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.

Marijauna Addiction

Let us talk, you and I, about Marijuana Addiction. In doing this we will need to talk about what is, and what isn't addiction. We will talk about addiction as it relates to wants, and to body craving. Habits as opposed to necessities.
I know what you are thinking right now. Addiction as a habit? Is this guy crazy? An addictiion to a substance means that you have to have that substance. And if you can't readily get that substance, then you will do anything in your power to get it.
Right? Not so fast there, bunkie.

Addiction
ad·dic·tion Pronunciation: \ə-ˈdik-shən, a-\Function: noun Date: 15991 : the quality or state of being addicted 2 : compulsive need for and use of a habit-forming substance (as heroin, nicotine, or alcohol) characterized by tolerance and by well-defined physiological symptoms upon withdrawal; broadly : persistent compulsive use of a substance known by the user to be harmful

So what does that tell us? It tells us that to be addicted to a substance, the substance has to be habit-forming. It has to put us in a situation where we have to use the substance. The definition also tells us that use of the substance has to increase our tolerance for that substance, and finally that there are well-defined symptoms of withdrawal. The examples given in the definition are heroin, nicotine, and alcohol. All of those substances fit the definition because of the build up of tolerance, and symptoms of withdrawal. The substance that is missing is marijuana. Does this mean that there is no such thing as marijuana Addiction? Yes, and no.

And how can it be yes, and no? It either is or isn't, right? Again, yes and no. There are some who say that after stopping the use of marijuana, you can go through symptoms of withdrawal. Withdrawal symptoms to marijuana can be somewhat characterized as the opposite to the intoxicating effects of the drug…instead of hunger, a loss of appetite, and instead of drowsiness, an inability to sleep.Some additional symptoms of marijuana withdrawal can include headache, nausea, anxiety (common) paranoia and even irritability or aggression.These sensations will endure with some intensity for several days before gradually subsiding, and it is during this period that the cravings to use are strongest, and there is the greatest risk of relapse.
Lets look at alcohol. Alcohol is a very addictive drug. The more we drink, the more our body comes to depend on it – thus, the nature of addiction. But what is it that makes alcohol so addictive?
The ironic thing about alcohol is that, to our bodies, it is poison. And in order to ingest alcohol and survive, our body must alter itself significantly. Specifically, our brain and liver undergo changes when we consume alcohol. The same thing happens with heroin, and similar narcotics such as cocaine. The use of these substances changes our brain chemistry, thereby making us crave them. We have to have the substance to make ourselves feel “ok”, or normal. On the opposite side, if we don't continue to give our body the alcohol, or drugs, our body starts to withdraw from the substance. And the withdrawal symptoms can be painful, including tremors, cramps, and diarrhea.
Quite a bit different from marijuana addiction, now isn't it? Yes, but for some people, marijuana can and will be addictive. Some people have a predisposition for addictive behavior. Marijuana itself is not addictive, but the behavior of its use can be. That all being said, why do people talk of marijuana as if it is some hob-goblin and scourge of our society?
That is a huge question that I don't have the capability to discuss here. But the fact of the matter is that marijuana use and possession is illegal, and its users have to take both of those facts into account if they so choose to use it.