Addicts of all kinds hold many common traits and the lines between one type of addiction and another are often quite thin.
Roy Nelson Healing helps people who have an addictive personality stop using unhealthy habits and addictions to cope with life, and create happy and useful lives instead. The Nelson Method is a rehab alternative that evaluates each person individually to determine what underlying issues are causing the addiction symptoms. We then help a person develop a new way of living that enables them to overcome their addictions, as well as eradicate the addictive personality altogether.
If you suspect that you or a loved one has an addictive personality, we have listed several of the most common signs and traits below. We have also created a quick, objective “Addictive Personality Quiz” that can help you determine if you or a loved one do indeed have an addictive personality.
Signs of an Addictive Personality
Some of the most common traits that addiction sufferers tend to have in common include:
- Tendency to seek attention
- Low self-esteem
- Difficulty delaying gratification
- Impulsive, erratic or risky behavior
- Obsessive thinking and/or racing mind
- Short attention span
- Sense of alienation from others
- Frequently indulging in habits that have negative side effects
- Heightened levels of stress and anxiety
- Hiding “inappropriate” behavior from family and friends
You do not necessarily need to have all or even any of these traits to have an addictive personality, but if you or a loved one displays multiple signs, it is likely that an addictive personality exists. If that is the case, addictions have usually already begun to manifest and are becoming out of control. If that is the case it is time to reach out for help.
Addictive Personality Traits Lead to Various Problems
Having an addictive personality does not always indicate that a person will develop an addiction to illegal substances or alcohol. Addictions can also manifest in other ways, including:
- Eating disorders, including binge eating, bulimia, and anorexia
- Exercising that becomes obsessive or unhealthy
- Workaholism (excessive dedication to work and working long hours)
- Gambling and other high-risk and impulsive behaviors
- Shopping, especially buying things you can’t afford
- Promiscuous behavior indicative of a possible sex addiction
- Co-dependency—dependence on other people and their approval in order to feel secure
Each of these conditions, including drug and alcohol abuse, have something in common – they affect the lives of the addict and everyone surrounding the addict until they are actually addressed and treated.
Healing any addiction is possible only by addressing the root causes. Most treatment programs focus on treating the outward symptom of these addictions, but that will not lead to lasting healing. Addressing the underlying causes of pain, fear and guilt, the three primary drivers of addiction, and adopting a healthy self-care regimen will enable a person to break from addictive habits and self-abuse.
Do I Have an Addictive Personality?
If you or a loved one has an addictive personality and cannot stop using, you are not alone. There is hope. Roy Nelson Healing can help.
Contact us for information on how you can begin your journey of total freedom from addictions. We offer an alternative to traditional rehab and 12 -step programs, using The Nelson Method to treat the underlying cause of addictions, which leads to total and lasting freedom.
