Addiction related topics

[Mark Dempster]

please feel free to ask any questions concerning this subject

[Gary Turner]

Hi Helen, hope you are well!

The 'Golden Rule' of neurology is Hebbs Law - "neurons that fire together wire together".

In this way, yes, people can learn to have an 'addictive personality' that predisposes them to other addictions.

Best thing is that they would have learnt to be that way, and can learn to be different again. A professional such as myself will just help their neurons fire and then wire differently again.

Hope this helps!

[Mark Dempster]

My experience with working with clients caught up in addictive patterns is that often they let go off one addictive pattern and replace it with another equally destructive pattern. This is called cross-addiction. However i have also worked with clients who desist from this completely. However the majority do. I encourage clients to take up healthier behavioural patterns such as exercise or sport, if they start to overexercise we address this also. Its important to find balance in all activities if it can be achieved.
I do believe that some people have addictive personalities, i being one of them. In this case the addictive process is but a symptoms of a deeper sense of unrest, irritability, discontentment and/or emptiness. The person is then using the addictive pattern to fill a void within, by using gambling, sex, drugs, alcohol, food, porn, shopping, exercise, power and prestige
This deeper sense of unrest is a result of a dislocation from self - check out gabor mate on you tube very interesting doctor in canada vancouver
best wishes
mark

[Mark Dempster]

Thanks Helen. In society these days there are so many things people can get addicted to. We live in a time where immediate gratification is encouraged.... buy the latest smart phone.... buy an new i pad 3.... lose 20lbs and look great, gamble on black jack, drink jack daniels, etc etc. there is so many psychological pressures to look and feel a different way, this creates fertile ground for the creation of new addictive processes,

[Dr Kostas Agath]

Many thanks for the very stimulating question.

It is true that many people will try out substances of misuse and few will become addicted to them. It is also true that amongst those who will become addicted a few will become addicted to different families of substances (for example heroin and cocaine).

It is puzzling why that happens to a few people and not to others. Many theories have been put forward, one of them was that there are addicts who suffer from an "addictive personality". However research has failed to establish the existence of a stand alone "addictive personality".

Which is, from one perspective, very empowering for people who have addiction problems. People are not compelled to become addicts because their "addictive personality" forces them to do so. People could take care of their lifestyle and overcome their addiction, usually with the help of professionals.