Marijuana Addiction and The Addictive Personality

There has always been a lot of discussion about the Addictive Personality, and since we are talking about Marijuana Addiction it is only fitting that we talk about it here also.

Just what is an Addictive Personality, though? And there is no real answer to that question that can be pinned down. How can one person smoke marijuana on an occasional basis, and another has to have it every day? Why can one person have a glass of wine with dinner, and another has to have the whole bottle. And then another bottle on top of that?

Preoccupation with one's self is probably the most predominant trait of the addiction-prone
person. People who know little about addiction often assume that the addict is self-obsessed
because he has Feelings of shame The drug props up feelings of adequacy and/or numbs from the pain of
shame.
Perfectionism; harsh self-criticism The drug makes a person feel more perfect, or in the case of,
say, "downer" drugs, relieves him from striving to be perfect.
Hunger for power and control to compensate for feelings of powerlessness and shame The
drug provides the illusion of power and control and/or numbs the user from feelings of
impotence.
Dishonest; self-deluding With dishonesty "second nature," it's easy for denial about the drug
use to take hold.
Thinking in black-and-white extremes Black-and-white thinking causes addict to overreact
to events; negative moods make drug use all the more appealing.
Self-obsessed Addiction is self-obsession; an incessant "licking of one's wounds."
Self-less Addiction provides a pseudoidentity—even if it's a negative one.
Inner emptiness The drug is used to "fill the black hole" within.
Without meaning and purpose Addiction provides something to do, a substitute "devotion."
Excessive approval-seeking; obsessed with image The drug helps garner more approval from
others and/or numb the user to rejection.
Self-censoring The drug helps knock out the censor and let the user be "himself."
Guilt-ridden Addiction provides an anchor for guilt, a way to act it out.
Trouble managing anger Addictive behaviors provide an arena in which to act out anger or stay
distracted from it. Either way, the addict doesn't have to take responsibility for it.
Underlying depression Stimulant mood-changers offset feelings of depression.
Emotional numbness Mood-changers keep feelings at bay while simultaneously providing
activity, crises, and sensations to counter feelings of "deadness."
Inner tension Addiction provides constant activity or else reduces the tension.
Afraid of taking appropriate risks; inordinate fear of failure and rejection Addiction covers up
a person's fearfulness, providing "false courage."
Hidden dépendency needs The drug meets needs passively and magically, while providing a
façade of independence.
Trouble with authority figures Some addictions act out one's struggle against authority while
others (like workaholism) seek to win approval from same.
Blaming; taking on passive/victim role By blaming others, the addict avoids taking
responsibility for himself and insures an excuse for turning to a mood-changer.
Poor coping skills The addictive activity freezes time, puts life on hold, and provides
distraction so the addict doesn't have to face problems.
Wishful thinking Self-delusion is fertile soil in which the defense of denial takes root in
addiction.
Never wanting to grow up Addiction provides a never-never land where the addict's needs are
met effortlessly, there are no ramifications for his behavior, and he doesn't have to take any risks.
Without boundaries Compulsive behavior provides a way to avoid having to set boundaries.
Need for immediate gratification Addiction provides a reliable quick-fix that the addict feels
she "deserves."
No internalized "good parent" The drug provides comfort and nurturing of a sort.
Intimacy problems; feelings of isolation and lack of belonging The drug substitutes for a
relationship, relieves feelings of isolation, and sometimes provides a "pseudocommunity."

Trouble having real pleasure Addiction provides "pseudopleasure."
is just selfish, caring more about himself than anything or anyone else. There is some truth in this
when the addict's behavior is taken at face value: in the grips of addiction, he is driven to pursue
the drug—with little regard for its effect on others. But the fact is, he is driven not because he
cares so much about himself but because he is self-rejecting. And the pain of his alienation from
himself (and others) leaves him hungry for the drug's effect. In reality, he is preoccupied with
trying—futilely—to make himself feel better by incessantly licking his wounds.
Self-less
The addiction-prone person, far from being "selfish" in the literal sense, actually lacks an
integrated sense of self, which is why she seeks the "pseudoidentity" that addiction provides—
even if it's a negative one. She cannot express who she is—verbally or through her life-style—
because she doesn't know herself.
As a result, the addict "lives" through the substance, person, or activity to which she is addicted.