Common Traits of Addictive Behaviors
There are many common characteristics among the various addictive behaviors:
1. The person becomes obsessed, or constantly thinks of, a certain object, activity, or substance.
2. They will seek it out, engaging in the behavior even when it may be causing harm to themselves of those close to them. These can include physical problems, poor work or study performance, problems with friends, family, or difficulty dealing with fellow workers.
3. The person will compulsively engage in the activity, doing said activity repeatedly, even if intellectually, the person does not want to, and will likely find it difficult to stop themselves.
4. Upon stopping the activity, withdrawal symptoms often occur. These can include irritability, craving, restlessness or depression, or other more severe physical symptoms such as chills or vomiting.
5. The person does not appear to have control as to when, how long, or how much he or she will continue the behavior. This loss of control can appear in situations like when they drink six beers when they only wanted one, or buy eight pairs of shoes when they only needed a belt.
6. He or she often denies problems resulting from his or her engagement in the behavior, even though others can see the negative effects.
7. The person hides the behavior after family or close friends have mentioned their concern. This may mean hiding food under the beds, or alcohol bottles in the closets, or not allowing their spouse to see the credit card bills.
8. Many individuals with addictive behaviors report a blackout for the time they were engaging in the behavior. They don’t remember how much or what they bought, how much the lost gambling, how many miles they ran on a sore foot, or what they did at the party when drinking.
9. Depression is common in individuals with addictive behaviors.
10. Individuals with addictive behaviors often have low self esteem, feel anxious if they do not have control over their environment, and may come from psychologically or physically abusive families.
If any of these sound familiar, either because they mirror your own behavior, or that of someone you love, help is available. If drug or alcohol abuse is involved, a drug rehab center with dual diagnosis treatment can offer support for the full range of addictive behaviors.
