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The “Addictive” Personality
Addictive Personality is a term used to define
the personality of an individual who may be
prone to addiction. It can be an aspect of a
person’s personality or character. No single
addictive personality for the addict or
alcoholic exists. There is no cookie-cutter
template to find out if an individual is prone
to addiction or not.
A
person can become addicted because specific
factors in their life contribute to the
addictive process. As with most emotional
disorders and diseases, personality has an
influence on the development of an addiction.
Those who exhibit aggression, lack of
self-control, and a socially difficult outlook
in childhood are at risk to develop addictions
later. It is possible for an individual to shift
from one addiction to another or sustain
multiple addictions at different times.
Individuals who experience anxiety and
depression are likely to develop addictions as a
way of managing their emotions. Addicts tend to
be people who are very sensitive to stress, have
difficulty delaying gratification, and find it
difficult to tolerate frustrating events or
situations for even short periods of time.
Perfectionism, low self-esteem, and anger
management issues may also drive many
addictions.
Although there are many different factors that
can contribute to drug abuse, some researchers
believe that certain people have an “addictive
personality” that makes them more vulnerable to
addiction than other people. Anyone can develop
a problem with drugs or alcohol, but someone who
has an addictive personality is more than likely
to be described as:
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Aggressive
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Impulsive
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Sensitive
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Emotional
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Anxious
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Lonely
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The addictive personality is sometimes described
as an anti-social personality but not always. A
person with anti-social personality traits may
live life in search of continuous gratification.
They may engage in reckless behavior, neglect to
consider the effects of their actions on
themselves or others, and are sometimes accused
of being unable to learn from past mistakes.
Overeating, gambling, and risky sexual behavior
are also common problems among people with this
type of personality.
People who are receiving treatment for other
mental health conditions, such as depression,
attention deficit disorder, and post-traumatic
stress disorder, may be at a greater risk for
problems with drug or alcohol addiction; though
this may be due to underlying factors that were
already occurring alongside the influence of
their addictive personality. Since many
different factors contribute to addiction, it’s
not easy to isolate the direct effect of
personality on drug abuse.
While understanding the link between drug
addiction and personality can be useful, it is
dangerous to assume that having an addictive
personality means that someone is destined to
develop a problem with drugs or alcohol. People
with these personality traits still have the
ability to make positive life choices but they
must become more aware of the potential dangers
of addiction.
By: Patrick McLemore
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