Monday, April 22, 2024

How To Control An Addictive Personality

Different Treatment Options Available

Do I Have an Addictive Personality or Alcohol Addiction?

There are many different options available for substance abuse treatment. Any of the treatments below can lead to recovery:

  • Detoxification
  • Co-occurring mental health and substance use treatment
  • Telemedicine

Detoxification

This type of treatment is more of the first step towards recovery. It is designed to let the body rid itself of substances in a controlled setting. Varying degrees of withdrawal symptoms occur, including sweating, nausea, insomnia, anxiety, vomiting, and shakiness. Professional staff closely monitors the patients condition and may use medication to ease the more severe symptoms.

Interim Care

If acceptance to a detox facility, inpatient service, or any other type of treatment is not immediately available for a user, interim care can help them to manage while they wait. This type of care includes some of the same withdrawal medicines used in detox access to emergency therapy is available as well. This treatment can help to close the gap between initially seeking help and being accepted into an outpatient or residential program.

Outpatient

Outpatient recovery works well for recovering addicts who will voluntarily show up for therapy and meetings. With this treatment, a user lives at home, so there is no overnight supervision. Due to this hands-off approach, it is imperative to have supportive friends and family members, access to a dependable vehicle and a safe and secure living arrangement.

Hospital Inpatient

Residential

Transitional Housing

Telemedicine

What Is Addictive Personality Disorder

According to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders , a person with an addictive personality disorder experiences a strong need to be cared for.

This leads to submissive behavior and fear of separation. It begins during the earlier stages of adulthood and can be seen from different contexts. It is common to see at least five of the following symptoms:

  • It is difficult for the person to make daily decisions without asking others.
  • He needs others to take responsibility for the most important areas of his life.
  • The person has a hard time saying that he does not agree with others.
  • He has difficulty starting projects or doing things himself. This is due to a lack of self-confidence and not a lack of motivation or energy.
  • The person tries to be accepted and get support from others to the point that he voluntarily does things that go against his will.
  • The person often feels uncomfortable and helpless when he is alone. This is because he is afraid of not being able to take care of himself.
  • When a relationship ends, the person immediately seeks out someone new in order to be taken care of.
  • The person feels afraid of being abandoned and having to take care of themselves.

How Does Addictive Personality Disorder Develop

This disorder develops in the same way as many others: as a reaction to experiences during adolescence. During this, there is an extreme fear of being alone.

This is due to the perception that the person can not defend himself from attacks from the outside world.

They are often people who during childhood have lacked a certain closeness. They therefore grow up with an inner emptiness that creates an intense suffering, which they try to alleviate with different people .

It can also occur in adopted children or children who have been ill for a long time and have no choice but to be dependent on other people.

As a person has been overly dependent on their parents and the parents have been overprotective, it is likely that he or she will develop an addictive personality disorder.

The partner therefore often acts as a supplement. This in turn will intensify the need for addiction and reduce the motivation to act on your own.

The partner often has more narcissistic tendencies and tends to force his will on other people. Such people have no problem expressing their opinions, even if no one has asked for it.

The addicted person therefore does not have to exert himself in his daily life. The partner is responsible for what he will eat, how to decorate the home and how many children you will have.

Also Check: Why Am I So Addicted To Weed

Overcoming Conspiracy Theory Addiction

An issue often faced when trying to disprove conspiracy theories is that people who believe in them also tend to suspect that others are involved in covering up the truth. People will often try to argue or ridicule those who believe in conspiracies, but this behavior often results in deepening the persons commitment to their beliefs. Although certain factors that contribute to belief cannot be easily or quickly changed, researchers have found that promoting messages of self-control and empowerment can reduce conspiratorial thinking.

Get Help During COVID-19

With just 30 days at a rehab center, you can get clean and sober, start therapy, join a support group, and learn ways to manage your cravings.

In one study, researchers found effectiveness in encouraging believers to pursue their goals using the promotion-focused approach. Those who are promotion-focused are less likely to believe in conspiracies and more likely to believe they have the power to control their future. Someone who has a conspiracy theory addiction may want to seek help from a counselor who can help them work toward personal goals and increasing a sense of personal empowerment. Creating an action-oriented mindset can help discourage belief in conspiracies and encourage self-responsibility and control.

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Clinically Reviewed:

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All of the information on this page has been reviewed and verified by a certified addiction professional.

Quitting An Addictive Behavior

7 Signs You Might Have An Addictive Personality

Quitting is a different experience for everyone. Some find the process liberating and empowering, and feel they can achieve anything. Others find it painful, difficult, and frustrating, sometimes needing many failed attempts before achieving their goal. Still others discover new sides to themselves during the quitting process .

There is no “right” way to feel while you are quitting. But if you are feeling depressed or find yourself constantly wanting to return to the addictive behavior, you should seek support and treatment.

Read Also: How To Beat My Sugar Addiction

Personality Traits And Addiction

Addiction is defined by scholars as a biopsychosocial disorder characterized by persistent use of drugs despite substantial harm and adverse consequences”. Substance-based addictions are those based upon the release of dopamine in the brain, upon which the range of sensations produced by the euphoric event in the brain changes the brains immediate behavior, causing more susceptibility for future addictions. Behavior-based addictions, on the other hand, are those that are not linked to neurological behavior as much and are thus thought to be linked to personality traits it is this type of addiction that combines a behavior with a mental state and the repeated routine is therefore associated with the mental state.

Forms Of Treatment And Care

If you, or someone you know, are exhibiting any of the signs of addictive personality listed above, know that you are not alone. More than two million people in the UK are in the same situation. Fortunately, it is possible to get professional help to help you handle and overcome addiction. In some cases, this help will involve counseling, and therapeutic approaches may also be needed. At the end of the day, with the right help and the right environment, you will be able to overcome these compulsive tendencies and live a normal healthy life.

Recommended Reading: How To Cure An Internet Addiction

Negative And Harmful Behavioral Traits

An individual with an addictive personality may be more prone to negative behavioral traits that involve malicious acts towards others. Even if they feel a sense of remorse for these actions, they are willing to behave this way to get what they want to further their addiction or escape consequences for their addiction. While not all addicts exhibit these traits, most who are lost in their addiction do. Here are some examples:

Biologically Related To Someone With Addiction

Healing Addiction: Compulsive Behavior & Learning Self Control

Like many psychiatric disorders, an individuals genetic makeup can play a significant role in whether they develop substance use disorder. In fact, genetics may account for 40% to 60% of addiction risk.7 Scientists have found this percentage of risk by studying twins and children born to parents with addictions and later adopted by families who did not suffer from addiction. 8

There is no single gene responsible for addiction. However, a combination of genes within a persons DNA may amplify their risk of developing a drug or alcohol addiction.

These genes may cause a persons brain to form in a way that predisposes them to addiction by giving them an atypical response to dopamine, an abnormally small amygdala, or unusual levels of serotonin. These genetic variations can influence the way a person responds to cravings, withdrawals, and stress. 9

Also Check: How To Kick Alcohol Addiction

Turning Addictive Personality Into A Source Of Willpower And Resilience

Contrary to popular belief, addictive behavior does not mean the person lacks willpower. Instead, its the opposite a person who does everything in his power to get what he is addicted to is certainly not lacking in dedication.

Patients can put that drive to good use by coming to terms with their addiction. By recognizing their ability to direct their willpower into something beneficial, healthy, and productive, they can discover the benefits of their different mental wiring.

Last but not least, people with addictive personalities are much more resilient than other people give them credit for. They encounter their addiction on a constant basis. In boxing terms, they get knocked down a lot, but they also get up again.

Many healthy people are afraid of failure. They will think about changing their goals, but they are too scared of acting on those plans.

People with addictive behaviors, on the other hand, are very familiar with failure. They have also learned that it is possible to pick themselves up after every failure and try all over again. As a result, they are not afraid of failing, which makes them much more likely to succeed in the end.

How To Get Help For Co

The National Survey on Drug Use and Health reports that in 2017, about 94% of people age 12 and older who needed substance abuse treatment but did not receive it did not think that they needed treatment. About 7.4% of people age 18 and older with a mental illness did not think that they needed treatment at the time.5 Less than 20% of individuals battling intermittent explosive disorder actually receive specific treatment for their rage episodes, according to survey results published by Harvard Health.4

Often, a loved one or family member may be able to help the person recognize the need for and the potential benefits of a specialized treatment program. An intervention is a structured meeting between the people in someones life who may be impacted by the substance abuse and/or untreated impulse control disorder. Family members, loved ones, coworkers, and other important people in an individuals life may wish to be involved. The main goal of an intervention is to help the person seek out and enter a treatment program.

Since some impulse control disorders are characterized by aggression, violence, and bouts of rage, it is helpful to have the input and guidance of a professional interventionist who is trained to plan and carry out an intervention for the safety of everyone involved.

Recommended Reading: How To Not Get Addicted To Weed

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.

You Couldnt Care Less About Conforming To The Norm

How to control your addictive behavior

According to The New York Times, one of the primary signs of an addictive personality is that you are all about nonconformity. AlcoholRehab.com agreed â many with addictive personalities consider themselves to be a ârebel.â They donât care whatsoever about fitting into the norms, and rather will do things that are perceived as deviant by most other people, the outlet said.

Also Check: How To Control Gaming Addiction

What Is An Addictive Personality

An addictive personality is a personality that is more likely to become addicted to something. This can include someone becoming extremely passionate about something and developing an obsession or fixation. The underlying factors for getting carried away and overindulging in video games, food, sex, or drugs stem from hidden anxiety, depression, and poor impulse control.

Some of these behaviors can be an attempt to heal unrealized or repressed emotions. At first glance being addicted to a video game or food can seem harmless, especially when compared to substance abuse disorders. The problem is the object of addiction can change. This means someone can have a phase of being addicted to video games, then transition into other objects or substances of abuse.

Why Do People Believe In Conspiracy Theories

Conspiracy theories occur when people create links between one or more unrelated events, a process that emerges from the need for the human brain to find patterns. New research also shows that people with certain personality traits, such as low self-esteem, are more likely to have a conspiracy theory addiction. Researchers have studied the different reasons why people believe in conspiracy theories, and many of the explanations include the following factors:

  • A need for understanding and consistency.
  • A need for control.
  • A need to belong or feel special.

Need For Understanding

When a person experiences distress over uncertainty or witnesses a large-scale event, the mind will start to look for explanations that connect the dots. Those with lower analytical abilities and less tolerance for uncertainty are more likely to believe a conspiracy theory. This is because conspiracy theories can often provide explanations for events that seem confusing or frightening, and believers can assume that they are being intentionally deceived. People are also naturally inclined to search for information that confirms their existing beliefs this is known as confirmation bias.

Need For Control

Need To Belong

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Cognitive Therapy To Treat Addictive Personality Disorder

When using cognitive therapy to treat personality disorders, you first try to analyze the main cognitive disorder in these patients.

Their way of thinking is totally different from the whole idea of being independent.

People with an addictive personality disorder tend to have the following types of perceptions:

  • I can not survive if someone does not look after me.
  • I cant handle life with the resources I have or the ones I manage to get over.
  • Independence means living completely alone.

They also manifest contradictory thinking about their own abilities. When you ask them to do something, they usually answer that they are not able to do it.

They think that the partner can do it much better or they say to themselves that they are not good at something and that they always cling to it.

What Are Some Examples Of Addictive Behaviors

Do You Have an Addictive Personality?

The kind of addictive behaviors that a person can display are indicative of the type of addiction they are experiencing. When it comes to drug and alcohol addiction, there exist several different addictive behaviors that a person exhibits, including, but not limited to, the following:

  • Making attempts to stop drinking or using but being unsuccessful in doing so
  • Being unable to control the amount of alcohol/drugs that they consume
  • Continuing to use despite negative consequences that have occurred or can occur as a result of the use
  • Using even though they do not want to

When addictive behaviors continue to occur, both the individual and those around him or her suffer in several different ways. From the emotional toll that the addictive behaviors play to the physical and mental stress they put on everyone involved, these behaviors can lead to nothing but a dead end. Thankfully, the disease of addiction and the addictive behaviors that develop because of it can be professionally treated and managed.

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What Is An Addictive Personality How To Tell If You Have One

Drug addiction, or substance use disorder , is a complex, chronic condition characterized by compulsive behaviors around intoxicating substances, including prescription drugs, illicit drugs, and alcohol. These behaviors can lead to an escalating physical dependence and tolerance to these substances, so the person using can quickly increase the dosage they use. This increased use changes how the brain manages neurotransmitters, which can eventually change the structures of the brain. Since addiction is a chronic condition, management of the symptoms can take weeks or months, and relapse is considered part of the condition.

Because addiction can lead to compulsions and the risk of relapsing after quitting several times, the concept of an addictive personality arose. It was believed that some people are merely drawn to being addicted to certain drugs while others are not. It was also believed some things might increase the risk for this issue, including genetics, family history, environment, and mental health.

However, many scientists now believe that the idea of an addictive personality is inaccurate. There are no specific personality traits that can predict whether a person will become addicted to substances or not.

Also Check: How To Beat Marijuana Addiction

Take Care Of Yourself

Chances are your addictive personality has to lead to some unhealthy choices. Its important to make sure you take care of yourself as much as you can. That might mean avoiding places and situations where you might be tempted to do something you shouldnt or even make a conscious effort to live a healthier life. As selfish as it might seem, taking care of yourself should be your #1 priority.

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