Habits To Avoid If You Have An Addictive Personality

For many years, medical experts were puzzled by the nature of addiction. Fortunately, we now know that whether it is a genetic condition or the manifestation of a deeper issue, some individuals tend to develop what is known as an addictive personality, a condition in which persons with anxiety or depressive disorders will often attempt to fulfill unmet needs with unhealthy behaviors. Thankfully, a lot of research and study has gone towards understanding these illnesses, and we now know keeping a healthy approach to dealing with an addictive personality can make the condition manageable.

Using Food As Comfort

For many individuals, food is often associated with safety, meaning food can easily be used as a source of comfort or a way to overcome boredom. Because eating does not have the stigma associated with drug or alcohol abuse, moreover, many individuals find themselves in the trap of overdoing what is considered to be a socially acceptable activity, making it difficult to break out of a cycle of overeating. A common psychological trap in overeating, for instance, involves consuming too much food and then attempting to crash diet to burn away excess calories, making the body's metabolism drop as the body perceives a shortage of food.

Starving the body also results in even more hunger, often making the diet cycle an endless cause of frustration and even health scares as overeating leads to parallel conditions such as fatigue or even type 2 diabetes. For these reasons, using food as a comfort rather than as a form of nourishment should be a major red flag for those with an addictive personality.

Using Alcohol To Socialize

In the famous words of Homer Simpson, alcohol is "the cause of, and solution to, all of life's problems." Humor aside, this line from the hit television series The Simpsons expresses an interesting truth, namely that we often use alcohol to escape problems we created while under the influence of alcohol. Indeed, while it can be tempting to use alcohol as a means to 'loosen up' at a social gathering, the truth is social drinking can quickly escalate into something much more serious and damaging to our social reputation and even our health.

Furthermore, addiction to alcohol can be catastrophic in its effects, as in medical circles it is known as a potentially fatal condition with its withdrawal symptoms, making alcohol withdrawal in some instances even more dangerous than withdrawal from heroin. Using alcohol to socialize may be a socially-accepted activity, but for someone with an addictive personality, the problems social drinking can alleviate are often vastly outnumbered by the problems the activity creates.

Shopping To Better Self Esteem

Whether it is in America or other countries where a strong economy is a point of national pride, few pastimes are more popular than shopping. However, excess shopping, particularly when it is used as a temporary boost to our self-esteem, can quickly lead to troubling outcomes, not the least of which is a shortage of funds or even excess debt. For many individuals, this can result in damaged credit scores and extreme anxiety when unpaid bills begin to mount up.

While we might look great in that new outfit, it's healthy to take a step back and ask whether we really need what we're shopping for. Everyone needs a wardrobe for work and personal activities, but a closet full of clothing we'll never use can worsen conditions such as anxiety or depression, leading to a vicious cycle in which we spend money to feel better and then crash when the 'high' of shopping session wears off, leading to another bout of spending and regret. For these reasons, shopping for better self-esteem may be an activity better left on the shelf!

Portraying Gambling As An Accomplishment

Whether it's being portrayed as a glamorous activity in James Bond films or simply the 'in' social activity among friends, it is difficult not to be drawn in by the allure of gambling, especially when we are winning and feeling the rush of short-term financial success. And indeed, who does not want to boast at their skill at poker or of their big financial win when it happens, particularly when society often idolizes the figure of the high roller? Like all myths, the image of the big winner at the casino is just that, an idealized character. In fact, while we are busy portraying gambling as an accomplishment, it's likely we're also ignoring our losses.

For many individuals, gambling can lead to a host of financial and personal issues that can be extremely difficult to extricate oneself from. Excess credit card debt, financial needs such as house payments and electrical bills going by the wayside, and rocky relationships are just a few of the signs that we've taken gambling from a regular social activity among friends to something much more unsettling. As the old saying goes, pride comes before a fall, and so it is with taking excess self-regard in our gambling endeavors.

Using Marijuana To Relax

While the use of marijuana is becoming more accepted in recent years, it is important to note the substance can still produce troubling dependency issues, with more and more divorces in the United States resulting from a spouse being fed up with their partner's smoking habits, to name just one example. While it can seem tempting to use marijuana as a way to banish troubles, the truth is using marijuana to relax permits us to put our problems aside for the time being without actually addressing or solving those problems. While it may seem like a harmless pastime, a psychological dependence on marijuana is no laughing matter.

With these tips in mind, it is easy to see how an addictive personality can create a host of problems from seemingly normal activities. With the right amount of self-understanding, however, we can quickly get back on the road to success and personal satisfaction. And that is the way to take care of our genuine needs and build great relationships.