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Sub­stance abuse and dependence (alco­holism, drug addiction) is only one form of recurrent and self-​​defeating pattern of mis­conduct. People are addicted to all kinds of things: gambling, shopping, the Internet, reckless and life-​​endangering pursuits. Adrenaline junkies abound

The con­nection between chronic anxiety, patho­logical nar­cissism, depression, obsessive-​​compulsive traits and alco­holism and drug abuse is well estab­lished and common in clinical practice. But not all nar­cissists, com­pulsives, depressives, and anxious people turn to the bottle or the needle.

Frequent claims of finding a gene complex responsible for alco­holism have been con­sistently cast in doubt. In 1993, Berman and Noble sug­gested that addictive and reckless behaviors are mere emergent phe­nomena and may be linked to other, more fun­da­mental traits, such as novelty seeking or risk taking. Psy­chopaths (patients with Anti­social Per­sonality Disorder) have both qualities in ample quantities. We would expect them, therefore, to heavily abuse alcohol and drugs. Indeed, as Lewis and Bucholz con­vin­cingly demon­strated in 1991, they do. Still, only a neg­ligible minority of alco­holics and drug addicts are psychopaths.

What has been determined is that most addicts are nar­cisstic in per­sonality. Addictions serve his purpose. They place him above the laws and pressures of the mundane and away from the humi­liating and sobering demands of reality. They render him the center of attention — but also place him in “splendid isolation” from the mad­dening and inferior crowd.

Such com­pulsory and wild pursuits provide a psy­cho­logical exo­skeleton. They are a sub­stitute to quo­tidian existence. They afford the nar­cissist with an agenda, with timetables, goals, and faux achievements. The nar­cissist — the adrenaline junkie — feels that he is in control, alert, excited, and vital. He does not regard his con­dition as dependence. The nar­cissist firmly believes that he is in charge of his addiction that he can quit at will and on short notice.

This article was ori­ginally pub­lished on www.HypnotherapyClinic.info by Con­sultant Clinical Hyp­no­therapist & Pys­cho­therapist Noel Bradford

Tags: Abnormal psychology, Alcoholism, Antisocial personality disorder, Clinical psychology, Depression, drug abuse, Drug addiction, Narcissism, Personality disorders, Psychology, Psychopathy, Substance-related disorders
Posted in: Hypnotherapy