What traits make some people addicts?

[jsuzanne]

What traits make some people addicts?

[J T Junig, MD PhD]

Family history and genetics are probably the strongest influence;  as for personality traits, I'd say impulsiveness, willingness to take risks, self-centeredness, overconfidence in one's abilities (or confidence in one's abilities!), disrespect for authority, lack of faith in a 'higher power', lack of interest in a broad range of things, tendency toward 'boredom' rather than willingness to do the groundwork for new interests....

There are also effects on a person through modeling what they see in others (parents and siblings, for example) and effects from peer pressure.

[nicole179]

wow, i'm really glad to have stumbled upon this posting today!  jsuzzane, it's really huge that you have been abble to see your own behavior for what it has become!  hoestly i was getting really worked up reading all of these postings, but with your revalation it now sounds like fear to me.  i would suggest al-anon meetings to deal with your feelings about the addicts in your life and to connect with people who have been where you are and have done work around it.  

i am a addict.  started out very recreationally ended in shooting up H or anything else, all day everyday for many years. i've been clean for almost 3 full years, had one slip. it is very painful to be an addict and especially dealing with so many different predjudices and stigmas around the disease of addiction.  

one thing i have learned from my participation in NA is my own judgements towards others seems to come out when i see something i do not like about myself in them! or when there is something i do not understand and am threaten or scared by it.  

this is why i really believe your posting above is a huge addmission, you should also check out an open NA meeting in your area, just to sit and listen.  you may leave very surprised how much you can relate to in your own life!  hope you take the time and look into options avail in your area, they may save YOUR life.  : )

[theformula]

how can you talk about addict that way when you clearly are one yourself. the fact that you are rationalizing your use and tying to seperate yourself from your perception of an addict proves it to me.  i have been around rich and poor addict. i was i poor anddict, a middle class addict and a doing pretty well financially addict. theres no ******* difference an addict is an addict. and to say you will never do the things you see addict doing to get drugs, just wait. your already drug seeking. i went from vicodin, legally for chronic pain, to shooting up heroin and cocaine 3x a day. i was raised in a christian home, went to christian school my whole life, even went to bible college right out of high school to become a preacher. i never sucked ++++ for H or anything like that but ive done a thing or to im not proud of. my ex-wife was a beautiful person, and a kindergarten teacher with a masters which she earned while shooting H every day with me. there are bad people every where, addicts or not. and actually in my experience, addicts are the kindest, well intentioned people i know who hate what they are doing but are too sick to stop. if you had cancer and were dying what would you do to get life saving treatment. thats what it feels like when your dope sick and need your drug of choice. its the people who think they are better than every one else and say i would never do that that usually end up STOOPING to that level. im sick of this conversation im sorry i stumbled across it!!!!!!

[jsuzanne]

I'm sorry for that rant I posted up there.  To me addiction is a really ugly thing and I think I'm becoming an addict so I'm trying to seperate myself from what I *think* an addict is.

And I didn't mean "poor" addicts are worse than wealthy ones.  Heck, I'm poor myself but I don't think I would stoop to levels I've seen others do to get my drugs.  I know I'm already deceiving my doctor, not that I'm not in horrible pain sometimes-but it's not as frequent as I say it is and I know I don't NEED as many pills as I'm on.

[reno346]

What boogieman said & your response is correct. It may start with pain, but after using for pain & realizing it helps with emotional depression, anxiety or whatever, it can snowball into a long term use for many reasons. Thats how it started for me, & many other people that I have known. Thats just a reality. There are alot of people who only use their meds as prescribed & don't end up with any problems, biut there are also alot of people who do end up with a long term problem use & abuse their meds. I know that I did, but it took me 7 out of my 8 yr. use to finally stand up & say I wasn't taking my meds for my back pain like everyone was lead to believe, but instead I was numbing myself from my own everyday depression. It ***** once you want to get off, thats why were all on here to try to find answers & get support.

[ChronicPain1]

That's a good point boogie, that does seem to be where the root of issue comes from. Someone wanting to escape emotional turmoil may turn to drugs, etc.

[boogieman]

one word---pain. be it physical, emotional or spiritual, chemical dependency results from existing pain, or the discomfort that is realized only once a substance is ingested.  gm

[trekrgirl]

Hi all,  Today is my day to surf read and comment.  As I read this one I thought maybe you should all put on some boxing gloves. JK.  Truely though do you all beleive that the addict chooses to be addicted, yes they choose to pick up the drug or bottle to begin with but really to say they intend to become addicted is not realistic.  The people they hurt are a result of the addiction, I admit some folks are mean, but those folks are not all addicts and not all addicts are mean.  Just my thoughts.. god bless those addicted may you find your way and god bless those who are hurt by someones addiciton may you also find your way to a healthy life.

[ChronicPain1]

Eh, I wouldn't really refer to Dr. Drew for much honestly. Many doctors are wrong about many things.

The line is fairly clear, Suboxone's site even lists it as such. An addict is someone who functions worse because of the drug, or the need for the drug. Physical dependence does not mean someone needs, craves or desires the drug and can have their life improved by the medications. Psychological dependence is a little different and is addiction if you're constantly wanting it.

I've been on opiates for intense pain for a couple years, and when I stop taking them do not desire the drugs. The only time I need them is when I'm in pain, which is bad enough to keep me from working, and I can handle any acute pain.

[NautyOne]

Well, I was just watching Dr. Drew.  He says different.  He does not distinguish between dependence and addiction.  I also had a long talk with my sister about this.  She worked in a detox facility and many of the patients detoxing are dependent on opiates, and are referred as addicts, so........I don't know.  Addiction is not understood in medicine.  It's very sad, and I hope someday they do take the time to .."understand" it so it can be treated in a more humane and sensitive manner.......

Nauty........

[ChronicPain1]

Remember, dependence and addiction are not one in the same!

[reno346]

I understand your frustration for your niece, & god bless her for doing so well with her life surrounding the circumstances, but I agree with  nauty regarding addiction coming in all walks of life. I myself was married to a meth addict & never thought I would get addicted to anything. However living with a really bad back problem & endng up on pain meds for it, I to became addicted to opiates. I did not plan on it, but when trying to quit, I experienced horrible withdrawls, plus I was going through my divorce from the man who was the crank addict,& had two children who were  reaching their teenage yrs. & became very rebelace & hated me & did not understand why, so a long story short the pills for my pain also became my emotional numbness, so to speak, & I eventually ended up on methodone, which was suppose to help me get off the opiates, but became even more difficult to stop. I am now on wk. 3 of no meds, & still sufferring, so believe me when I say, it is harder than hell to get off of pain meds & I started with vicodin to!! I agree with nauty also about you trying not to take your meds for a few days & see how you feel, because depression & anxiety will keep you on them after your pain is gone, & it took me a longtime to admit that I had an addiction to the meds, without blaming it on my back pain. Depression does leed to drug abuse, & pain meds will numb that whether you want to admit it or not. Just because you are a functioning addict does not make you any less of an addict. I functioned just fine, job, home ect. no one even knew I was taking anything, until I quit & have been sufferring the results of the longterm use for it. If you can get off of these pills now, before it gets worse, because believe me, it will get worse & you will need more to get the same effect you are getting now, so on & on it goes, until you end up on methodone just to keep from withdrawling, because no other pain med will work after long term use. Just a FYI  

Good Luck!!

[jsuzanne]

Well, yeah there is a difference between rich and poor addicts.  I've dealt with the poor ones. For instance I had to raise my sister's daughter while she was hooking for crack and exposing her daughter to all the filth that goes along with it.  I was 17 when the police brought her to live with me because I called the police about my 3 year old niece wandering the streets in the middle of the night in a bad neighborhood in Milwaukee (WI isn't all farms and cheese)  When I got my niece she was really disturbed and I later found out she was molested by numerous different people.  I wonder if she was being sold to feed her mom's habit, or if her mom had an unwritten agreement that she would turn a blind eye to her daughter being molested in exchange for drugs.  My niece "seems" ok for now---she's in college, works and hates her mom.  This is only one of my examples that I've personally had with addicts.

Me-I have massive anxiety and depression now.  

Some addicts really are just all around sucky people with no character and for many of them there is no "rock bottom" no matter what they put their kids, family, everyone else through.  

As for the doctor he kept his career and probably didn't destroy anyone else in the process.  So, there is a difference-besides I think he can defend himself from me. haha

thanks nauty

[NautyOne]

I understand.  I understand how addiction ruins lives, and can create animosity and negative feelings.  The only thing that bothers me is you really insulted the man who is here to help addicts.  You are posting on his site and saying addicts are garbage.  I don't know if you are aware that the very man you asked your question to ....Is an addict, a doctor, obviously well educated, and dedicated to this disease.  I commend him for speaking out, and reaching out to others with such openness, compassion, and true dedication to this cause.  He takes his time out of his schedule for you, me, and the entire community.........

I am sorry that addiction has caused so much pain in your life.  Everyone here who speaks out is doing it for a purpose. To learn, share, heal and hopefully prevent relapses; to seek guidance for themselves, or for a loved one.  

I used to think all addicts lived in trees and alleys and the streets.  I thought very low and even joked about them.  Never a kind word until..........it happened to me.  Maybe not to the extent, but I lived with a cocaine addict, in my opinion the most devastating, and destructive drug on earth....others may think otherwise.  I know what addiction I lived it on both sides.  It scares me how powerful and sneaky it is.  I see you haven't been around long.  Hopefully you read as much as possible to get to know many of the people out here, and educate yourself.  No best place than straight from the horses mouth.  There are great people out here, Nurses, Police Officers, Teachers, lawyers, Mothers, Fathers, Janitors, Sanitation Workers, and Fast food .......Addiction does not matter what walk of life you come from, although it can be a factor on how you obtain them.  Poor you rob, steal, lie, cheat.......Rich...you just pick up the phone and have it delivered on a silver platter........is there a difference?...No.

I wish you the best and I hope you keep reading and posting.

Luv,
Nauty...........

[jsuzanne]

Point taken and I really appreciate your input on this issue.  I just have a lot of animosity towards what addicts have put me through.  

[NautyOne]

Addict's should be treated with the same compassion as anyone in this world.  If it is in fact a disease, that is a pretty awful statement to say that someone who is sick, and really doesn't want to be sick, but can't because they become so sick that they can't stop.........

You say you have been on Vicodin for almost a year.  There may come a day when your tolerance builds and your doctor gets nervous, not because it's your fault, and he rips you off that vicodin.  I can say with great certainty that you will experience what an addict goes through, and maybe you might change your opinion, maybe not. Your body is dependent on Vicodin now.  How you can tell.......if you wanted to is to take a few days off and see how you feel  

Addicts are NOT horrible people.  They may do horrible things to feed their disease, that they would never do if they were not on drugs.

One thing you have to realize is that so Many addicts.........They started out just like you.......pain and a prescription.

Luv,
Nauty............

[jsuzanne]

After dealing with drug addicts for about 20 years I agree.  I've been on vicodin for the better part of a year, and hope I don't become like that, because in my experience addicts are really horrible people.  ( I'm talking about the ones who are on drugs for no good reason)