The Myth of Addictive Personalities

Have you ever wondered if you have an “addictive personality”? It’s an idea that’s been floating around for ages – this notion that some people are just “wired” for addiction, while others aren’t. But what if I told you that the concept of a fixed personality, let alone an “addictive” one, is just a myth?

Let’s dig into this a bit. The belief that our personalities are set in stone, that we’re defined by a static, unchanging set of traits, can be comforting on one hand. After all, if our personalities are fixed, then maybe they’re something we can blame or rely on to explain our choices and behaviours. But the truth is, “personality” isn’t something you can find under a microscope. You won’t locate it in a brain scan or discover a part labeled “addiction” during surgery. Personality, as we think of it, isn’t a concrete thing; it’s a construct, a set of patterns and habits that we’ve come to believe define who we are.

Science supports this idea too. Despite years of research, no one has found a specific “addictive personality type” that applies across the board to people struggling with addiction. The traits associated with addiction – impulsivity, sensation-seeking, emotional sensitivity, might show up in some people, but they’re not universally present. And many people who have those traits live perfectly healthy lives without addictive behaviour.

Imagine lining up a diverse group of people – some with addictions, some without, and trying to spot a common thread in their personalities. You’d end up with a mix of traits, patterns, and quirks that don’t point to a clear answer. What’s more, these traits are often influenced by our experiences, our beliefs, and the society we live in. They’re not fixed parts of us; they’re fluid and subject to change over time.

So, why does this matter? Because clinging to the idea of an “addictive personality” might actually limit us. If we believe we’re doomed by a certain personality type, it can make us feel powerless, like we’re at the mercy of our so-called nature. But when we start to see personality as something flexible and shaped by experience, we can open up new ways of understanding ourselves, and new ways of changing. We actually can see that the belief of a fixed personality type called ‘addictive personality’ will create the desired result – addictive behaviour, purely based on that belief, and nothing to do with any unexplainable phenomena or disease.

Here’s something to think about: How much of the way you see yourself is based on patterns and beliefs you’ve simply accepted as “who you are”? Without question? And what might happen if you started to question them?

Let me know your thoughts in the comments. Have you ever felt trapped by a label, whether it’s “addictive personality” or something else? Or do you have a story about challenging a part of your identity? I’d love to hear about your experiences and what they taught you.