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Do you believe in addictive personalties??

lostnursetoo
lostnursetoo
The reason I ask is that when I do anything, I do it full steam! When I was a runner, I ran every day, long distances to the point of stress fractures and having to have a total hip replacement at the very young age of 50. Now that I can't run, I hike, long distances in the mountains and I hike to the point of exhaustion.My first hiking trip was 8 weeks after my hip replacement and my first hike was 9 miles! Since then I have gone on to hike as much as 20 miles/day in the Rockie Mountains! Since I couldn't hike on a regular basis (live 5 hours from the nearest mountain range), I started drinking full steam. I am thinking my real problem is moderating anything I do. Thoughts???
deleted_user
deleted_user
It comes down to brain chemistry. My braincraves the endorphins produced when I consume alcohol.
weinere46
weinere46
Of course I believe in addictive personality as I happen to have one! The thing to keep in mind is "EVERYTHING IN MODERATION"! Are you controlling your addictions or are they controlling you. The only difference between addictions and habit is that additions cause you harm. Anything out of moderation can harm you. You must force yourself to be moderate in all things you do because you know you have an additive personality. Best of luck in your endeavor, Eric
whodathunk
whodathunk
I think I am more compulsive. Put a pot of coffee in front of me, gone. A bottle of wine? Gone. When I diet, I diet like there is no tomorrow. When I reward myself with sweets, I do it like there is no tomorrow. This is why I never tried cocaine and refuse to ever try cigarettes since I know how I am.

I don't think this is as much addictive as it is compulsive.
stickywick
stickywick
I tend to think when I am truly obsessing on anything its to escape. Is that addictive personality or using something else to numb/ cover feelings? I used to think I was an addictive personality now I just believe I'm a damaged soul that needs to heal. And I'm an alcoholic. I believe I'd be alcoholic even without the damage.
Thirsty4Life
Thirsty4Life
For Sad: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XcATvu5f9vE

lol....

Yes nurse..I have an "obsessive" personality... Whatever it is I'm into at the moment... I'm obsessed! I too have experienced this with love, job, exercising... Whatever it is I'm all in.. Now if I could only find a way to use this for something really good in the world....hmmmm...T
deleted_user
deleted_user
No, I don't believe in it. it is too much of a cop-out to excuse our behaviour as another addiction and throw our hands in the air in hopelessness. It's a red herring. I was never addicted to alcohol, yet I am an alcoholic.
At the end of the day, we have ways of recovering from alcoholism/addiction but believing in an addictive personality means that there is always something and that stops us from recovering and feeling happy joyous and free and that is sad.
I agree that therapy can help with this stuff but also remember that the 12 step programme is used all over the world to deal with all sorts of behaviours that are troubling us.
lostnursetoo
lostnursetoo
Thanks serenity! I have a tendency to think out loud here and it's always helpful to get feedback from the team! If I have an addictive personality, it's focused on sobriety and living a life of peace now! That's an addiction I can live with :-)!!
akacountrygirl
akacountrygirl
Oh my gosh, yes. People will overdo anything that will take them out of their problems.
I was told that I had an addictive personality by a shrink and he added My God help you.
I was always just like you, full steam ahead...dive in deep. I have been addicted to shopping, sex, food, alcohol and drugs at some point in my life.
The key is moderation. Everything and anything, I feel, in moderation is ok. You just need to find that balance and apply it to your life.
Best wishes
dragonflydazd
dragonflydazd
i definitely have an addictive personality. being a recovering alcoholic turned me to other addictions. filling the void of alcohol i shop, workout, i would cling to a person and focus everything on them, food, working out. it goes along with the mind of an alcoholic or addict. learning how to see it and trying to change it is the real hard part.
keep your addictions positive. let go of the others as easily as you can.....
dragonflydazd
dragonflydazd
serenity94, having an addictive personality is not a cop out. it helps me understand why i am an alcoholic and others are not. how can you say you were never addicted to alcohol yet you are an alcoholic? i don't understand that. can you elaborate?
having an addicitve personality has definitely not stopped my recovery nor has it stopped me from being happy now that i am sober. knowing i am, has only helped me to learn how to cope, understand and recover.
koolman
koolman
"I am thinking my real problem is moderating anything I do."

I think so too!

I think the hard-core OBSESSIVE personality tends to be the ADDICTIVE personality. I grapple with this too.
deleted_user
deleted_user
I've been reading all the replies with interest.

I view addiction differently to alcoholism because of my own experience. I've never given much thought to addictive personality disorder. I've never been diagnosed with it.

I didn't find that recovering from alcoholism turned me to addiction. Quite the contrary, It has helped me to learn to keep more of a balance in my life and that learning is ongoing.

I've had addiction in the past to smoking but stopped many years ago before I recovered from the drinking problem. I do like tea and it's never caused me any problems so I have never tried to stop drinking caffeinated drinks.
deleted_user
deleted_user
That should read "recovering from active alcoholism."
akacountrygirl
akacountrygirl
Yes, I do believe that people can have addictive personalities. Moderation is the key to health....the only question is....can we do it??
deleted_user
deleted_user
I wholeheartedly believe in addictive personalities. As you and sad62 said, I become obsessed or addicted to something then get over it and move on to my next addiction. This may have already been posted, but the most liberating and validating thing I ever read about addictive personalities was on wikipedia and couldn't have described me any better, or explained why people deny that there is a such thing as addictive personalities. If this is the same thing that is posted now and doesn't change, it is an amazing page to read.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Addictive_personality