Thoughts on the idea of 'addictive personalities'?

AislingDM · September 2022

Just to be clear 'addictive personality' is not an official diagnosis in any medical book. Nevertheless, some people argue that they feel they have an addictive personality. So, I thought I'd see what you guys think of this?

AislingDM · September 2022

Here is a link to an interesting discussion of this idea:

https://americanaddictioncenters.org/the-addiction-cycle/traits-of-an-addictive-personality

(remember this is an American site, so I've just linked it for information purposes, rather than to signpost this for addiction support, for addiction support in the UK, you can head here: https://www.talktofrank.com/get-help/find-support-near-you

Maisy · September 2022

I think it was an interesting article, especially when they noted that those who are more likely to use substances may already have mental health difficulties e.g. depression and anxiety. Though I also find it interesting that they didn't mention having ADHD or autism might also be a factor for addiction too.

Personally, I think anyone has the potential to become addicted to substances. Some people might experiment, others might feel a bit of peer pressure and may end up being addicted. Some people might surprise us as they might be high achievers in stressful jobs and find themselves drinking or using substances on a regular basis to cope with stress.

But I also think that people who are autistic or have ADHD might be at a particular risk for becoming addicted. Not only may they face being bullied but they may have depression and want an escape from reality or anxiety and want to try to fit in with others. Though as the National Autistic Society states https://www.autism.org.uk/advice-and-guidance/topics/mental-health/addiction there isn't enough research to declare whether or not autistic people are more at risk from addiction than non-autistic people.

Past User · September 2022

My base feelings are that I don't really have an addictive personality. Having drank alcohol, smoked cigarettes, smoked weed and tried some class As in the past, I found that none of them ever really "did it" for me, or managed to get their hooks in me.

I say that as somebody who has a fairly significant family history of addiction. Alcoholism with both parents to varying degrees, addiction to smoking - quitting and relapsing with both. Another family member who frequently used cocaine (though I'm not sure if they do anymore), and the effect it and drinking had on their life. Lots of people who smoke weed, who range anywhere from completely chill and functional, to massively paranoid, violent and frightening. And even living at one point with a heroin addict, though I was young at the time and we weren't close - more of a room renting thing. For additional context I obviously have some trauma and mental health issues besides.

Despite all the "risk" I might be considered to be at, I've not had any issues with drug and alcohol addiction as of yet. About the most I consume at the moment is alcohol once every few months, albeit when I do drink I'm prone to drinking too much. Perhaps though, I'm not as free from it as I think, and I've just not found / tried the right drugs yet. I often feel a longing to have my senses and thoughts dulled, and that drugs could potentially provide that numbness. Alcohol provides that only at blackout levels of drunk, and perhaps that's why when I drink, I drink too much. But it also comes with a lowering of inhibitions that makes it harder for me to compartmentalise and keep private my own pain and trauma, so instead of drowning my sorrows it often makes them worse. Added to the crazy anxiety I get for weeks after drinking, and it makes for a very unpleasant experience often times. One that I stay away from. Of course I've witnessed and understand how addictive and damaging alcohol can be though.

So with some personal context out of the way, the article Aisling posted also lists some high risk traits for addiction, some of which are obviously relevant to me. Yet some of the listed traits, to me, seem very contradictory. I.e. "adventurous and risk-taking" and "disconnected and cautious." What this ultimately says to me is that addiction is highly subjective and dependant on the individual. A combination of genetic and environmental factors as with most other things, which is probably an unsatisfying conclusion as it does little to help identify and prevent addiction in those that would be prone to it. For me personally, seeing addiction in my adolescent years primarily, made me determined never to be that way, as appose to anything else. So I don't think it's just trauma, or family history, or mental health conditions that define whether or not someone is at risk of addiction. It's how they deal with those things, their perspective, what age they experienced those things at, how prone they are to negative emotion, and infinitely more things besides.

Going back to my desire and want to feel numb, the main thing I can intuit that might be common among people with addiction issues, is that they might feel like something is missing from their lives. I suppose something that can be filled with drugs. People might use them to forget things, to help them sleep, to help make their moods tolerable, to alleviate physical pain, to help them socialise or relax and the list goes on. Moreover, just because someone uses drugs recreationally, it doesn't mean that they're not addicted, they're just functional. In every case it seems like there is a state of being certain individuals aspire to, and they use drugs to achieve it. Maybe the answer lies somewhere in that I dunno.

That particular line of thought could go on forever and stray too far into the philosophical so I'll leave it there for now. Could definitely be an interesting discussion though!

QueenAliza · September 2022

In my past i was addicted to certain men with personalities. The typical(badboy) that everyone warns you about. It actually ended up putting me in situations that could have resulted in horrible consequences.

AislingDM · September 2022

That is such an interesting and important point you make @Maisy ! Seeing how the development of dependency will differ depending on each person, and certainly on whether or not a person is neurodivergent. It also goes to show how we cannot have one linear approach for everyone when considering how to help others to cope because two people could have totally different triggers (e.g., anxiety or escapism like you mentioned) for becoming addicted.

Such amazingly insightful thoughts @Supernova

I was so grateful to read the depth and emotional vulnerability of your answers

Growing up in what sounds to be quite a stressful and chaotic environment sounds deeply overwhelming, and so the fact this (combined with other trauma) makes you deeply anxious to the point that you want to numb it makes so much sense. Equally, you make a very key point about the cyclical bad feelings associated with 'drowning your sorrows', because a lot of us do tend to feel worse the time after drinking or doing drugs, like a horrible come down. Your insight on this topic is very important and I am so glad you are part of this discussion, especially pointing out the contradictory nature of the article in places. I think this speaks to how presentation of information on the internet can differ from that which we read in books about these topics?

In terms of all the risk factors you mentioned, it makes sense that your lack of addiction throws a spanner in the works of 'addictive personalities'. Ultimately, it seems that your final point about addiction, like most things, comes down to a complex myriad of factors rings true. And I completely agree that this can become frustrating when we are trying to better-understand a mental health need in order to prevent and treat it

Such a great perspective on this discussion @QueenAliza ! You're completely right that the idea of addictive personalities extends beyond actual drugs that have a biological impact on our bodies and minds. Some people describe their feelings towards other people as addictive. It seems like you are really aware of the dangers of being around these bad-boy types, but I know that can do little to keep people away from that, which only makes the idea of those horrible consequences more scary. I wonder, what do you think has changed since now and the past for you?

Thoughts on the idea of 'addictive personalities'?

Comments