How To Cure An Addictive Personality

How Does An Addictive Personality Contribute To Rohypnol Addiction

Rohypnol is a sedative drug that is not approved for use in the United States. Its effects are similar to those of other benzodiazepines and include heavy sedation, muscle relaxation and reduction of anxiety. Because it sedates and inhibits a victims recollection of events, it is widely known as the date-rape drug. Its potential for abuse is lower than many other drugs, but a Rohypnol user is still at risk for physical and psychological dependence.

Rohypnol is often used to enhance the effects of more powerful drugs. Someone with an addictive personality disorder may indulge in multiple addictions at once. A Rohypnol addiction may stand alone or may accompany an addiction to alcohol or other substances.

Because it is illegal in the United States except for limited medical usage and because it is not powerful enough to be addictive after just one use, it is unlikely that an individual could develop a Rohypnol addiction without first purposefully using it for its effects repeatedly. An individual with addictive personality traits might use the drug to satiate a need for excitement or pleasure or to cope with stress or grief.

The Disconnected Cautious Trait

According to the Scientific American article, the bold, risk-taker type who develops addiction is more likely to be male. On the other hand, cautious people who have difficulty with social relationships and who at the same time may suffer from depression, anxiety, or both can also develop addiction; these personality types are more often women.

Considering the self-medication idea mentioned above, people with these personality traits may be more likely to try to manage symptoms of anxiety or painful feelings of loneliness, disconnection, and depression by using alcohol or drugs that dull those feelings. This may then lead to the person becoming dependent on the substance to feel good in general, which in turn can lead to tolerance and addiction.

The Difference Between A Habit And An Addiction

Firstly, its essential to differentiate between habits and addictions.

Most people form habits throughout life from drinking coffee every morning to going to the gym after work to watching Netflix before bed. Perhaps you play poker with friends at the weekend or support a football team. Maybe you follow certain trends on social media, play Candy Crush on the bus or you always buy ice cream at the cinema. Mostly, these kinds of habits are completely harmless.

Addiction is when a habit becomes difficult or impossible to control and it becomes harmful to you and/or other people. When an addictive substance or activity takes over, increasingly people prioritise it over other areas of their life including their mental and physical health, work, education, relationships and finances. Typically, addicts experience a progression of consequences, as their impulses get harder to manage.

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Do Addictive Personality Traits Predict Addiction

Home | News | Do Addictive Personality Traits Predict Addiction?

An addictive personality refers to a combination of addictive traits that, in theory, predispose a person to addiction. However, the concept of the addictive personality is debated.;So what are addictive personality traits and do they really offer insight into future addictions? Learn more about the most frequently reported addictive personality traits and how they relate to actual substance use disorders.

An estimated10-15% of the population is thought to have an addictive personality. However, despite the widespread discussion of addictive personality traits as predictors of substance abuse, there is no such thing as an addictive personality disorder. This means that an addictive personality is not medically recognized as a diagnosable mental illness. However, patterns worth noting do still arise in the personality traits of those who suffer from addiction.;

Contents

The Myth Of The Generic Addictive Personality

The fiction is the concept of a specific addictive personality. In fact, most researchers in addiction today would caution against the idea of a single, generic personality that is prone to addiction. An article in Scientific American verifies and offers evidence for the fact that there is no one personality type that leads to addiction. In fact, some seemingly disparate traits can lead different people to become addicted to drugs or alcohol, depending on other factors.

While there are several different types of traits that can be recognized in individuals who develop substance use disorders, they are not all present in every person who becomes addicted. Therefore, the image that some people see of the socially outcast criminal is an inaccurate vision of the individual who becomes addicted to drugs or alcohol.

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Internet And Computer Use

A more recent addiction that is being looked into is Internet addiction . This addiction has become more prevalent in younger generations as computer technologies advance. When people suffer from internet addiction they are unable to control their use of the Internet. This can lead to psychological, social, school and work difficulties. Those addicted to the internet may be drawn to social networking sites, online games or other sites. Symptoms of this addiction include the following: mood changes, excessive time spent online, perceived social control while online, and withdrawal when away from the computer.

How Do You Know If You Have An Addictive Personality

During addiction treatment, there will be many opportunities to evaluate your behavior as it contributes to chronic substance abuse. In group therapy, individuals that open up about their urges are learning how to deal with an addictive personality.;

For example, individuals that are more likely to become addicts or have addictive personalities, often have the following in common:

• Have other family members that suffer from addiction.
• Were raised by parents or guardians with addictive personalities.
• Have romantic relationships with partners that like similar addictive tendencies.
• Have a history of frequent mood swings or are described as pushy.
• Engage in thrill-seeking behaviors or are easily excited.
• Often seem obsessive and/or compulsive.
• Prefers a quick-fix instead of a long-term, sustainable solution.;

Although having an addictive personality depends on a persons life experience, some things can make them more prone. By keeping an eye out for red flags and motivation behind your behaviors, improvement is often possible. Addictive personality treatment while participating in addiction treatment allows for a safe environment to make positive behavioral corrections.

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Signs Of An Addictive Personality

Individuals with an addictive personality can be identified by several traits. Experiencing mental conditions like depression and anxiety can, but do not always, indicate addictive personalities. There are a number of better indicators of addictive personalities, including:

• Comfort eating/binge eating
• Using alcohol to socialize or relax
• Checking ones phone or social media too much
• Replacing sexual partners for a false sense of intimacy
• Impulse buying/excessive shopping
• Never feeling satisfied/needing more of a particular feeling
• An inability to stop using harmful chemicals
• An inability to curtail other harmful activities

Being able to stop and control ones actions indicates healthy boundaries and a lower level of attachment. If you or someone you know hides their harmful behavior, that could signal a problem needing intervention.

How To Spot Addictive Personality Disorder

For those who have never been exposed to addictive personality disorder before it may seem that identifying the disorder is as simple as observing these addictive behaviors. While spotting addictive behaviors in some may be relatively easy, in most it is considerably difficult due to the fact that these behaviors are often hidden out of shame. There are some signs that can be spotted in those with addictive personality that can help to alert family and friends to the presence of the disorder. Some signs of addictive personality disorder include:

• Low self-esteem
• A tendency to impulsive behavior
• An antisocial personality
• A disposition toward sensation seeking
• Someone who values nonconformity to an extreme
• Someone with a weak commitment to the goals for achievement that are generally accepted by normal society
• Someone who is tolerant of deviant behavior
• Someone who is socially alienated
• Having an increased sense of stress

While all of these symptoms can be indicative of a number of life stages, when present in groups and accompanied by certain behavior patterns they can be indicative of addictive personality disorder.

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Dont Believe Quitting Is Too Difficult

If you have an addictive personality, you may believe that quitting everything addictive is just too hard. Maybe you went from sex to overeating, overeating to drugs, and on and on. You may think that life without excess is too boring and too normal. This is denial.

Do: Get help with your addiction. Even people with long-term addictions can get help. After you find that it is possible, you may grieve the lost years once you recover.

The Signs Of Addictive Behaviour

There is a fine line between an acceptable amount of a certain behaviour and addiction but how do you know when you have crossed this line? An addictive personality, which leads to destructive behaviour, can cause severe damage to your life, and the lives of those around you. If you think you may be crossing the line, or want to know if you have any of the discussed traits, the following are signs and symptoms to look out for.

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Characteristics Of An Addictive Personality

The National Academy of Sciences conducted a study with the aim of finding the shared characteristics of all types of addict. They were unable to discover one set of characteristics that fit everyone, but they did find many frequently shared similarities between the different addicts. These similarities were:

* A high sense of stress in their lives* Low self-esteem* A feeling of alienation from others* They valued nonconformity* They tended to act impulsively* They found it hard to delay gratification* Prone to attention seeking behavior* Highly insecure in relationships* Usually suffer from depression or anxiety* Antisocial tendencies* High tolerance for deviance

What Can You Do If Someone You Love Has An Addictive Personality

Living with someone who has an addictive personality can be difficult because it involves monitoring and hand holding at times that many family members are not prepared to offer. The first step in helping a family member with this type of disorder is to recognize the symptoms and enroll them in a program designed to tackle not only their addiction but also their addictive personality disorder. Finding a good therapist and program that can work with your loved one may be time-consuming, but tackling the root of the problem is the only way to set your loved one up for success.

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Addictive Personality Disorder In Recovery

Those individuals who have the characteristics of an addictive personality need to be vigilant in recovery. There is a risk of them moving from one addiction to another. This may involve spending all their time at work or becoming a fitness fanatic. It could even involve them become obsessive about a recovery group. While some addictions may be less harmful than others they can all lead to suffering. It is therefore necessary for the individual in recovery to be on their guard against this type of behavior.

Getting Help To Overcome Addiction

Fighting through the hard times of addiction includes getting high-quality;substance abuse treatment. Today, evidence proves that addiction is a physiological disease that affects the brains wiring and chemistry. This means that psychological and psychiatric care are just as important.

If you or a loved one struggles with an addiction, contact Ashley Addiction Treatment at to get the help you need today.

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What Treatment Options Are Available

Addictive personality treatment requires that a person receive treatment for a diagnosed mental illness and a substance use disorder. Clinicians now receive extensive training in the treatment of both disorders. This type of treatment is called dual diagnosis because the therapist treats a mental illness and a substance use disorder at the same time.

Treatment facilities offer substance and addictive personality treatment, and it begins with detoxification. During the detoxification process, the medical staff administers medications that make the withdrawal process easier for the member to tolerate. Then, it is less likely that the member will go in search of his drug of choice before he completes his treatment program.

After detoxification, the member isnt finished with the rehabilitation process. The member has social, psychological, and behavioral issues to work out, and this must be done in one of the following types of treatment programs:

Dont Use Marijuana To Relax

If you are tense or anxious at the end of a long day, you might have found that some marijuana can help you relax. But it has a rebound effect when it wears off. Anxiety actually increases. It can also harm your motivation or trigger psychological problems.

Do: Look for safer methods of stress management and relaxation

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Quitting And Handling Withdrawal

Addictions Compulsions And The Addictive Personality

There are vital differences between compulsions and addictions; however, both can be influenced by the same underlying causes. For example, someone with an alcohol addiction may be trying to fill a void or temper anxiety. Someone with a compulsion may have underlying feelings of anxiety but may not have addictions or abuse substances.

The main differences between addictions and compulsions concern motivation, especially in regards to pleasure. Addictions often include and are motivated by pleasure while compulsions often lack pleasure. Someone who feeds their craving for an addictive substance is rewarded by dopamine, a chemical released once the brain is rewarded. Once this becomes a habit, he or she is now chasing a reward which can be extremely difficult to stop.

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What Is Addiction Therapy

Addiction therapy is treatment that seeks to keep people from compulsively going in search of their drugs of choice. Addiction is a disease that occasionally relapses, so medical professionals treat addictions as chronic conditions. The remedy consists of treating the individual with medications that relieve withdrawal symptoms. Then, the person can concentrate on the psychological addiction with behavioral therapy.

What Can You Do To Overcome Co Occuring Disorders

If you have Addictive Personality Disorder, your challenges may be greater in battling drug or alcohol addiction. But as many others with the same diagnosis have discovered, the right rehab can make all the difference. Recovery is possible. Thus, finding an inpatient rehab that fits your addiction needs is often the best choice.

Once clean, therapy and counseling are the best routes to staying sober. Having a psychologist listen to your struggles and problems can help you get some clarity, advice, and an unbiased viewpoint on your situation. It is also wise to surround yourself with supportive friends and family members who love and care about you. Eliminate negative or harmful friendships that may direct you towards relapse.

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Using Marijuana To Relax

Tense? Anxious? You may have found that a joint can help you relax at the end of a stressful day. But did you know that weed has a rebound effect that increases anxiety after it wears off? Or that it can seriously interfere with your motivation in life, or trigger serious psychological problems?

Healthy ways to meet this need: The younger you are, the riskier it is to smoke pot. But even for older folks, the idea that pot will help you relax is, overall, incorrect. Instead, look to safer methods of stress management and relaxation.

How To Help Someone Who Might Be Dealing With Addiction

Addiction can be hard to talk about. If youre concerned that someone close to you needs help, here are some pointers that can help:

• Get more information about substance misuse and addiction. This can give you a better idea of what theyre going through and the type of help that might be available. For example, will treatment need to start with detoxification under medical supervision?
• Show support. This can be as simple as telling them you care for them and youre worried and want them to get help. If youre able, consider offering to go with them to see a doctor or counselor.
• Stay involved in the treatment process. Ask how theyre doing, or offer to spend time with them if theyre having a tough day. Let them know youre available if they find themselves in a rough spot.
• Avoid judgement. Theres already a lot of stigma around addiction. It can make some people hesitant to reach out for help. Reassure them that their experience with addiction doesnt make you think any less of them.

when someone doesnt want help

Try not to take it personally if your loved one doesnt want help or isnt ready to start treatment. If they dont want it, theres not much you can do to change their mind. This can be hard to accept, especially if youre very close to them.

Consider reaching out to a therapist for support. You can also drop by a Nar-Anon or Al-Anon meeting in your area. These meetings offer a chance to connect with others who have a loved one experiencing addiction.

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