Do people really have "addictive" personalities?

[joesprincess2007]

Years ago my BF was addicted to heroin. He hasn't touched that in a long time but now he's addicted to alcohol. He also takes benedryl everyday (sometimes 12 at once) and excessively uses nasal spray. He also wants to have sex all the time and seems totally obsessed with me. I feel as though I'm just another addiction to him. Can some people just have uncontrollable addictions to a lot of things? In the beginning it seemed like he was just very attentive to me but as time goes on I have realized that he needs my attention 24/7 or he's not happy. I think he needs help but he thinks I'm the crazy one

[joesprincess2007]

Thank you all for your comments. I know he really thinks he "needs" all these things to survive. He also feels he can't be helped on an out patient basis but as most of you probably know insurance companies don't like to start out with in patient treatment. I am trying to stand my ground but I'm up against a bunch of enablers and co-dependents. Hopefully there is a light at the end of the tunnel and it comes sooner rather than later!

[corey411]

I have an addictive personality as well but what we hardcore addicts need to realize is that we can channel this addictive behavior into a more positive, or at least not so life damaging means of getting our fix. Late in high school, I started learning how to study and started getting good grades. That was when I first noticed the addictive quality to a behavior of mine.
It went dormant for over a decade but resurfaced when I was getting my divorce and going back to college. They call it A syndrome. I not only had to get all A's but was upset if I even had 1 thing wrong on my exams. It's still bad because instead of acknowledging all of the good that you do, you focus on the thing you didn't do to be perfect.
That seemed to end after college but During the same time I had begun my addiction to exercise. It hadn't fully blossomed yet although I did a pretty involved aerobic exercise program everyday and really felt unrest if I missed it. Shortly after I graduated and no longer had to get A's the exercise got more intense until I was running 7-10 miles a day after work everyday. This is not unheard of and there are many who run more. What made me different was running when I was sick. no matter what the weather, when I had a stress fracture I got an air splint you can put ice in and just ran it out. I had a lot of trouble dealing with facing a day without running. When we would go somewhere for a trip, I would look at certain roads and think...I'd love to run here lol.
Running especially releases all of those wonderful endorphins and after you are in condition you are getting regular supplies of them with your run....It's better than Vics. Funny, when a group of things caused me to slow down and eventually not run or exercise is when I picked up drugs that I can't even believe I tried as I was pretty anti drug by that point in my life. I really believe my addiction to pills started bc my running ended. No addiction is healthy but running really trumped drugs. Too old to run now....and walking just doesn't do the trick.

[catmagnet]

I think addictive personalities can be inherited. Most of my family on my mom's side were all addicts of some kind. My hubbys side were mostly alcoholics. Thank God our daughter didn't inherit any of it. She is more like my sister, who didn't get it either.

[HelpinUtah]

I agree that there is a tendency to have an addictive type of personality.  I agree with what was said by others above.  I personally believe once we realize we have these tendencies we need to be even more careful than an average person with just about anything.  

[cattalina]

We have a tendency to substitute one addiction for another - unless we have some type of recovery plan that we're following, and even then we have to be careful. So although ur bf quit doing heroin, he most likely didn't figure out why he did the stuff to start with therefore leaving him more succeptible to "substitution" of ANYTHING. Setting boundaries at some point may help him to see this but unfortunately most of us have to figure it out on our own.

[bull172]

yup.....

i can get addicted to anything....ANY TYPE OF "HABITUAL" behavior.....

[DrPharm]

When your friend was using heroin he had a sense of happiness he could only get from the drug. Now, that he has stopped using he is looking for alternatives to give him that same "high." He is still an addict just for right now he is using a different alternitive to reach his high.

[discretekarma]

I agree. I'm a 30 year old male and have gone through the same thing.  I've bounced between alcohol, weed, E, Benzo's, Oxycontin, porn, and women. I've bounced between them all and haven't really had much of my life without them.  My wife standing firm was a big part of the reason the I realized what was going on.  She didn't really tell me but she helped me realize on my own.  I've just started working on these issues. I'm on day 4 without Oxy. I was previously on about 200mg of Oxycontin and other meds.

[avisg]

Yes its called cross addiction many addicts suffer from it I am one of them. I have kept things under control with therapy .He is going to have to get down to the root of why he uses He needs help you do that or he is just going to hop from one thing to another.