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There's a persistent misconception that certain individuals simply have an addictive personality, which raises their risk for addiction. The term addictive personality is poorly understood and prone to misuse. The phrase carries a negative connotation, is unsupported by research and presents just a partial picture of a difficult problem.
Regardless of a person's personality, addiction is an intricate health concern that can strike at any time. Some people appreciate the benefits of occasional alcohol or drug usage while avoiding them daily. Some might give things a shot and become addicted nearly right away. Many people's addictions, like gambling, don't even involve any kind of chemical.
What is an addictive personality?
An addictive personality generally refers to a set of characteristics that can increase your risk of dependency, addiction to drugs and other things. However, there's little agreement among researchers as to what an addictive personality entails, or whether such a thing even exists.
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In other words, there's no evidence that a personality type is associated with a higher risk of engaging in obsessive or addictive activities. DSM does not recognize addiction as a distinct mental disorder. So, it should come as no surprise that those who're concerned about acquiring a drug, alcohol or internet addiction frequently look for signs of an addictive personality.
They want to know what to look out for so that they may avoid being labeled addicts or so that they can give themselves an excuse to never use drugs or alcohol in the first place. However, the truth is that this entire concept is founded on a combination of fact and fantasy.
There isn't a certain group of people who could be more prone to experience signs of addiction or a substance use disorder. Instead, it's more likely that a combination of the following elements can lead to addiction disorders:
- Childhood experiences
- Shocking incidents
- Emotional awareness
- Genealogy
Even while you may go through difficult or adverse circumstances, it doesn't necessarily guarantee that you will develop a mental health disorder. Others with comparable backgrounds may have unique experiences.
Identifying addictive personality traits
Instead of only being able to manage behavior around these kinds of substances, some characteristics can be seen in people who're at a higher risk of being addicted to psychoactive substances.
Individuals who're at a higher risk of addiction include those who are:
1) Adventure and risk-taking addictive personality traits
Some personality qualities are more likely to lead to addiction than others. Those who enjoy taking chances and have limited self-control when it comes to trying new things and risky hobbies are more prone to try drugs.
According to a study, it may be related to the person's dopamine levels and brain's receptivity to it.
2) Cautious addictive personality traits
Addiction can also occur to cautious people who struggle with social interactions and may also experience melancholy, anxiety or both at the same time. Women are more likely to have these personality types than men.
Those with these personality traits may be more inclined to try to manage anxiety symptoms or uncomfortable feelings of loneliness, disconnection and despair by abusing alcohol or substances that numb those feelings, taking into account the self-medication theory outlined above.
The person may then start to depend on the chemical to feel better generally, which can result in tolerance and addiction.
3) Obsessive-compulsive addictive personality traits
While a lack of self-control can sometimes contribute to addiction, that's not always the case.
Those who have trouble controlling their urges may wind up abusing drugs as a result of their obsessive-compulsive tendencies. Instead of being a single urge to try something new, addiction frequently develops into a compulsion to use the substances of a habit that has developed over time.
In this way, people with high levels of focus and ingrained behaviors may be just as susceptible to becoming addicted as people who struggle to restrain their impulses.
4) Inability to self-control addictive personality traits
The ability to control behaviors, thoughts and feelings — which would otherwise allow for the ability to limit the use of alcohol or other substances — is what unites all these abilities.
Research is starting to suggest that the emergence of addiction is closely related to an inability to control behavior in the lead-up to receiving a reward. However, the problem has not been resolved, though.
Those who strongly pursue the notion of reward frequently do not enjoy receiving the prize as much as people who do not have this problem.
Individuals dealing with these challenges can benefit from a variety of behavioral therapies that can teach them how to control their actions and develop self-regulation abilities that can control addictive reactions. Additionally, treatment programmes can combine behavioral therapies with other proven treatments for people who have acquired substance use problems.
This strategy might enable the person to achieve control over the aforementioned features and safely discontinue abusing drugs or alcohol and lead a clean life. To comprehend and control these distinct features of an addictive personality, a person can heal by seeking out research-based, professional care.
Janvi Kapur is a counselor with a Master's degree in applied psychology with a specialization in clinical psychology.
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