Addictive Personality Disorder

Addictive Personality Disorder (APD) can be defined as a condition wherein an individual is susceptible to addiction. This may include drug abuse or addiction to alcohol, pornography and certain activities, such as gambling, video games, etc. An individual is considered to be at the risk of developing such addictions when he/she exudes aggression, anxiety, depression or lack of self-control and does not know how to manage his/her emotions. Such a person may switch from one addiction to the other or even sustain multiple addictions at different times.

The people suffering from addictive personality disorder are very much sensitive to stress. They find it highly intimidating to tolerate frustrating situations, even if it is for a very short duration. Such people often lack self-esteem, show impulsive behavior and usually have a sense of heightened level of stress. Mood swings is another visible symptom of the addictive personality disorder. Let us learn more about the common traits of addictive personality disorder, through the following lines.

Common Traits

Antisocial behavior is one of the visible traits of people suffering from addictive personality disorder. They often turn down the invitations from their close friends and relatives, to parties and other social events, in order to alienate themselves from anybody who knows them in the society. The main reason behind such behavior is that they are fearful of being caught.
The feeling of isolation often haunts people facing the problem of addiction. To substitute the lack of personal relationships, they turn towards drugs, smoking, alcohol consumption, or the like, thinking that such harmful substances are "quick-fix" solutions for their life's problems.
People suffering from APD find it difficult to manage their stress levels. In fact, lack of stress tolerance is a telltale sign of the disorder. They find it difficult to face stressful situations and fight hard to get out of such conditions.
Addictive personalities have difficulty in planning and achieving long-term goals, because their focus remains on the short term targets only.
Such personalities switch to other enjoyable activities, the moment they are deprived of enjoyment in their previous addiction.
Addictive individuals feel highly insecure, when it comes to relationships. They may often find it difficult to make commitments in relationships or trust their beloved. They constantly seek approval of others. As a result, misunderstandings might creep in, which in turn, would ruin their relationships.
People suffering from addictive personality disorder usually undergo depression and anxiety. They manage emotions by developing addiction to drugs, alcohol or other pleasurable activities.

Treating Addictive Personality Disorder

Counseling is the best remedy for Addictive Personality Disorder. Send the person suffering from APD to a rehabilitation center. Through meetings at the center, the addictive personality would be able to recover from the disorder easily and effectively.
Psychotherapy is another way to treat addictive personality disorder. The therapy is aimed at addressing the emotional underpinning of the individual, because majority of the addictions stem from the person’s inability to handle stressful situations, anger and other strong emotions.
Early treatment is essential for curing APD. In case you recognize any of the aforementioned symptoms in an individual, get him/her treated as soon as possible.

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