Pleasure Seeking Behavior and Addiction

According to the National Library of Medicine, there is a tie between pleasure seeking behavior and addiction. Most people seek pleasure and avoid pain. That is human nature. It is the way that people are naturally wired. In most people, the pleasure comes from things that are natural, but some find it in chemicals. Some of these chemicals are extremely dangerous and addictive when used.

What is Pleasure Seeking Behavior?

Pleasure seeking behavior is when a person does things that bring them pleasure. With addiction, they start by wanting the pleasure the drug provides. Since it is a quick rush of pleasure, it is easy to see why a person would opt for the drug. Most people who wind up in this situation quickly become psychologically addicted to the drug rather than a physical addiction. The physical addiction comes later after the pleasure seeker uses the drug more often.

What is the Difference between Pleasure Seeking and Happiness?

Someone who is pleasure seeking is generally unhappy, and looking for a quick, easy way to feel good.

The difference between pleasure seeking and happiness is that pleasure seeking behavior is often for short term pleasure. True happiness is a long term feeling that many people strive for all of their life. Unfortunately, true happiness takes hard work and some people choose to take an easy route to pleasure.

Why is Pleasure Seeking Behavior Important to Addiction?

Pleasure seeking behavior is important to addiction because it seems in some studies to create a situation where a person is easily addicted to a drug. Since seeking pleasure is a natural drive, it is easy to understand why someone who is unhappy would turn to something that gives euphoria or pleasure quickly.

Usually when someone becomes addicted to a drug they use it once and feel the pleasure associated with it. Then they do it again because the body is hardwired to seek pleasure and avoid pain. After a few times the body begins to respond to the drug on a physiological level. The initial reaction is a psychological addiction or an addiction to the drive for pleasure. As the drug forms physical pathways to accommodate the drug, it destroys the ones that feel natural pleasure. This is where the physical side of the addiction comes in.

After the pathways are formed in order to feel pleasure, the body needs the drug. It goes into withdrawal without it. This is how pleasure seeking behavior and drug addiction fit together. The pleasure seeking behavior causes a person to try the drug, the drug generally does the rest.

Excuses You Use to Keep Abusing Drugs

It is theorized that certain people have personalities that are more driven towards pleasure seeking behavior. Some doctors think that this is what causes a person to be more likely to try drugs than they would be without this type of personality.

If you suspect that you have a pleasure driven personality and are addicted to drugs, you might need treatment. For more information on both the pleasure seeking drive and drug addiction, call us at 800-256-3490. We can help you get past the addiction and back to a normal, happy life.