7 Signs that You Have an Addictive Personality
How can you find out if you have an addictive personality?
Why does one person regularly drink, play games, or have other bad habits all their life but remains moderate, while the other can become addicted even to food? The ability to maintain balance and not allow yourself too much is determined not only by education but also by character traits.
Personality traits are like genes. It is simply a predisposition to develop a specific behavior. Whether or not you will actually develop addiction depends on a set of attributes that researchers recognize through psychological testing. Although there is no single set of traits for all addictions, scientists identify several common symptoms in people prone to addictive behavior.
1. Emotional Insecurity
At first glance, an addiction-prone person may even seem self-confident, but this impression is misleading. An addictive person often acts defiantly to hide his insecurity. This phenomenon is called the "superiority-inferiority complex."
Due to the constant fluctuation between revaluation and underestimation a person cannot control emotions. In one moment the person is displaying his superiority and at the next, they believe they aren’t capable of anything.
2. High Intelligence
The fact that people with high intelligence are more susceptible to addictions sounds paradoxical but is confirmed by many studies. American and British scientists say that developed children have a much higher risk of becoming an alcoholic than other peers.
Graduates of higher educational institutions drink more often than people with secondary education. According to psychiatrists, are people with low IQ are the most common abstainers.
3. Craving for Thrill
Addictive personality can not live without adventure and vivid emotions. Such people are impulsive and always ready to try something new. They enjoy the release of neurotransmitters, a sensation similar to alcohol or drug intoxication.
4. Nonconformism
People prone to addiction are usually non-conformists and they do not accept the usual social attitudes. Addictive behavior can be part of a rebellious attitude. They strive to do things that deviate from social norms, such as drinking alcohol or drugs and such people most often become patients of alcohol and drug rehabilitation programs. The addictive person thinks that no one understands them and this only encourages them to antisocial behavior.
5. Sensitivity to Emotional Stress
If you experience stress from the smallest things, it increases your risk of becoming addicted. A person with a high sensitivity to emotional stress can try to calm themselves with destructive behavior. It provides temporary relief but is difficult to manage. The more often an addictive person resorts to this kind of sedative, the faster they lose their ability to cope with stress.
6. Manipulations
The tendency to manipulate others and get what you want can also be a sign of an addictive personality. Those who seek to achieve their goal at any cost in everyday life will do this in order to maintain their dependence. An addictive person can manipulate loved ones, put pressure, and evoke feelings of guilt, just so as not to deny themselves of anything.
7. Social Exclusion
When a person spends most of their time alone, this can become a prerequisite for the emergence of addiction. Without the support of other people, it starts to seem that no one understands you. Often such people try to compensate this stress with alcohol or drugs. This is especially true with the growing number of freelancers and the popularity of remote work.
Recognizing that you have an inclination to addiction is difficult. Everyone wants to think that they control their life. This is a situation in which it is important to be honest with yourself. It’s better to admit that you are at risk of becoming dependent than to understand that you have already become addicted.
About the Creator
Amelia Grant
I am journalist, and blogger.
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