You may have heard the term “addictive personality” before. You’ve wondered how personality and alcohol dependence are related. However, there has never been a clear answer. At Promises Behavioral Health, we want to ensure that you understand how these two concepts interact in your life. However, we also want to make it clear that there is help available at a licensed alcohol addiction treatment program. No one should have to fight alcohol dependence alone. Connect with Promises Behavioral Health today to learn how we can help you overcome addiction for good.
How Do Personality and Alcohol Dependence Interact?
According to a recent Science Daily report, whether or not a person develops a dependence upon alcohol may have a lot to do with his or her personality. Researchers studied a group of alcohol-dependent individuals who have an inactive form of aldehyde dehydrogenase-2 (ALDH2). These individuals would normally have a low incidence of alcoholism because this inactive form of ALDH2 causes negative symptoms when drinking alcohol, such as flushing, nausea, and headaches. The results from this study suggested that personality factors associated with a tendency toward alcohol dependence were impulsiveness, aggressiveness, and risk-seeking behaviors.
“Some case-control studies have shown that high novelty-seeking (NS) and low harm-avoidance (HA) are associated with alcoholism,” said Mitsuru Kimura, chief of the department of psychiatry and section of behavioral science at the National Hospital Organization, in the Science Daily report. “But a personality profile associated with alcoholism is not well-established. This is the first study that demonstrates there is a difference between personality profiles of alcoholics with inactive and active form of ALDH2 polymorphism.” Kimura is also the corresponding author for the study.
Researchers determined that those people who became alcoholics even with a strong negative risk factor had a specific characteristic personality profile. In other words, these individuals had higher NS and lower HA than those with active type ALDH2. This finding indicates that those with high NS and low HA are predisposed to alcoholism. Those participating in the research highlight that personality traits are both inborn and acquired. At the same time, genetic and environmental factors also play an important role in the likelihood of developing alcoholism. This research does create an opportunity for further exploration of these factors. Alcoholism remains a complicated disease and the variables that play the greatest part for one person may mean little for another.
Why Choose Promises Behavioral Health For Help?
At Promises Behavioral Health, we know how difficult life can be when your personality and alcohol dependence seem to be working against you. However, we also know that there is hope. For instance, if you struggle with addiction and mental illness, it’s critical to get dual diagnosis treatment. Dual diagnosis treatment simply means that your specialists will focus on your mental illness and alcohol dependence simultaneously. At Promises Behavioral Health, we offer treatment for a wide variety of conditions, including:
- Depression
- Anxiety
- Mood disorders
- Personality disorders
- PTSD and trauma
When it comes to your personality and alcohol dependence, it is crucial to use evidence-based and holistic treatments. If you only use holistic treatments, you may not address the base cause of your addiction. Conversely, if you only get evidence-based therapies, you run the risk of not treating emotional or mental damage addiction causes. At Promises Behavioral Health, we will use a combination of both of these treatment options during your treatment. Moreover, we offer each person at our facility an individualized treatment plan. With this treatment, we can address your unique needs.
The time to overcome your alcohol addiction is now. To learn more about the connection between your personality and alcohol dependence, contact Promises Behavioral Health at 844.875.5609 today.