Health & Wellness Wednesdays

Every form of addiction is bad, no matter whether the narcotic be alcohol or morphine or idealism.

An addictive personality is a set of personality traits that make an individual more prone to develop addictions to drugs, alcohol or other habit-forming behaviors. Know someone who might have one?

Here are a couple of red flags to look for:

• Lying Addiction is all about lying. First, the user lies to himself about having an addiction, then he must lie to everyone else around him. The more dependent he becomes on drugs or alcohol, the more likely he’s going to feel the need to lie. After a while, stretching the truth becomes like second nature; he’s trapped in denial and deep within the cycle of addiction.
• ManipulationWhen a person depends on drugs or alcohol, they will stop at nothing to manipulate those who love them most. They make promises they never keep, profess love they don’t have and come up with gut-wrenching, emotional stories to get money – all in the name of feeding an addiction.
• Impulsive BehaviorImpulsive behavior means acting without thinking about the impact of your actions, which can include anything from drunk driving to stealing something from a family member. Though everyone has faulty judgment at times, a person who regularly engages in this type of behavior is exhibiting impulsive behavior that can be indicative of an addictive personality.
• Criminal BehaviorOnce the money runs out, a person who’s using will do anything and everything to keep his supply of drugs and alcohol open. Often times, he resorts to committing crimes to fill that need. At this point, drugs have such a powerful hold over the person, it can completely alter his perception and reason.
• Blame-ShiftingNot being accountable or responsible for the outcome is a classic trait of someone with an addictive personality. This is a problem because, by blaming others, he is blind in seeing his own flaws and how they’ve contributed to the problem. This will cause him to become stuck once an addiction has developed, thinking that everyone else has the problem – not him.
• Sensation SeekingA person who is sensation-seeking is one who is constantly seeking out new experiences and new sources of adrenaline rushes. This constant desire for newness can lead to experimentation of drugs and alcohol, which opens the door later to substance abuse.

Awareness is the Answer

If these traits sound familiar, you or someone you know may be more likely to develop habits that negatively impact daily life. Awareness is key, so if you feel yourself succumbing to temptation more regularly, don’t be afraid to reach out for help.

Dealing with Addictions

Do you find setting time boundaries easy?