No, You Don’t Have an “addictive Personality”
It’s natural to want to dump all of our various character traits – good or bad – into neat baskets or “personality types.” I’m to blame for this. As someone who always overeats, whether it’s eating, drinking or browsing, I have often described myself as having what is known as an “addictive personality”. (If only it meant that other people were dependent on me. Alas.)
However, the term “addictive personality” is one of the most misunderstood phrases , along with ” gaslighting “, “OCD” and “injury”. But, unlike other overused terms, the definition of an addictive personality is not at all based in clinical psychology. Here’s why the “addicted person” belief is a myth, and how using it can harm people with real addictions.
What do people mean by “addictive personality”?
The term “addictive personality” is used to describe how people who display certain traits are presumably more likely to develop addictions, such as substance abuse. A person with a so-called addictive personality can be impulsive, obsessive, uncontrollable, pleasure-seeking, or weak. Put it all together and you have a person who can’t help but become addicted. Allegedly.
The truth is, addiction is hard—at least harder than a personality test. Family history, upbringing, socioeconomic status, and lifestyle all influence someone’s risk of addiction.
Anyone can become addicted to various substances and behaviors such as drugs or gambling. Naturally, there are commonalities among people who develop addictions. However, attempting to categorize a reliable “addictive personality type” is unscientific at best and actively harmful at worst.
The myth of the addict
As addiction scientist Marianne Amodeo explains in a 2015 essay , there are no generalizing studies to support the idea of an “addictive personality”. Despite how common the term appears in treatment programs and support groups today, there is not enough evidence or scientific evidence to suggest that any type of personality is more likely to develop addiction. Moreover, writes Amodeo, the characteristics used to describe addictive personalities do not predict addiction; they result from addiction. Spreading this phrase is useless when it comes to prevention, and even worse, can harm real addicts.
Why we should stop using this term
The use of such an inaccurate term as an addictive personality only leads to the pathologisation of true addiction, increased stigma and a sense of inevitability. In his essay on why the term should be excluded from the field of treatment, Amodeo argues that an addictive personality description hurts someone’s ability to fight addiction because it creates a kind of self-fulfilling prophecy that they cannot change the way they are. act. are.
The term also supports the idea that everyone who develops addiction is the same, leading to the marginalization of struggling addicts. Removing the term from our lexicon helps promote the idea that no one is doomed when faced with substance abuse and that addiction is worth fighting.
bottom line
There is no single personality type that can accurately predict how a person might become addicted and fight it. However, when it comes to something as painful as addiction, there is a natural desire to try to sort it out. Unfortunately, addiction is a complex beast. Classifying a certain set of traits as a “addictive personality” does more harm than good. The good side is that there is no group of people who are destined to become addicts.
If you, a friend or relative is experiencing any kind of substance addiction, here’s how to choose the right treatment program .