a wide range of therapeutic options, we will give your loved ones the tools they need for long-term, sustainable sobriety.
Is it just a bad habit? Or is it substance abuse?
So your cousin went a little overboard at the holiday party and wakes up hungover. Is this a sign of an alcohol use disorder, or is it just a temporary lapse in judgment? Experts at the American Society of Addiction Medicine can provide the answer. The experts have provided an addiction definition that actually classifies substance abuse as a chronic disease of the brain primarily affecting the brain’s reward center, but also influencing memory and motivation. A symptom of the disease is a hindered ability to choose whether to consume a substance. The user experiences decreased impulse control and an irresistible compulsion to use, no matter the cost. Although symptoms can vary from person to person, they often include:
- A lack of control over how much or how long the person is using the substance
- Mental or physical health problems due to substance use
- Decreased social or professional activities to accommodate use of drugs or alcohol
- Continuing to use drugs or alcohol despite it damaging relationships
- A significant amount of time spent obtaining, using, or recovering from substance use
If you see several of these symptoms manifesting in someone you love, it may be time to help them seek treatment.
How Addiction Affects Dopamine
Addiction and substance abuse disorders damage the rewards center in the brain, and this reinforces habits like drug use. Normally, the brain’s reward center releases dopamine when engaged in certain activities like exercise or sexual activity. However, the unnatural influx of chemicals that occurs from the use of most drugs can trigger a release of dopamine that is up to 10 times stronger than what is naturally occurring. As a result, the user experiences a sense of euphoria due to the sudden excess excretion of dopamine.
This pleasurable experience isn’t something you typically achieve at the gym. Naturally, the temptation to use the drug becomes stronger, and your loved one repeats the use to chase that same dopamine release. With repeated use, the person begins to build a tolerance to the substance, and the required amount to achieve the same high increases over time. Thus begins the vicious cycle of addiction – motivating people to sacrifice money, relationships, employment, and even housing to find their fix.
Contact Beachcomber Delray Today to Find Healing
Just like other chronic diseases, substance abuse disorders don’t have a cure. But effective treatments and therapies at Beachcomber Delray make healing from addiction possible with a Holistically treated addiction center Contact us today at 561-658-1729 to learn more.