What Is An Addictive Personality: Traits That Portend Addiction

Many things can lead to someone developing an addiction. External stressors can drive people to drinking and drug use as a means of coping. Not everyone who deals with external stressors will develop an addiction. However, certain personality traits can make a person more prone to addictive behaviour.

But what is an addictive personality? And can it affect a person’s recovery? If so, how can they be managed? And what are addictive personality traits?

What Constitutes an Addictive Disposition?

What is an addictive personality? It is an informal term for a set of traits that make someone more susceptible to addiction. It’s not a medical diagnosis of any kind, and there’s debate about whether or not it should be considered a personality disorder.

People who have these traits are believed to be more prone to addiction, whether it’s to substances or behaviours. Someone with an addictive personality may have difficulty moderating their behaviour, and they’ll often go ‘all in’ on anything that piques their interest.

Having certain traits does not mean someone is doomed to be an addict. But it does mean that the risk is somewhat greater than that of the general population.

Signs of An Addictive Personality

Some of the personality traits that may portend addictive behaviours may include:

Impulsivity

Impulsivity means acting without considering the consequences or long-term effects. Impulsive behaviour can foster addiction because people who act impulsively may use addictive substances or engage in behaviours such as gambling without considering the ways that it could affect them. Over time, this can become a habit and eventually an addiction.

Risk-Taking or Sensation Seeking

In line with the above, some people are prone to risk-taking behaviours such as using drugs, excessive drinking, or gambling. They’re not chasing the high of the drug itself, but the mere act of participating is what they want. 

People who possess this trait are eager to experience new things. Not all sensations are risky. However, the risk associated with certain experiences is often tolerated or outright ignored because the sensation is deemed worthwhile in the minds of some people.

Obsessiveness

Obsessiveness is a characteristic that can be a major contributing factor in developing addiction. A person may become fixated on certain behaviours and repeat their compulsive behaviour quite often, even if those behaviours negatively affect them. They may even become anxious about the next time they can engage in their preferred behaviour.

Emotional Dysregulation

Another characteristic that can lead to addiction is emotional dysregulation. This can come in the form of neuroticism, anxiety, or being self-critical.

When people are unable to manage their emotions healthily, they use drugs or alcohol to cope with their feelings. This can lead to them becoming emotionally dependent on substances or behaviours.

Extroversion and Agreeableness

Yet another quality that can contribute to addiction is extroversion. Extroverted people seek stimulation and energy from other people, which can often lead to large social circles that may include people who use drugs or alcohol.

By itself, being around people who use drugs or alcohol won’t lead to addiction. But when coupled with agreeableness, they may use substances if offered.

Can These Traits Lead to Addiction?

Some characteristics can increase a person’s addiction risk. However, it should be noted that not every person who displays these traits will become addicted to substances or behaviours. Many people who struggle with drug or alcohol addiction may not have these traits. Addiction is a complex condition that is caused by more than a set of traits.

Boiling addiction down to a set of traits may oversimplify addiction. That said, certain personality traits can increase the risk of developing an addiction, and understanding them can help a person learn how to address substance use disorders or process addictions best.

Do Addictive Traits Affect Behaviour?

Yes, these characteristics can affect a person’s behaviour. Addiction is the most prominent effect they have on behaviour, but there are other ways in which these traits can affect a person’s day-to-day life.

For some people, their compulsion may not be limited to substance use or behavioural addictions. They may become hyper-fixated on other behaviours such as exercise or dieting.

These characteristics may also make it difficult for them to maintain relationships, as they prioritise their impulses over the needs and feelings of the people around them. They may also be emotionally unstable, which can cause further relationship challenges. People with addictive characteristics can neglect, hurt, manipulate, or deceive the people around them.

Another way that these qualities can affect a person’s behaviour is that they may constantly chase pleasure. They will constantly want something new, and this can include sex, drugs, gambling, or gaming.

Individuals who possess these qualities may also struggle with delayed gratification, opting for immediate rewards over long-term benefits. This can foster habits like drug use or excessive shopping.

Do These Traits Complicate the Recovery Process?

What is an addictive personality, and does it complicate recovery? Addictive qualities can make people seek short-term gratification over long-term benefits, which can make it hard for them to stop behaviours such as substance use. They can also complicate the recovery process and affect how a patient responds to stress and treatment.

Some attributes can make it difficult for a person to adhere to structured routines, such as sensation-seeking. This can complicate the recovery process, as one of the focal points of rehab is the structure that comes with treatment. People who have these addictive qualities may have a hard time going to therapy, support group meetings, or participating in other forms of treatment, all of which are vital in recovery.

People who are emotionally dependent on substances may also have a hard time with the early phases of treatment, especially the detox process, as they may become emotionally unstable without their usual coping mechanism.

One of the most prominent ways that certain attributes can complicate recovery is impulsivity. Impulsive people may act on their urges immediately without thinking about the consequences, which can cause a relapse unless they develop solid coping strategies.

Certain qualities can also make people intolerant of frustration, which can undermine recovery as the process takes time and patience. Discouragement can reverse much of the progress made, especially if a person feels that progress is not coming quickly enough.

These attributes can also lead to a low tolerance for boredom, increasing the likelihood of returning to old habits or developing similar ones.

Being labelled as having these traits can also create stigma and make a person feel as though they’re destined to struggle with addiction, which can lead to them blaming themselves. The stigma that comes with being seen as prone to addiction can also make a person feel hopeless, which can make recovery much more difficult.

What Causes Someone to Have These Traits?

Personality traits do not have a singular source. Often, people’s personalities are shaped by a combination of nature and nurture. They may inherit characteristics from their parents, either through genetics. For example, some people may inherit a mental health condition from a parent and cope with it the same way their affected parent did.

How Can They Be Managed In Recovery?

What is an addictive personality, and how can it be managed in recovery? Can it even be managed at all? While it’s true that these attributes can increase the likelihood of addiction and complicate the recovery process, they can also be managed.

In cases wherein a person develops these qualities as a result of trauma, some interventions have been developed specifically to help patients process traumatic memories, such as Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing.

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy can help individuals identify and challenge impulsive thought patterns and learn how to make healthier decisions. For those who struggle with emotional dysregulation, Dialectical Behaviour Therapy can be used to teach them to get their emotions under control and tolerate distress, which are vital for long-term recovery.

Managing these qualities in treatment isn’t about changing them; it’s about embracing them. It’s about working with and around them. 

At PROMIS, we’ll work with you to deliver personalised treatment that can help you get through the recovery process and build a life without addiction.