Genetics have been shown to play a major role in addiction. How susceptible someone is to having a naturally addictive personality may lie in their genes. That isn’t to say that everyone who is closely related or descended from relatives who are addicts are going to be ones themselves, but simply that the likeliness of that person developing an addiction is more common versus someone who is not related to very many people with addiction issues. Chances are that if you have a large family, there is the likeliness of at least one person in the family will have an addictive personality. What type of addiction can depend on how exposed someone with an addictive personality is to a particular substance or to alcohol. While some addicts choose to stick to only one or two types of substances, there are those extreme cases where the afflicted individual is drawn to anything that can get them a sense of high.

One of the absolute most addictive substances are prescription medications. The abuse of prescription medication has become such a common thing to see with those who enter recovery facilities in search of treatment. How common this type of drug abuse is raises some questions, and some eyebrows, for what the answers reveal about the medical industry today. Where are all of these people getting these particular addictions from? Could it be that those who are trying to get off of one drug and on to another are in fact setting themselves up for jumping from one substance boat to another? When you look at all of the Adderall recovery stories, it’s not unusual to see those who are fighting prescription pill addiction were actually given medicine like Adderall from doctors to treat ADHD, narcolepsy, and other hyperactivity disorders.

More doctors are starting to wake up to the facts. Giving prescribed medication that has an addictive tendency to it is not the answer to helping addicts leave behind their addictive behaviors. All it does is foster what is already there, making it even harder for them to fight off cravings by preventing them from leaving substance abuse behind for good. A tried and true method for addicts who truly wish to seek help is by allowing them to undergo inpatient and outpatient treatment that is well monitored and set up with “clean” recovery in mind. Clean recovery means that the addicted individual would be completely clean of harmful substances, including medication known to have addictive properties, in order to work the addiction out of their system within the proper amount of time. The fight against addiction is a lifelong struggle. There is no magic pill to remove addiction from an individual. Instead, it is up to the individual to learn how to develop confidence and strength to withstand the temptation of substance abuse through proper education on how to live a happier and healthier life without the need for such things to function.

Through a self-weaning method, it appears to end up being counter-productive and even harmful for those who have a naturally addictive personality in general. In the case of so many addicts who are trying their best to fight the good fight and recover from their addictive tendencies, this is not an effective method at all. Giving someone Adderall, of all things, is like taking a flamethrower away from a pyromaniac and giving them a lighter instead. It is a smaller threat but it is still a threat that has the potential to grow right back into something harder to manage.

Addiction tears apart families and can cause others with addictive tendencies to fall prey to temptation, especially if the one with the addiction is a role model for another family member or for friends to look up to. Many times people find it hard to have the heart to convince the addicted individual in their family or friend group to get help. They may be afraid of offending them, alienating them, or making them feel as if they are being judged. Some friends and family members who are not super close to the affected person will think that they are overstepping their bounds. The truth is that if you show that you are concerned, that shows that you truly do care more about their health and safety over hurting their feelings. By speaking up and accepting the truth of the situation, you can show through demonstration that you are a true friend or actually a concerned member of the family.