Addiction Recovery
Tools » Identify
Addictive Behavior
Self Control and Addictive Behavior:
Identifying Symptoms and Triggers of an Addictive
Personality
As drug and alcohol use increases, the user
tries to keep life under control. That gets harder and harder
to do. Finally the user does desperate things to try to continue
to appear normal. These desperate behaviors are called addictive
behaviors. They are the things people do related to their
drug and alcohol use. Sometimes the behaviors ONLY occur when
people are using or moving toward using.
Learning to recognize when one or more of
these behaviors begin to happen will help you to know when
to start fighting extra hard to move away from relapse.
Do You Have an Addictive Personality?
Which of these behaviors do you think are
related to your drug or alcohol use?
- Lying
- Stealing
- Being irresponsible (e.g., not meeting
family/work obligations)
- Being unreliable (e.g., late for appointments,
breaking promises)
- Being careless about health and grooming
(e.g., stopping exercise, poor diet, etc.)
- Getting sloppy in house keeping
- Behaving impulsively (without thinking)
- Behaving compulsively (e.g., too much
eating, working, sex)
- Losing interest in things (e.g., recreational
activities, family life)
- Isolating (staying by yourself much
of the time)
- Using other drugs or alcohol
- Missing or being late for 12-Step or
other support groups
- Stopping prescribed medication (antidepressants,
anti-anxiety, Antabuse, etc.)
Learn what triggers your addictive behaviors
and self-control techniques to keep those behaviors in check.
Recommended Reading:
Addictive Thinking, Second Edition
by Abraham Twerski
In Addictive Thinking, author Abraham Twerski
reveals how self-deceptive thought can undermine self-esteem
and threaten the sobriety of a recovering individual.
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