Do you know how addiction can change someone’s personality? In fact, the effects of addiction on personality have been known for quite some time. Several studies have been conducted that demonstrate the effects that addiction causes on an individual’s brain and on their personality. The specialists at our drug and alcohol rehab center are here for you to guide you through your difficult times. Moreover, they can help you start the recovery process. To learn more about addiction therapy services, call us today at 866.957.7885.
How Addiction Can Change Personality
The evidence is abundantly clear when it comes to the profound effects addiction has on individuals. This means not only during their periods of substance use but also throughout their daily lives. For instance, substances like cocaine, among many others, have been found to induce long-term changes in the brain, often co-occurring with stress-related disorders. Fascinating research even shows that test animals, when exposed to cocaine, display a continued craving for the substance. In addition, they can experience heightened levels of stress.
In a similar vein, chronic alcohol use has been observed to shift the locus of behavior control away from the brain regions responsible for complex decision-making. This shift can potentially impact learning abilities and give rise to compulsive behaviors and actions. These may manifest as:
- Driving under the influence
- Engaging in binge drinking
- Risky sexual behavior
- Spending money irresponsibly
However, it is important to note that there is hope and help available for those who are ready to break free from the grip of addiction. At San Antonio Recovery Center, our compassionate staff understands the complexities involved, including the interplay between addiction and personality issues that can arise with any drug, including alcohol. Our comprehensive drug and alcohol rehab programs are designed to provide holistic and effective treatment options.
Drugs That Cause Personality Changes
These include methamphetamine, MDMA (ecstasy or Molly), LSD, and certain prescription medications. When taken in large doses, these substances can significantly alter your mood, behavior, and even your sense of self. In some cases, prolonged use of these drugs can lead to enduring changes in one’s personality, affecting various aspects of life.
Methamphetamine, for instance, is an extraordinarily potent stimulant that has been linked to long-term changes in behavior, including the development of compulsive and violent tendencies. MDMA (ecstasy or Molly), on the other hand, is a psychoactive substance that can induce profound shifts in mood, behavior, and one’s overall perception of reality. Similarly, LSD is a hallucinogenic drug known to cause mental confusion and paranoia, and potentially trigger psychotic episodes.
Furthermore, certain prescription medications, such as antidepressants, antipsychotics, and mood stabilizers, have the potential to modify one’s personality when taken in high doses or over extended periods of time. Therefore, it is crucial to approach the use of any substances responsibly and with caution. It is also essential to closely monitor your mental health if you are using drugs that could potentially lead to personality changes.
Is It Possible to Reverse These Personality Changes?
For most of those who struggle with drug or alcohol addiction, recovery doesn’t happen just through willpower. Instead, it takes a team of professionals to perform an assessment. Then, they have to determine what damage or changes there are as a result of addiction. Finally, they have to create a personalized treatment plan.
It takes the specialized expertise of a team of professionals to help get you started in your recovery. The more that you use cocaine, alcohol, heroin, designer street drugs, or any illicit substance, the higher the risk that you may experience personality changes, and even lifelong damage to your brain and to the rest of your body. Many individuals experience both substance use disorders and mental health disorders simultaneously. Therefore, they need the expertise of professionals with the experience to help individuals with these issues.
The changes in personality do not get better on their own. Neither does the addiction issues that quickly take over the life of a person. Professionals that help guide people into a detox program and then into a comprehensive program are here to help you with two things. One, to get your life back on track. Two, to guide you on the path to healthy, sober lifestyle.
Begin Your Journey to Recovery Today
San Antonio Recovery Center is here for you no matter where you are in your journey to recovery. We offer comprehensive programs to meet the individualized needs of clients that need detox, inpatient or outpatient treatment, intensive outpatient, or other treatments and therapies. We also include family members in the treatment process, because addiction does affect everyone in the family. Our specialists have the experience to help the entire family during this time.
You do not have to experience the physical, emotional, or mental changes resulting from addiction alone any longer. Help is just a quick call away. That is taking the first step toward starting on a new road to a better life and leaving that old path behind you. Undergoing a comprehensive assessment is the next step toward living a life free of the drugs that took control over you and your life. Contact us right now at 866.957.7885, or contact us online. Begin your recovery today by calling now.
