 Hey Psych2Goers welcome back to our channel. Thank you all so much for the love that you've given us. Your ongoing support has helped us make psychology and mental health more accessible to everyone, so thanks. We also wanted to say a quick disclaimer and remind our audience that this video is meant for informative purposes only. And this video is not meant to provide professional mental health advice, nor is it to diagnose any condition. If you feel that you're struggling, please reach out to a qualified mental health professional or health care provider. With that said, let's continue. Addiction is a serious problem that can affect every area of your life. Your whole world can revolve around your addiction. Addiction is often associated with mental health issues, impulsivity, and having gotten involved with the wrong crowd. While this all can contribute to an addiction, it can also come down to having an addictive personality. Simply put, some people are more prone to addictive tendencies than others. In this video, we'll take a look at what addiction is and go over six signs of an addictive personality. So, what is addiction? Addiction is defined as having an intense interest or craving in a substance or activity that promotes pleasure, stress relief, and or performance improvement. Substance abuse can include alcohol, drugs, and even food. You might get addicted to certain hobbies or ventures such as gambling, sex, or exercise. While these substances and activities can range from alarmingly harmful to seemingly harm less, addiction is inherently problematic no matter what kind of form it takes. You usually have a strong craving or desire to partake in the addiction and will go through feelings of negative withdrawal when you're unable to do so. You may want to stop, but feel like you can't and have tried and failed multiple times to put down your habit. This addiction can get in the way of your relationships, your personal health, and your mental well-being. Here are the six signs of an addictive personality. Number one, you have a difficult time self-regulating. Lacking the ability to self-regulate is believed to be a part of an addictive personality. You may struggle to know when to stop in any given situation. While this can certainly apply to addictions such as smoking, drinking, gambling, and so forth, it can also crop up in any situation that involves a reward response. The search for pleasure and seeking out thrills can be intense, making it hard to give up on such a quest. Self-regulation issues tend to go hand in hand with impulsivity, making it impossible to know when enough is enough. Number two, you feel apathetic. You might feel apathetic for a number of reasons. Maybe it's the result of a mental health condition or perhaps it's because you have a risk taking personality and need higher level thrills to feel excitement. In any case, having little care for risks or consequences are linked to an addictive personality. When you feel that there's nothing much to lose, then it's easier to make a big decision that can have life altering consequences. Number three, you're impulsive. People with addictive problems may find themselves acting on impulse. Making quick decisions without thinking of consequences can lead to serious problems. Having issues with self-regulation can further escalate your impulsiveness, as well as feelings of apathy. Number four, you're related to someone with an addiction problem. Do you have someone in your family who might have an addiction problem? Genetics can also play a role in attributing to an addictive personality. In the same way that certain hereditary traits like eye color and hair color are passed down, addictive traits can also be passed down. You might even have a close relative who was also an addict and possibly even addicted to the same thing as you are. A mixed blend of genetic and environmental factors are believed to be the main contributors to addiction. But you might still develop an issue with addiction whether or not you had a relative who was also an addict. Number five, you experience other mental health conditions. Self-medication and coping mechanisms can become out of control and develop into addictions. Many people with addictive tendencies often have other issues in areas such as depression, anxiety, personality disorders and psychotic disorders. When your reward response is activated, you're flooded with dopamine, which is also called the feel-good hormone. These happy feelings can temporarily relieve you from your personal stresses, which causes you to want to return to your habits again and again. What started out as a coping mechanism can lead to addiction and other health problems as well as interpersonal and intrapersonal issues. And number six, you have other certain personality traits. Having an addictive personality is far from a one-sized-fits-all scenario. People who are adventurous and thrill-seeking may turn to substances or activities that elevate dopamine levels at a higher rate as they find it difficult to get the same feeling out of mundane or less risky activities. Similarly, people who are more disconnected and anxious may turn to certain activities in an attempt to cope with their feelings. They may try to self-medicate and numb their feelings with substance abuse or by picking up an addictive hobby. Obsessive compulsive types of people also have the potential to form habits and maintain them out of compulsion. Evidence suggests that addictive personalities come with patterns seen in other personality traits. Addiction can be consuming and life-altering. It's a complex, multi-layered issue and comes down to primary genetic and environmental factors. If you are struggling with addiction, we recommend that you reach out for help because addiction is treatable. What are your thoughts on the matter? Is there anything you have to add on the topic of addiction? Let us know in the comments below. Please like and share this video if it helped you and you think it could help someone else too. The studies and references used are listed in the description below. Don't forget to hit the subscribe button and notification icon for more Psych2Go videos. Thanks for watching and we'll see you next time.