Do you think you have an addictive personality? Why?

12 comments

1. yeah, bc i’m absolutely obsessed with something or want nothing to do with it

2. I think so. Depends on the topic I’m on

3. Yes, absolutely. Because addiction runs in my family, and the signs have been there since I discovered harry potter at 10 and didn’t eat or sleep much (or well), I stopped attending school for a few days until the school called my mom wondering if I was seriously sick, and then read during class.

   That’s how I handled every new hobby for quite a few years because I’d NEED to do them. Eventually each one would resolve and I’d move on to the next. I had the wherewithal to realize this was a problem quite young and stayed away from traditional addictions – I didn’t drink, I didn’t smoke, and I didn’t try any drugs.

   After gaining a lot of weight during pregnancy and realizing I NEEDED to eat certain definitely unhealthy foods no one actually needs, I realized I might have food addictions. After I went through a divorce, spent all my time (and thousands of dollars) on a stupid mobile game, I realized I was definitely correct about addictive personality and needed to be more careful recognizing how certain activities are designed to be addictive (a lot of mobile games are)

4. I would have said yes before, but but I’m starting to realize it’s a bit more gray. It’s less about being “addicted” and more about perfectionism. I go in all or nothing for so many of my hobbies and pursuits. But it’s never about enjoying it and spending time doing it…it’s about mastering it and always getting better.

   Even when I had a stint of doing a lot of drugs. I look back in hindsight and see it less as addictive (Although, I bet it was physiologically and psychologically.) and more like I was always challenging and testing the boundaries. I would be reading about drugs, researching, trying new drugs, pushing the limits etc. It always surprised me that people just did drugs without knowing exactly how much to take, the best ways to take them, the possible effects etc etc.

   So tl;dr: Yes, somewhat. But a lot of my addictive qualities stem from perfectionism and wanting to “master” things.

5. No, because at any point I know I can stop (and have).

   I have definitely become really interested in certain things (mainly games and books) to the point that it’s all I think about for a few days or even months, and I’d say the closest I’ve come to addiction is when a new game in a certain series comes out; I stay up until 4 am playing it and have even taken my Switch out on hikes. But I don’t miss meals or work for it.

   I do have a couple of habits associated with addiction that I fairly frequently indulge in; drinking coffee and smoking weed. But every now and then I will take long (several month) breaks from both things and it doesn’t really affect me in any way. I eventually pick coffee back up again because it has less sugar than hot chocolate and is nicer/more cost effective than the tea sold (which is usually a cheap tea bag shoved in hot water and marked up 300%) and I like a hot drink in the mornings, but if a reason emerged to give it up forever then I happily would. Likewise, I smoke weed socially with my husband at weekends, but if I had a job that tested for drugs or I moved to a place where it was illegal I’d also easily quit.

   The first time I was hungover after drinking alcohol was the last time I was hungover. I abstained from alcohol for several years after my first hangover and now only drink socially, and only 1 or 2 drinks at a time.

6. Absolutely. I haven’t fully explored why yet but I think it boils down to my depression and hardships. Life keeps me down a lot and so when I find something that makes me happy, I want all of it and all the time. It can be anything from shopping to a person and at different times in my life, drugs. I have to be really careful.

7. yes. when I’m interested in something, I will spend every single free hour of my day consumed in it until I inevitably get burnt out and find something new. I also vape because I’m addicted to nicotine, and was a low level alcoholic for most of college.

   I think it’s mostly a coping method for me, though. The more I’m distracted by something, the less I have to think about my actual issues and stressors lol

8. Yes. I’m very black and white/all or nothing. I have to watch a TV show from start to finish in one night or not at all. I have to eat the entire pint of ice cream or none at all. If I find something I enjoy I go ALL in. I become obsessed with it. I lose control to the things that boost my serotonin super easily. Like running. I will run every day, no breaks, very long distances, to the point that I’m running through injury and terrible pain because it gives me a ‘high’. I also developed an eating disorder at 18 (binge and restriction based) that consumed my life for years. I’m a child of addicts, and it’s pretty common for us to find our own addiction that’s less ‘dangerous’ than drugs or alcohol. For me that was food and exercise. But more and more, I’ve noticed all the ways that my personality could make me more susceptible to addiction.

9. Addiction definitely runs through my family, so yes. Anything that gives me a chemical rush I have to watch very carefully.

10. No, I don’t easily get addicted to things and when I feel like I am, I’ll immediately stop doing whatever it is.
    Doesn’t mean I wont think about it for a week or so though.

    That being said, if it’s a TV show that I’m addicted to then I will have to watch everything related to it and read all the fanfics…until I move on to another obsession a few weeks later!

11. No. I’m too Type A. I hate anything that makes me feel out of control of myself.

12. Yea once people start talking to me they can’t stop and get addicted 🤷‍♀️