13 Addictive Personality Signs & Ways To Cope With Addiction

The term “addictive personality” is often widely misunderstood and incorrectly used. A person who has traits associated with an addictive personality is not guaranteed to develop an addiction of any kind. However, those living with addiction often have many of these traits, which can include sensation-seeking, risk-taking, neuroticism, and impulsive behavior. If you currently have an addiction or think you may have addictive personality traits, it can be helpful to speak with a licensed mental health professional. You might choose to connect with a local therapist or match with one via an online therapy platform.

What does “addictive personality” mean?

Addictive personality is not a formal diagnosis or a sole indicator of addiction. Rather, it is a non-clinical, informal term used to describe people with certain traits that increase the risk of developing addictive habits. For example, individuals struggling with impulsivity are more likely to develop substance use disorders.   

An addiction can be defined as a compulsive habit that you continue to do despite negative consequences, and that isn’t exclusive to addictive substances. People can become addicted to various things, from sex to shopping and social media. In general, personalities are very complex. While there’s not necessarily one personality type that’s more prone to addiction than others, there can be several factors that may combine to make someone more likely to become addicted. However, these factors do not guarantee that someone will develop an addiction.

Addictive personality signs and what they can look like day to day

Addictive personality signs, such as impulsivity or thrill seeking, become more concerning when they drive functional impairment in daily life. For example, when thrill-seeking leads to neglecting responsibilities, financial problems, or strained personal relationships, there may be a higher risk of addiction. 

13 potential signs of an addictive personality

While there is no definitive test to determine whether someone is at risk of developing addiction, there are some signs you can look for.

1. Obsession

A person with an addictive personality may tend to obsess. Just like someone with an alcohol use disorder might obsess over their next drink, or someone addicted to gambling might obsess over when they can go to the casino to play the slots, a person with an addictive personality can be likely to obsess over certain things as well.

Why it matters: Intense focus on a substance or behavior can make you dismiss other important aspects of life, such as relationships and responsibilities.

2.  Always wanting more

3.  Lying

A person with an addiction may lie to themselves about having an addiction, using denial to justify their own behavior. As a result, they might also have to lie to everyone else around them. This behavior may occur due to feelings of shame, guilt, and the desire to avoid judgement.

Why it matters: Dishonesty can delay help-seeking behavior and early intervention. Also, lying is linked with lower quality of life, performance in school, and low self-esteem.

4. Continuing despite negative outcomes

Those living with addiction may experience negative outcomes, such as losing their job, going through divorce, or failing to provide for their families. However, it can be extremely difficult to overcome addiction, which may mean an individual may continue their potentially harmful behavior even after experiencing negative outcomes. A person with addictive personality traits may also have a tendency to continue behaviors that bring about consequences.

Why it matters: continuing risk-taking behaviors – such as gambling – despite negative consequences like financial stress is a core sign of risk of addiction. 

5. Impulsive behavior

Impulsive behavior can refer to acting without thinking about the impact of your behavior. Although some people have poor judgment at times, a person who regularly engages in this type of behavior may have overall impulsive tendencies, which can be indicative of an addictive personality. Studies that looked at the brains of people with addictions found they’re more likely to make spontaneous decisions without considering the long-term consequences.

Why it matters: Impulsivity is associated with risk-taking behaviors, including gambling, being arrested, undesired pregnancy, and domestic violence. 

6. Not taking responsibility

Not taking accountability or responsibility for choices and results may also be a common trait of someone with an addictive personality. This might hold true if addiction develops, whereby the person might blame others for having problems instead of looking at their own actions.

Why it matters: Not taking responsibility may prevent personal growth since you won’t take steps to make positive changes in your life.

7. Revolving relationships

The traits of someone with an addictive personality can contribute to failed relationships in some cases. In addition, an impulsive need for change or something new can also lead to short-lived, revolving relationships.

Why it matters: Research suggests that relationship churning is linked with stress.

8. Sensation-seeking

A person with an addictive personality might need to feel the next “rush” and the reward. They might look for the next “high” and often need more of it to keep the good feelings flowing. A person who is sensation-seeking can be seen as one who may constantly seek out new experiences and new sources of adrenaline rushes. One potential problem with sensation-seeking can be the continuous desire for something different and new. This may contribute to experimentation with various substances, which can sometimes lead to substance use disorder and other challenges.

Why it matters: Sensation-seeking is associated with drug and alcohol use.

9. Neuroticism

People with high neuroticism, which can be a trait associated with addictive personalities, often respond to challenges or threats with emotions like anger, sadness, anxiety, and irritability. Research has suggested that people with high neuroticism may be more likely to develop a substance use disorder or substance abuse tendencies.

Why it matters: People with emotional dysregulation, a core symptom of neuroticism, may engage in addictive behaviors to cope with everyday challenges. 

10. Secrecy

Keeping secrets is sometimes critical in order for a person with an addiction to continue their addiction. Secrecy can also be a common trait for a person with an addictive personality. 

Why it matters: Keeping secrets can prevent you from finding social support. Meanwhile, sharing with others can be a form of self-care, fostering connections and improving treatment.

11. Risk-taking

The thrill and excitement of risk-taking can be another common trait of people with addictive personalities. The mere act of doing something impulsive and dangerous can provide a rush of dopamine that can lead to pleasure.

Why it matters: The dopamine rush from novel, intense experiences may cause people to crave and repeat those behaviors over time. 

12. Emotional reliance

Especially for those who have a low tolerance for distress, relying on activities, substances, or people to feel better can build a dependence on that particular behavior. Over time, this pattern may reduce a person’s ability to cope with negative emotions in healthy ways. 

Why it matters: Emotional dependence is associated with low self-esteem, a fear of loneliness, and unbalanced relationships. 

13. Escalation of behavior

People may need to engage more frequently in an activity or consume more of a substance to achieve the same level of satisfaction. In time, this pattern may cause an overreliance on a particular behavior. For example, people may gradually consume more and more alcohol after difficult days.

Why it matters: Overindulging in a particular behavior may lead people to neglect other responsibilities and relationships. 

Underlying factors that can increase the risk of addiction

Addiction may be influenced by various underlying factors, from your genetics to the environment you live in. Understanding these can help people identify risk, seek early treatment, and learn coping strategies. 

Genetics and family history

Genetic predisposition may play a role in addiction. There may be increased risk among individuals  with a family history of addiction and a certain genetic make-up. In fact, research has shown that genetics may be responsible for about half the likelihood of someone developing an addiction.

Mental health and emotional drivers

Poor mental and emotional health can contribute to the development of an addiction. A person with untreated anxiety, for example, may be more likely to turn to substances to relax. It can be vital to note that this usually has the opposite effect and can exacerbate mental illness.

Research suggests that mental health conditions such as bipolar disorder and anxiety disorder may lead to addictive tendencies.

Environment and access

Many other factors, such as the friends you spend time with, your education, your social support, and the environment you grew up in, can all play a part in whether addictive personality traits eventually contribute to an addiction. 

Sometimes, people live in environments where a certain addiction is considered normal. If all of a person’s family members frequently drink alcohol, for example, then alcohol may always be readily available at the house, and heavy drinking might become so normalized that a person can slip into addiction without realizing it.

When traits become a problem

Addicting personality traits may become problematic when they start affecting personal relationships, work, financial security, and other aspects of everyday life. 

Signs that it is affecting daily functioning

• Neglecting personal or shared responsibilities, such as missing deadlines at work or failing to provide consistent care for dependants. 
• Relationship conflicts that arise from lying, secrecy, and defensiveness.
• Engaging in dangerous behaviors such as driving under the influence or having sex without protection. 
• Financial strain from indulging in addictive behaviors such as gambling and drug and alcohol addiction.
• Withdrawing from friends, family members, and activities you once enjoyed, and experiencing feelings of loneliness or isolation. 

Healthier coping mechanisms and skills needed to lower risk

Developing healthier coping mechanisms and the skills needed to reduce addictive behaviors can help people live a more fulfilling life, improve relationships, and lower their risk for addiction. 

Skills for reducing addictive tendencies and managing poor impulse control

• Practice mindfulness techniques such as deep breathing to improve impulse control, focus, and emotion regulation. 
• Build routines that support and protect mental health, centered around a healthy diet, exercise, and quality sleep. 
• Track thoughts, emotions, and behaviors that lead to addiction in a journal to raise self-awareness and understanding. 
• Seek support to start your recovery journey, from friends, family members, mental health professionals, and peer-support groups. 

Not everyone with a drug or alcohol addiction may feel like they need emotional support, but to build skills in emotional regulation and make a lasting recovery, these techniques may be worthwhile. For those dependent on drugs or alcohol, support groups are also a chance to share frustrations, successes, and tips for recovery.

Treatment options and the path to lasting recovery

Individuals struggling with addiction or currently at risk of developing addiction can benefit from various mental health resources. From medication to peer support and therapy, there are many forms of addiction treatment to make a lasting recovery.

Evidence-based therapies that can help

• Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) can help individuals change unhelpful patterns of thought, feeling, and behavior. 
• Group therapy can be a chance for people to learn from the perspectives of peers, share coping strategies, build a support network, and improve overall health.
• Motivational interviewing helps to strengthen personal motivation and commitment to make lasting changes. 

Getting support through therapy and recovery resources

Whether you are living with addiction or believe you may have addictive personality traits, speaking with a licensed therapist can be helpful in guiding you toward the type of life you wish to live and addressing any challenges you may be experiencing. Online therapy often makes it easy to check into video calls and online chats with licensed mental health professionals. It can be possible to work with a BetterHelp therapist from any location with an internet connection.

Online therapy can be effective in treating a wide range of mental health conditions, including various types of addiction. Research suggests that internet-based interventions are promising treatments for addictive behaviors, including gambling.