6 Personality Traits Commonly Linked to Addiction

Realistically, there is no singular personality that dictates becoming addicted to substances. Recovering drug addict personality traits can be obvious or even hardly noticed. This further emphasizes the need to destigmatize rehab therapy and making false assumptions, when a person is critically ill. 

Still, rehab treatment facilities, being educated on how to successfully help so many with an addiction, must address obvious similarities. Using the consistent personality traits observed, addiction treatment can be provided, which encompasses, adding to a person’s overall long-term wellness.

Identifying Drug Addict Personality Traits

As a society, we tend to stereotype those we assume are most likely to suffer from addiction. Often, we assume incorrectly. Substance abuse can make its way into the lives of just about anyone, regardless of age, gender, or outward appearance. 

Any highschool-aged person or senior adult can be suffering from addiction, apprehensive about seeking treatment. Overcome with the fear of being stigmatized, many suffer in silence. This only wastes precious time, as their substance dependency advances.

Get familiar with some of the below-mentioned characteristics of those that suffer from an addiction. This could help to recognize what may be influencing continued substance abuse. Or, to support someone you love suffering from an addiction who may be ashamed or scared to ask for help. 

   1. Recognizing Low Self-Esteem or Self-Worth

A skewed perception of personal value can prevent someone from feeling worthy of enjoying life experiences. This includes appreciating and celebrating one’s success or acknowledging their capability to produce positive results. Low self-esteem contributes to developing a poor self-image and is especially damaging to relationships with others. 

Having low self-worth can influence a person to engage in abusing substances to fill a void. Though usually unintentional, dependency develops quickly. Especially if drugs or alcohol have previously boosted confidence, or potentially stifled social anxiety, in the past. Substance abuse is only a temporary, and highly unstable method to cope. Lacking self-esteem that’s supporting addiction, will be an important issue to discuss during cognitive behavioral therapy. 

Addicts having negative thoughts that encourage addictive behaviors will benefit from short-term and goal-oriented types of therapy provided during rehab. During cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), recovering drug addict personality traits such as low self-worth can be proactively managed. 

In combination with other essential rehab programs, individuals establish a positive sense of self and assured internal dialogue, reinforcing recovery. Moving forward confidently into a life of sobriety, guided by therapeutic suggestions and techniques, aids recovery efforts exponentially. Remember, you can live healthy and sober. Most of all, you deserve to have the opportunity to work with a cognitive-behavioral therapist to make it happen. 

      2. Overconfidence and Grandiose Sense of Self

Being confident and self-aware is one thing. However, a recovering drug addict personality trait that is damaging to sobriety, happens by misappropriating an impractical or grandiose demeanor. This includes the likelihood of believing that they have complete control over the development of dependency, thriving on unachievable invincibility. 

Some rehab programs are even specifically designed with elite individuals or high-ranking professionals in mind. Many high achieving persons can be embarrassed or apprehensive, therefore, opposing addiction guidance. Those, who are statistically the least likely to come forward about their addiction, often need help the most. Working with like-minded and recovering peers can boost morale and even deter harmful personality traits that threaten sobriety.

Not only does self-infatuation often lead to unfulfilling social and interpersonal relationships, but overconfidence can also be used in a line of defense. Portraying the role of superiority can be very exhausting, and time-consuming. Meanwhile while relying on their self-proclaimed invincibility, and ignoring deep-rooted personal inadequacy issues, can lead to abusing substances recklessly. 

Addicts that exhibit signs of grandiosity, often have the most difficult time during medical detox. This is because detox can be a very vulnerable experience. Overconfidence makes it more difficult to accept the damage that has been done to the body, as withdrawal occurs. This often leads back to substance abuse for relief or suppressing the need to seek professional treatment, to avoid humiliation.

     3. Engaging in Impulsive Behaviors and Ignoring Consequence

There is a difference between acting impulsively and following instinct. A person that behaves impulsively, without considering the potential effects, may have a difficult time remaining sober. During rehab, work is put into programs that bring awareness to recovering drug addict personality traits to avoid impulsive relapse. 

A popular therapy to treat individuals that are less able to control or identify their urges is medication-assisted treatment. Medication-assisted treatment (MAT) incorporates the use of FDA approved drugs to curb or deter an addict from using substances. To maintain sobriety for addicts requiring a longer period to adjust and cope, MAT is effective. 

Acting on impulse is likely the most common similarities of a recovering drug addict’s personality traits. Because getting relief or satisfaction is temporary but almost immediate when opting for substance abuse, impulsivity ties in considerably. Some other impulsive traits often observed by those with addiction include:

• Driving recklessly, or under the influence
• Eating disorders, such as binge-eating or pica
• Excessive shopping or spending
• Overexertion or extensive exercise routines that threaten one’s health
• Aggression, including disorderly conduct or damaging the property of another

Along with addiction, these thoughtless actions can have devastating consequences. This recovering drug addict personality trait often requires multiple therapeutic interventions, networked within a group, family, and individual therapy sessions. 

     4. Compulsive Nature Reinforcing Substance Abuse

Suffering from a forceful urge, that dictates stressful thoughts or acting out behaviors, is known as a compulsive experience. It is identified often as a recovering drug addict personality trait, though it can take many forms. These desires can occur without practical purpose, however, they have become habits or ritualized into a daily routine. 

Some of the most common instances classified as compulsive behavior may be:

• Pursuing long unnecessary work hours, that exceed what is expected performance
• Inability to part with or throw away items that typically lack sentiment
• Excessive or uncontrolled abuse of substances that lead to experiencing severe drug or alcohol detox and withdrawal
• Stress-related shopping, comfort purchases, or inability to retain finances
• Grooming behaviors that become exorbitant or concerning yet may occur subconsciously

Rehab programs requiring a temporary in-house platform, such as residential addiction treatment, are often the best outlet to address these behaviors. During residential rehab, new behaviors can discourage further compulsive participation, while prioritizing addiction needs. Additionally, the around the clock care allows for a closer evaluation is an underlying psychological illness that could contribute to compulsivity. Untreated, a psychological illness that is present along with a substance use disorder can limit sober expectations and threaten relapse. 

      5. Uncontrollable Behaviors and Psychological Illness 

For most individuals, unhealthy behaviors have been developed over time and can be addressed with intervention. Others may experience more difficulty maintaining control due to an underlying illness, especially regarding impulsive and compulsive, thoughts, and actions. 

Identifying a psychological illness that prompts an individual to think and act a certain way, makes professional diagnosis essential. Combined with the illness of addiction, mental illnesses that must also be treated, are approached as a dual diagnosis. 

Recovering addict personality traits reinforced by suffering from dual diagnosis will require more specific appropriate care and rehab therapy. Left untreated, illnesses such as PTSD, depression, anxiety, or even obsessive-compulsive disorder, can counteract recovery efforts that promote sober habits.

      6. Rebellion Against Society’s Standards

Understandably, the desire to stand out from the rest is a supported idea of a society that promotes individualism. However, when this behavior exceeds what is legally and ethically acceptable it is classified as problematic. Among the harmful recovering drug addict personality traits, when individuality goes to the point of rebellion, there are consequences. Upon experiencing the emotional side effects, relying on substance abuse is a commonality. 

Most often, a sober or clear-headed person will do their best to avoid people who behave destructively. The isolation and stress, that usually occur consequently, can host a person’s dedication to reckless and dangerous substance abuse. In an initial attempt, rehab programs that incorporate psychodrama therapy can help to raise awareness of these practices, often successfully. Using the concept of reenactment after the fact provides a means to revisit the inspiration behind a recovering drug addict’s personality trait. 

Psychodrama therapy is typically effective in most cases once a person has gained clarity after detox. Yet, this is not always the case. Some recovering addicts will continue to rebel throughout rehab, rejecting essential program work. They may even become aggressive at the notion of changing behaviors to ones that promote a healthy lifestyle. To address the defiance of this recovering drug addict personality trait, rehabs often utilize their availability of dialectical behavioral therapy. 

Dialectical behavioral therapy (DBT) is a valuable resource to have available and addresses multiple recovering drug addict personality traits. This includes the management of a difficult dual diagnosis, where proactive therapy can reinforce addiction treatment. 

     7. Intolerance to Stress or Overwhelming Circumstances

The universal recovering drug addict personality trait acknowledged at rehab facilities, is the abuse of substances to cope with stress. Whether to self-medicate or relax, a dependency is very closely related to regulating high levels of stress. 

This could be due to the pressures of performing daily tasks while actively battling with addiction. Understanding that obligations must be met, but that addiction treatment is essential to well-being, partial hospitalization programs were created. Partial hospitalization (PHP) allows for a recovering addict to receive the same intensity of care as during residential treatment. The difference between them is the lack of obligatory residence on the premises. 

Within PHP, essential stress management and coping therapies are available. An essential resource utilized to uncover overwhelming stress is trauma therapy. Trauma manifests differently for each person, yet the common report among all who suffer is the goal to cope. 

Because of immediate effectiveness and availability, substances are often relied upon. During rehab treatment, recovering drug addict personality traits that have developed after an experience with trauma can be focused on. Implementing healthy, sober, and proactive methods to untangle addiction’s association, yields long-lasting and healing effects. 

Genetic Predisposition to Addiction Versus Developing an Active Addiction

Personality traits aside, it is important to consider some predispositions, such as genetic markers and cultural influence. However, substance abuse is impartial, and no one is excluded from the risk. As society wakes up, the reality that saying someone has an “addictive personality” is a subjective statement, that is widely overused. That said, we must also consider that some recovering drug addict personality traits do require rehab therapy programs specifically. 

A person’s potential to develop an addiction can be predetermined is a false expectation. However, to be most effective, rehab treatment professionals use their experience and observations, creating programs to best rehabilitate every individual. No matter who is suffering from a substance use disorder,  getting addiction treatment will help.

Sober Management of Addiction to Personality Traits

Taking into consideration the most commonly encountered recovering drug addict personality traits determines how sobriety may be affected moving forward. Utilizing rehab resources and different types of therapy is most beneficial when rehab is individualized with purpose.

This will include an extensive and well-formulated aftercare plan. The aftercare program is designed to incorporate physical, emotional, and psychological triggers, and develop coping mechanisms, to deter relapse. When recovering drug addict personality traits are properly redirected, this promotes a long and meaningful sober lifestyle, after rehab.

Calling Upon Rehab for Help With Addiction

For many recovering drug addicts, personality traits that lead to addiction, hold us back from getting sober. Living while linked to addiction will continue to destroy anything left that it hasn’t yet. The good news is, each one of us is capable of making a change. 

For those that are having a difficult time accepting the need for help, know that it is necessary for growth. Take action and reserve your place in a rehab facility. Equipped with the best programs available to face your addiction, you don’t have to do it alone. You don’t have to waste any more time. You don’t have to struggle with addiction forever. Reach out today. Detox facility resources can help you get, and stay, sober.