Dealing with a problem of drug addiction, more often than not, is a matter that boils down to correctly identifying certain factors and looking into various details. Whether it’s in the context of a heroin problem or a Zoloft dependency, battling any form of drug addiction requires a certain degree of understanding alongside persistence to achieve meaningful change. As you delve deeper into the various elements concerning drug addiction, a topic that will stand out above all else is the idea that some people have a natural tendency to pick up the problem more severely than others. And this is where the concept of an addictive personality comes to light.
What Is An Addictive Personality?
Often, the concept of an “addictive personality” is one that’s associated with the topic of drug dependency problems. Due to popular culture and mainstream media, many people view both concepts as one and the same. Nowadays, this particular idea has propagated to the point where individuals suffering from an addictive personality are considered destined to develop a substance addiction.
An addictive personality, to best put it, is a type of behavior wherein one is more likely to become addicted to something. This eventually results in someone becoming extremely passionate about a specific subject and developing an obsession or fixation over it.
Generally, the underlying factors for getting carried away and eventually cultivating an addictive personality are tied to overindulging in activities such as video games, food, gambling, or sex. Drugs are the most common “magnet” for this type of fixation. In terms of intrinsic factors, this particular mental condition stems from underlying issues such as anxiety, depression, and poor impulse control.
Most people who are worried about developing an addiction to drugs or alcohol try to find out what the traits of an addictive personality might be so that they can avoid falling into this trap. Fortunately, you can avoid the mistake of letting an addictive personality get out of hand. If you know what to watch out for, you can prevent an escalation into a drug dependency problem in the near future.
How To Tell If You Have An Addictive Personality
When it comes to spotting the signs of an addictive personality and hindering them from putting you in a sort of holding point, there are certain traits that you can recognize and watch out for. By taking the time to look out for these particular signs and symptoms, you’ll be able to take action and prevent further complications from arising and wreaking havoc on your life, health, and personal relationships.
Typically, some traits can be recognized in people who have a higher risk of becoming addicted to psychoactive substances, such as:
- Being Related To Others Who Have Developed An Addiction
The one key factor that people must account for when avoiding being trapped by an addictive personality is that one’s genetic makeup poses a significant risk. This is due to a potent mix of nature and nurture.
As described by a scientific journal published on psychiatry, having a close family member struggling with an addiction can make it more likely that an individual will develop an addiction. Additionally, certain portions of the human genome have been identified as having a direct connection to specific addictions.
2. Experiencing Other Mental Health Disorders
Another condition to watch out for is the experience of having other mental health disorders. In the case of depression, bipolar disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, and anxiety, there are various traits and tendencies for each of them that bridge over to becoming an addictive personality.
3. Being Overly Adventurous
An adventurous personality is commonly linked to fostering a higher risk of addiction than others. Those who are adventurous may have little impulse control, which leads them to avenues in life that may be difficult to get out of.
According to a study reported by Reuters, the lack of impulse control caused by a tendency to be over-adventurous is linked to an individual’s dopamine levels and the brain’s sensitivity to it. This natural tendency fosters a lower sensitivity to the effects of dopamine. At worst, these adventurous types need to have more intense experiences to feel the pleasure in their brain centers. Eventually, this need often results in someone turning to drugs for the sake of experimenting.
4. Being Unable to Self-regulate
Among the various traits linked to fostering an addictive personality, an inability to self-regulate is seen as a sort of “stepping stone” that leads to a quick buildup of other tendencies leading to drug addiction.
According to an article from the University of Rochester Medical Center, studies are beginning to show that an inability to regulate behavior around the anticipation of receiving a reward is strongly linked to addiction. Once this particular trait is mixed with all the others mentioned above, it becomes much easier for a person to start using drugs and eventually become addicted to them.
Does Having An Addictive Personality Mean You Would Develop Drug Addiction Or Substance Abuse Issues?
In most cases, yes.
When the full effects of an addictive personality begin to affect a person’s life, it may be the first step that will trigger severe consequences. When these symptoms are untreated or unmanaged over time, it becomes much easier for someone to begin to use drugs. While it is not a one-to-one correlation, decades of research have shown that developing a drug addiction or substance abuse issue nearly inevitable.
Conclusion
Understanding the implications of drug abuse entails looking into the root of the problem that both causes and sustains it. In most people, this root is an addictive personality. If you know what to watch out for, you’ll be able to best approach such a tendency with the right measures to prevent further complications or predicaments.
