Addiction Types and Styles: Identifying Your Struggle
If you are struggling with an addiction, you are not alone. Although you are among millions of individuals struggling with addiction, your case differs from the next. No one individual’s addiction is the same as the next individual because each person has their own experiences and personal struggles. Fortunately, through research and education, people that are willing to accept help through treatment can be more prepared to address and confront addiction and attain long-term recovery success. Before you decide to get help, educate yourself on addiction types and common personalities of individuals addicted.
Addiction Types to Identify
Illegal Drug Addiction: Obviously, the most identifiable type of addiction is an illegal drug addiction. Illegal drugs are mind altering chemicals deemed unsafe by the federal government and are outlawed for consumption and purchase. Because there are many different kinds of illegal substances, there are many different symptoms of illegal drug use. Examples of illegal substances that can lead to a developed addiction include heroin, cocaine, crack, and marijuana.
Prescription Addiction: One of the biggest addiction problems our country is facing currently is increased drug addiction of prescription medications. It is the driving force behind the opioid epidemic, which accounts for thousands of overdose deaths due to developed addictions to opioid prescriptions. Addiction to prescription medications can begin with a prescription from a physician or it can be developed after purchase off the streets. Commonly, individuals who have run out of their prescriptions begin to find the medications elsewhere and form tolerance by self-medicating. Prescriptions that may form addiction include benzodiazepines, amphetamines, opioids, and sedatives.
Alcohol Addiction: Although alcohol is legal to purchase and consume, it is one of the most dangerous drugs on this planet. Additionally, it is one of the most addictive substances known to mankind. In fact, there are over 16 million Americans struggling with alcohol use disorder today. Alcohol use disorder is the medical term for the diagnosis of individuals showing symptoms of alcohol tolerance, dependence, and abuse of alcohol.
Behavioral Addiction: An addiction is when someone utilizes a behavior to seek internal rewards. You don’t have to be addicted to a drug to have an addiction. Often times, when individuals are addicted to a substance, they can display behavioral addictions as well. Behavioral addictions are utilized when individuals cannot attain their drug of choice, or can simply be the only addition an individual deals with. Examples of behavioral addictions include sex addiction, gambling addiction, technological addiction, eating addiction, and shopping addiction.
Types of Addicts
You will find that just because you share a common addiction with another individual, you may not share the same personality traits. This is because there are different types of addicts in general, meaning there are different types of personalities that can attribute to an individual’s addiction. Recognizing the type of addict that you may be can help you determine which kind of treatment may work best for your desires or needs.
The High-Functioning Addict: This type of addict will deny having issues with their drug of choice because they can keep up with daily responsibilities while also maintaining actively addicted. Instead of worrying about their issues with addiction in the present moment, they are more focused on what may happen to them as a result in the future. As a result, many high-functioning addicts have controlling behaviors and a perfectionist’s mindset. This type of addict may not wish to seek help for their active addiction until they start to recognize and experience the consequences of their addiction. All in all, the high-functioning addict will appear to have their lives in order on the outside but struggle with daily addictive behaviors behind closed doors.
Dual Diagnosis: Did you know that over 40% of alcoholics have concurring mental health issues? It is not uncommon for individuals affected by addiction to have concurring mental health ailments such as depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder, panic disorder, or bipolar disorder. Fortunately, specific individualized and group therapies are beneficial to these individuals throughout addiction treatment so that they can identify the underlying causes of both their addictions and mental health issues.
Replacement Addict: Some individuals who struggle with addiction are known as replacement or shapeshifting addicts. This means that when they notice the consequences of a specific addiction, they replace the addiction for another substance or behavior.
Getting Help for Addiction Types
All in all, individuals who are addicted to substances or behaviors usually develop addictive behaviors as a result of self-medicating as a result of post-traumatic events, mental illness, or otherwise. Treatment helps these individuals identify their types or addictions and the type of addict they are so that healing can take place and recovery is possible. Are you ready to get help through addiction treatment? Help is available to you 24 hours a day, 7 days a week at The Discovery Institute New Jersey Detox and Rehabilitation. Call now to speak with an addiction specialist at 888-616-7177.
Dr. Joseph Ranieri D.O. earned his BS in Pharmacy at Temple University School of Pharmacy in 1981 and His Doctorate Degree in Osteopathic Medicine at the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine in 1991. He is Board Certified by the American Board of Family Medicine and a Diplomate of the American Board of Preventive Medicine Addiction Certification. Dr. Ranieri has lectured extensively to physicians, nurses, counselors and laypeople about the Disease of Addiction throughout New Jersey and Pennsylvania since 2012.
