5 Ways Substance Abuse Can Change Your Personality

If you’ve seen a loved one suffer with substance addiction, you probably noticed them acting in strange ways. They may have started lying even about unimportant things. Maybe they acted recklessly or were insensitive towards you and others. While at first this seemed like an aberration, you may have come to expect such behavior from them.

In many cases, the observer instinctively judges their loved one and begins to assume they have always had these personality traits. They resent the person for acting this way and imagine that if they were addicted, they would do things differently.

Often, the idea that ‘I’m not like them’ serves as a justification for a person beginning to use substances.

Unfortunately, the reality is that many ‘bad’ behaviors are actually the result of substance addiction. Addiction is an illness and a person has no control over how it will affect them. When a person is addicted, their personality begins to change no matter how they may have acted in the past.

Here are 5 ways substance addiction can change your personality.

1. Impulsivity and Recklessness

One of the most common changes people go through when addicted to substances is that they become increasingly impulsive. They make snap decisions to take risky actions, even if they previously took great care in every aspect of their lives.

This is because addiction actually rewires your brain. Substances increase your brain’s levels of dopamine, the neurotransmitter responsible for reward and pleasure. When dependent on substances, the reward center of your brain becomes overactive, requiring more and more dopamine. This drive for immediate gratification is what’s responsible for reckless decision-making.

Impulsivity and recklessness do not only lead to dangerous behaviors on your part. They also lead you to hurt loved ones when you make decisions that disregard their feelings or choose immediate gratification over spending time with them.

2. Decreased Motivation

The over activity of your brain’s reward system also impacts your motivation. The reward system is one of the components that drives a person to do things which are necessary for surviving and thriving. You become accustomed to experiencing pleasure when you have done enjoyable actions or achieved positive outcomes.

When substances are constantly activating your reward system, your motivation changes. Instead of taking productive measures to gain long-term reward, you begin to seek immediate reward. Motivating yourself to work towards a future goal becomes difficult when you are used to getting immediate pleasure from substance use.

3. Manipulation and Deception

One of the reasons it can be difficult for people to see addiction as an illness rather than a moral failing is that people abusing substances act in ways that harm others. They manipulate loved ones and lie to them, seeming to have no regard for truth and integrity. These actions cause relationships to fall apart, as loved ones suffer from the consequences of being taken advantage of.

However, this behavior has nothing to do with how moral a person is. When you’re addicted to substances, you are driven to use substances at any cost. The cravings are intense and, without access to substances, you begin to go through painful withdrawals. In the pursuit of substances, it becomes difficult to focus on what is ‘right’ and how your actions affect others.

Manipulation and deception may seem fairly harmless at first, as well. A white lie about how you’re spending the evening doesn’t lead to a lot of guilt. But, as your loved ones become more worried about you and it becomes more difficult to gain access to substances, the lies build up. You become accustomed to deception and manipulation and no longer have the capacity to focus on the harm you might be causing.

4. Mood Swings

Substances affect a person’s mood. Even the first time you become inebriated, your emotions change. It’s one of the reasons people use substances in the first place. And, anyone who has been intoxicated knows the feeling of waking up with a hangover or going through a comedown.

However, when you are addicted to substances, mood swings become the norm. This is not just because you are often either inebriated or coming down from a high. It is also because the way you process emotions begins to change. You get used to the extreme highs and you find it more difficult than ever to cope with the lows. You start using unhealthy coping mechanisms and your ability to regulate emotion is depleted.

While many people who start using substances are already struggling with emotional regulation, even the most balanced person begins to have mood swings when addicted. Loved ones are often bewildered by just how unbalanced a previously stable person becomes.

5. Paranoia

Addiction impacts the brain in many ways, leading not just to emotional volatility, but to paranoia as well. When dependent on substances, the imbalance in neurotransmitter levels, along with a hyperactive threat response, cause you to feel constantly on edge, as if a threat is always waiting around the corner.

This both leads to and is exacerbated by cognitive distortions. Substances affect the way you think through multiple mechanisms. Your perception becomes warped and you start to believe irrational things.

This is why people with substance addictions start to distrust even those who love them most. They feel like everyone is out to get them and are resistant to those who want to help them. Interventions to get them treatment for addiction seem like spiteful plans to cause them pain.

Can Personality Changes Be Reversed?

The good news is that the personality changes caused by substances are generally reversed with treatment. The brain returns to normal functioning and emotional regulation skills taught in rehab help the person manage their emotions better than ever before. Bridges that have been burnt are rebuilt, as the person begins to take accountability for their actions while addicted to substances.

That being said, long-term substance use can have permanent effects on the brain. People who have been abusing substances for many years may struggle with cognitive distortions and paranoia even when they are no longer using substances. In these cases, addiction rehab professionals help the person become aware of these factors, ensuring they are able to put measures in place to avoid further harm.

Conclusion

Substance addiction can change your personality significantly. A person who seems extremely well-adjusted, honest, and conscientious can start to act in unhealthy, harmful ways. They may seem like a different person altogether.

When recovering from substance addiction, these personality changes are gradually reversed. If you’re struggling with addiction, get help today to begin the healing process.