Im a poly-addict with multiple substance abuse problems, I would say that an addictive personality is a thing, even before substance abuse i was constantly getting addicted to small dopamine hits ie. computer games, masturbation, sex, food, etc. It almost feels as though i can get addicted to anything and everything.
just what i was thinking too, because while i do also have a personality disorder (as mentioned in the video), i have also been addicted to self harm, nicotine, weed, masturbation, shopping, shoplifting... lol. i use the term addictive personality to describe myself because i also feel i can get addicted to anything, i feel it is a real thing!
I'm think I'm addicted to oxygen...I compulsively need it, I continue to use it even though it oxidizes my body and eventually leads to my death (if nothing else does), and I tend to get pleasure from using it since it, you know...keeps me alive. Also, I go through massive withdrawals every time I try to quit using it.... *sigh*
4 years late to the party on this one, but obsession can be a part of a whole lot of things. I've got Asperger's and obsession is a major part of that.
as an ex-addict I can say that with me it was about fear. I was afrai of facing the day without a smoke or an oxy pill. There was also physical pain. The only way to get over it in my experience is to suffer through without the substance and go through the hell of withdraw. Over time the body will recover but its mainly will power.
literally the first time I've heard of the concept "addictive personality" (not a native English speaker, but I'm not aware of any parallels in my mother tongue either)
our extremely limited knowledge in psychology and especially in "dealing" with any kinds of mental disorders is as shameful as our (obviously not existing) willingness to solve world hunger...
+John Paul Hansen well, the comment was a bit misleading, I added something in the parenthesis for clearer understanding: "our (obviously not existing) willingness"
+Military History Visualized To be fair, unlike world hunger where the the solution, while certainly not easy to implement is relatively straightforward, figuring the brain out is a very confusing task.
When I saw that title I letrally thought of people which have a personality people like to be around.. you know those people that always seem to atract a lot of people towards them... well different interpretation I guess
the amount of temperature that leaves your body from a rapid amount of time drops your temperature down there and you get a shiver reaction. at least that's what I've learned
+GroovingPict There is bound to be a percentage that is outside of the "we" category, and it seems you are just part of that percentage. Its very unlikely that they thought that 100% of their viewers have heard of an addictive personality, but it was simply a hyperbolic statement anyway not meant to be taken literal.
People might not hear this in every country, but the concept sadly translates over to many countries in one way or another. Something that changes our understanding of "addictions" in this context is the concept of "getting good" if you can even grasp this. Many older people can struggle with this in the realm (to use that as an example) of top level poker (and i get why) or Esports, Which is currently blowing up, as expected. In which the concepts related to "sport" here just seems to be TOO modern for older people to understand. However, the split comes out when people actually get good. World class. Stellar performances. And the act is taking seriously on multiple levels, finally. All it takes for someone to understand Esports thus, is to put in the effort of what the act requires. And what make skilled individuals different from less skilled people. Get trough or demonstrate that and you should be able to at least explain to older people what is going on. That's my comment for this video, glad someone can clarify this to the few people that is lost on these subjects. Still, anything in moderation.
I've been told for years by professionals that my addiction issues where down to an "addictive personality". This made me feel helpless and completely unable to overcome my addictions. It made me think my addictions where an inevitable part of who I am. Once I got accurate information though, that was the first step to me getting clean. I've been free of *most* of my addictions for 6 years. The last few I've managed to replace with less dangerous behaviours. Education and understanding of your own addiction is so helpful when it comes to recovering.
I absolutely have an addictive nature. Which is why I don't experiment with drugs. And I'm saying this based on other things in life I've hooked on, both good (fitness, learning, love) and bad (food food food) Edit: I do drink sometimes and have never gotten addicted to it, but I refuse to ever drink alone.
I am addictive to food. Now I have no experience with being addicted to hard drugs, I haven’t tried them. But food is a hard one, because you can’t live without it…literally.
I love that you take each word and break down the meaning and use and the incorrect usage. Correcting the usage of scientific terms should be a major component of this show. :)
+Battle Rifle Especially since that is literally what an "addictive personality" _means_ (from a linguistic standpoint, anyways). What this idiom should be is something along the lines of "personality prone to addiction(s)". I don't think the English language actually has the proper declination to express this as "addict[-suffix] personality"
Addiction is a very hot topic for me due to my personal life and how it's impacted it. You did a wonderful job explaining the idea of addiction and how it really is vs how people see it.
Having bipolar disorder, I have conflicting thoughts about whether I am addicted to painkillers or they're a coping mechanism. Well, my thoughts, moods change constantly so technically I am addicted to codeine to help "lift" my negative impulses. In lehmanns terms, I'm fucked up.
+Philip “Lucky 7” Stevens I hate this for you. True bipolar sucks. Superficial internet diagnosis here, but I have many friends and a teenage daughter who are bipolar. This sounds like you're self medicating, not fucked up. Finding a good Psychiatrist who will medicate your condition properly, and a good counselor to help you manage the behaviors is the only way I've seen work for anyone bipolar.
huh, and here i was thinking 'an addictive personality' meant something along the lines of someone so fun to be around you're addicted to him/her damn you second language! damn you!
Great job at taking this tough topic on. Someone once said to me in really basic terms, something becomes addictive when an activity becomes repeated and necessary; a problem. No single activity in itself is an addiction.
Wow this video was very meaty, lots of good info. I liked the part about the newspaper headline popularizing the faulty notion, when the actual research article had stated the opposite.
***** That explains why articles often seem to be saying the exact opposite of the headline. So revision to my original statement: I hate editors and their clickbaity headlines.
Really like the communication of complexity here, and that this channel (unlike many science communication outlets) doesn't try to oversimplify things or tie things off in a way that's conceptually unrealistically neat. But it's still understandable.
you talked about the reasoning for negative addictions such as drinking and drugs. I was hoping you would touch on other addictions such as cleaning, exercise, reading, maybe binge watching. I can't imaging those all spawn from stress/anxiety.
The answer is no... probably. Whenever there's a subject with no single consensus around it, SciShow is very good at presenting as much information as possible so you can draw your own conclusions.
last few videos on this channel have been very informative and somehow connected to me or people in my life. guess what I'm trying to say is that I highly appreciate this Channel and thank you for putting your time and effort into making these videos.
I've never heard of that term before and thought the video was about people with an addictive character, so that others always feel drawn to them... would've been a whole lot more interesting.
When I saw the title, it appeared to me that the subject of the video would be about people that others are 'addicted' to being around. Now, I see that people are idiots... and more malleable than ever.
+Lukas Beckers man I am bipolar af and it helps me and has for years. It mellows things out when I am manic and numbs things when I am down. also, just btw I have also tried cocaine, meth, lsd, molly/x, shrooms, xanax...all do nothing for my bipolar. most make it worse. I've also taken various anti depressants and other prescription medicines, and all of it makes everything much worse for a week or two after doing it. that's why I just smoke now, it works better than any prescription I've had. that's just me tho, I'm sure it's very different from person to person.
Another great vid by you guys. But I was so excited to click on the annotation for "Measuring Personality", until there was none. Pretty please make this (or a similar Psychological episode) soon!
Yassir Douslimi OKAY SO THERE IS ALWAYS THIS SUBTLE BEEPING IN SCI SHOW VIDEOS I THINK IT'S BECAUSE THERE'S OFFICE NOISES GOING ON AND THEY TRY TO USE A DR GATE TO GET RID OF IT, BUT THAT JUST MAKES IT SO YOU CAN ONLY HEAR THE BEEPS WHEN THE PRESENTER IS SPEAKING IT DRIVES ME CRAZY SORRY FOR THE CAPS
Gerald Toaster You are not crazy, please read. Your computer may allow you to apply an equalizer to all audio (newer smartphones do too). If so, reduce the highest Eq band (16k) to zero. This will NOT make things sound weird - most adults can't hear that high very well anyways. If you still have an issue, leave the 16k at zero and take the next highest (8k) down halfway and see if that helps (audio may be a tad 'flat') Idk abt you, but I have eardrum scars (from infant infections) and have tone deafness - certain (higher) tones I just can't hear. This can cause audio artefacts that folks with normal hearing don't detect. As a fan of SciShow I assume you understand wave cancellation, so I won't go into detail. Essentially, where some higher pitches get cancelled out in 'normal' audio, my deafness to some of those cancelling waves can make annoying beeps and whistles show up where there really aren't any. People with normal hearing can NEVER hear some sounds that I hear, but it is simple mechanics and not insanity :)
So addictive personality really just means mood disorders like depression, bipolar disorder, etc. coupled with self medication through addictive drugs.
Kind of. That is definitely thinking in the right direction but presents an unfair bias. There is a heavy underlying biological reinforcement to drug addiction and, as such, having a mood disorder isn't necessary for addiction. Simplifying and generalizing addiction in such a way is in fact damaging to both the populous with Mood Disorders and peoples with Substance Use Disorders. It's a complicated realm of science and needs to be seen as such. Delta-FosB expression in dopaminergic neurons is heavily implicated in the behavioral adaptations with addictive drugs, as well as neuronal adaptations of the specific binding sites like with Mu-Opioid receptors in opioid/opiate addiction. Psycho-social implications are also factors which need to be accounted for, as is very well explained in Kurzgesagt's video "Everything We Know About Addiction is Wrong".
DaCamponTwee yea I always thought that "addictive personality" didn't mean you are addicted to something, just that you're more likely to develop an addiction. Which is why people diagnosed with mental illnesses are advised to not drink/do drugs, bc if you have psychological issues it's easy to fill in the gap by self medicating.
It doesn't make sense to call it an addictive "personality." However, certain people are more inclined, perhaps genetically, to become addicted to things quicker than others.
Really awesome episode! Very well done in terms presenting theories and concepts, I would love to see more of this kind of episodes from other fields of science!
Very interesting! I have said that I have an addictive personality before; thanks for setting me straight! Now I will have to find a different way of describing myself to therapists, etc.
To keep it simple, many addictive personalities arise from a diminished serotonin or dopamine levels. The reward system can short circuit, and as well some drugs can wear down our natural ability to feel happy. Many drugs merely mimic our natural compounds, so a person who has lower levels of these endogenous compounds it can make them crave more 'stuff'. It's pretty simple really. So an addictive personality merely means an imbalance in chemistry. But we all have the reward system in place, some use it more for instant gratification.
You're absolutely right about the science here, but what you just described isn't a personality; it's just the act of getting addicted to something. Yes, some people are more likely to get addicted, but those people don't all have the same personalities. Maybe similar traits or circumstances, but individual traits=/=personalities. This video doesn't deny the fact that some people are predisposed to addictive behaviour. It actually mentions it multiple times. The point of the video is that behaviour isn't the only characteristic of a personality, and addictions do not dictate who you are enough to be considered an entire classification of personality (or disorder)
+carpo719 Again, I 100% agree with you from a biological standpoint. It's just that the social sciences have a different, more specific definition of personality. Honestly, the semantics aren't important to me, personally; I recognize how flexible language can be, and a word's definition doesn't usually cover all its connotations and uses. I was just arguing from the perspective of the scientists quoted in this video, trying to explain how they draw a distinction between personality disorder and a single, complicated trait
+carpo719 Again, I 100% agree with you from a biological standpoint. It's just that the social sciences have a different, more specific definition of personality. Honestly, the semantics aren't important to me, personally; I recognize how flexible language can be, and a word's definition doesn't usually cover all its connotations and uses. I was just arguing from the perspective of the scientists quoted in this video, trying to explain how they draw a distinction between personality disorder and a single, complicated trait
Really though, what constitutes "personality" is a whole philosophical debate, so I can't say I'm right or you're wrong here. Chemicals are absolutely a huge part of it, and human brains are complicated, man :P
I get the point.... but 'I have an addictive personality' is much easier to say than "I tend to have stress related impulsive habits which have adverse effects. And I generally lack strong desire or personal willpower to fight these compulsions"
Great video! I was wondering if you had anything to add about the link between adults with ADHD and addiction? I know from personal experience that ADHD sufferers are drawn to high stimulus activities which can be addictive, like drugs or even (in my case) computer games... I'd love to see you guys do an explainer vid on ADHD:)
Thanks for the great insight....Addictive behaviour seems to be a mechanism for coping with some trauma in one's life - for example, if you weren't given much love when you were a kid and your parents let the playstation be your nanny - then your lack of love and attention will cause certain people being addicted to games....if parents expected too much and showed too much disappointed at your failures - you may have felt great rejection and felt like a loser - causing you to engage in damaging behaviour to live out the way you feel such as gambling or taking drugs. ... over time, the neurons involved in that addictive behaviour thicken and it becomes a habit that cannot be broken..... in essense, if you find you are addicted to something, its usually caused by some trauma from when you were a kid...probably your parents or some bully at school - my 2 cents
The DSM 5 is very different than the DSM 1. Showing that the so-called experts in the field cannot even agree with each other or their once held beliefs as new information keeps on coming to the fore. However, that being said, the addicts I've known, just keep on exchanging one addiction for another. So if you need to be addicted to something to get you through stressful times, just make sure your new addiction is a healthy one for body & mind, like getting out & making a difference in the world, it is written: "There is more happiness in giving than there is in receiving".
As a recovering addict (5 years in counting) the term is thrown around A LOT. For me it is the obsessive compulsion to seek out instant gradification threw outside stimulus. The important part is the obsessive compulsion. Thanks for reading
Michael, I'm always interested in what you have to say but I have trouble understanding at the same pace that you speak. I feel I could discern what your point is and follow it to the next point more easily and enjoyably at a slower pace. Just the same as I enjoy eating my hot dog, taking time to savor it bite by bite rather than eating it whole like Joey Chestnut does. There's a time and a place for everything and at a speed competition this would be desirable but at restaurant or hot dog stand it isn't about speed, its about enjoying the hotdog, or topic in this case. You have an ability to be proud of, how many of us can speak, pronounce and enunciate as well as you do even at a slower rate. Just sometimes its too fast for me to take in and follow without replaying it, or, like this time, without wanting to finish it even when the topic is of interest. I sometimes have this same problem with some of the others to a lesser extent.
It is all about mindset. You can be born with deficits but it is how you deal with them that makes the difference. Focus what makes you feel happy, empowered and creative/intellectual and make that the things that fill your voids.
There is a study which was looking at certain points like growing up in a household with parents who are abusive or do drugs/alcohol themselves. There is indeed a list of points that increase the chance of a person geeting addicted to something.
I think when some one says they have an "addictive personality", they are telling you they get addicted to things much more easily than the average person. I am one of these people. I had to wait for the semester to end to even _open_ Fallout 4 because of this.
Myself as a case study: I don't have an "addictive personality." That's definitely absurd. But, since a very young age, I have had a tendency to do things obsessively. It is arguable whether all of the things I've done obsessively are strong enough to be called an addiction, but there is definitely a pattern for me that looks something like this: - Discovery of interesting thing - Obsessive pursuit of interesting thing - Burnout (desire to do interesting thing flatlines) Then I either find something new to do this with, repeating the above with the new thing and completely abandoning the old thing Or I proceed to one of the following: 1. Take some time off from interesting thing, come back later, and develop healthier, long-lasting relationship that involves moderation. 2. Take some time off from interesting thing, come back later, and repeat the original sequence, but with shorter and shorter phases of burnout. (This is where I end up addicted.) I've suspected for some time now that it is related, for me, to a form of ADD. The hyperfocus of ADD, and the urge to do unique and interesting things, together make it easy for me to fall into a pattern of behavior that is both obsessive and abrupt. It is not uncommon, when I'm feeling very into something, to spend hours on it, putting off things like eating and breaks, to make progress. The good news is, I've reached #1 with my primary passions in life, for the most part. It can be done. Saying you have an addictive personality is one way of telling yourself you "can't help it." It's hard to call bullshit on that for yourself, but there's pretty much always a way to improve. I don't see myself as having an addictive personality, but I do acknowledge the way that my mind works; you can do that much without crippling yourself.
Generally I don't give SciShow too commendation for the same reason I don't with many online (or rather a generic public class that doesn't require an actual college enrolement) and highschool science classes. Many of the episodes I have seen, at least the one's where i have a reasonable repository of knowledge on the topic, take a "summary approach" to the material, where they omit certain information either for the sake of time or complexity, that may be pertinent to really understanding the concept. But I'm very impressed with this segment. I'm not going to pretend to be a psychology expert, but I would be lying if I'd said that I hadn't studied this particular topic decent amount. Michael introduces and explains the topic very well, and were i to be grading this i'd put an A+ on it. Of course there are some topics that could have been put through a little more elaboration, and some of what is said is of course subject to debate in the right company. But nevertheless this was an excellent presentation on Michael's behalf and very informative. Superb material for instruction and information alike. My favorite part about the entire program is how they actually cite their sources for credibility and personal exploration. Keep up the good work guys!
Many great points here! That you know social behavior is learned behavior, or can be of a genetic motivated response to environmental stress, where the conscious mind can become confused or irritated as to how to respond to mental stimulus... when it is harder to "re-learn" the default human behavior, this is when we stop functioning correctly. The secret is in knowing you can say no to your impulses... this is liberating on so many levels when accomplished. In Ohio, there was a doctor who used electro-shock therapy to "reset" the brains activity with great success, actually helping people who were thought to be the worst cases of addiction to live unusually long and productive lives.
someone at work told me a long time ago, that i had an addictive personality n was confused n thought he meant my personality gave off an energy that attracts others. 😊
+Jade Nice realisation. Most people have no idea how much their bias controls their behaviour. They know it is bad, so they invent an excuse which provides escape from their cognitive dissonance. Basically, they are becoming their own enabler.
If I had wanted to tell some1 about What I've just seen in this video, I would have to use so many ifs. Amazing how complicated personality is... This episode was great :)
In the circle I keep we kind of talk about this stuff, but we tend to use language like "I'm careful with alcohol because alcoholism runs in the family". I've commented that I have an addictive personality, but I was going for a cheeky was of suggesting that people are addicted to me :)
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Im a poly-addict with multiple substance abuse problems, I would say that an addictive personality is a thing, even before substance abuse i was constantly getting addicted to small dopamine hits ie. computer games, masturbation, sex, food, etc. It almost feels as though i can get addicted to anything and everything.
just what i was thinking too, because while i do also have a personality disorder (as mentioned in the video), i have also been addicted to self harm, nicotine, weed, masturbation, shopping, shoplifting... lol. i use the term addictive personality to describe myself because i also feel i can get addicted to anything, i feel it is a real thing!
@WodlWodlwodldnrbfg1 hey man, i understand how you feel, but the only thing we can really do is find community to feel better. hope ur doing ok
Damn. I’m in the exact same boat
I'm think I'm addicted to oxygen...I compulsively need it, I continue to use it even though it oxidizes my body and eventually leads to my death (if nothing else does), and I tend to get pleasure from using it since it, you know...keeps me alive. Also, I go through massive withdrawals every time I try to quit using it.... *sigh*
same dude
it's just your addictive personality man :D
+It's Me I am addicted to Dihydrogen Monoxide.
It's Me I think you're addicted to broken English
LOL
He made a good point at saying we misuse psychological terms, like when someone says "I'm so OCD". Pisses me off.
+Super English Muffin It gets me soooooo cancer when people do that.
Same as "I'm so depressed today" when they are just sad
@@mikeshaftx gets me so cancer lmao 😂😂😂😅😅 so ocd
What about an obsessive personality? Like getting excessively obsessed with people or topics etc for certain periods of time?
4 years late to the party on this one, but obsession can be a part of a whole lot of things. I've got Asperger's and obsession is a major part of that.
Same with ADHD and ocd, lots of things have an obsessive aspect.
The extra work into this one really shows, I appreciate how thorough it is.
as an ex-addict I can say that with me it was about fear. I was afrai of facing the day without a smoke or an oxy pill. There was also physical pain. The only way to get over it in my experience is to suffer through without the substance and go through the hell of withdraw. Over time the body will recover but its mainly will power.
Yeah an “addictive” personality doesn’t exist it’s a behavior that is passed down especially if you grew up around it
literally the first time I've heard of the concept "addictive personality"
(not a native English speaker, but I'm not aware of any parallels in my mother tongue either)
+undercoverduck same here
+undercoverduck never heard of it either before this video, and i am a native english speaker.
+undercoverduck I've heard of it.. just not in the way he is apparently talking about :p
our extremely limited knowledge in psychology and especially in "dealing" with any kinds of mental disorders is as shameful as our (obviously not existing) willingness to solve world hunger...
👏👏👏
+Military History Visualized Wanting to solve world hunger isn't shameful.
+John Paul Hansen well, the comment was a bit misleading, I added something in the parenthesis for clearer understanding: "our (obviously not existing) willingness"
+Military History Visualized To be fair, unlike world hunger where the the solution, while certainly not easy to implement is relatively straightforward, figuring the brain out is a very confusing task.
+Military History Visualized OH I misunderstood. I see what you mean now!
When I saw that title I letrally thought of people which have a personality people like to be around.. you know those people that always seem to atract a lot of people towards them... well different interpretation I guess
exactly what i thought
I also thought of that but I quickly dismissed the idea as the title would've had to be "addicting personalities."
+David Flores oh... i guess u r right
Lol same
+Patrick Allen I thought the same
His hair is amazing
are you saying mexicans dont deserve to celebrate Easter?
lol
So having a shit stain on your head is amazing? Hmm interesting..
Yeah! Haha
+T McDonald Your shit is blonde?
3 Perspectives of Cigar
1. "There is no cigar. Reality is false."
2. "Shut up, it's just a cigar."
3. "Phallus!!!!"
I love how much research you all put into your videos and how accurate and concise everything is. Brings back a lot of memories of school.
I still want to know why i shiver after i pee... Where you at SciShow
+IsaacScz Diabetes
+IsaacScz Autoimmune
never thought about it, but I do it to.
the amount of temperature that leaves your body from a rapid amount of time drops your temperature down there and you get a shiver reaction. at least that's what I've learned
+IsaacScz you have cancer
"we hear it all the time"... err, no? Is this some American thing or something? This is literally the first time Ive heard of it.
obviously
Lots of things are American things. We're masters at throwing crap at the wall and making it stick, whether it deserves to or not.
+GroovingPict There is bound to be a percentage that is outside of the "we" category, and it seems you are just part of that percentage. Its very unlikely that they thought that 100% of their viewers have heard of an addictive personality, but it was simply a hyperbolic statement anyway not meant to be taken literal.
I highly doubt the saying is exclusively american. Not everyone is in the know.
+GroovingPict not exclusively american but fried food is very American and we're all addicted to that. lol
When he started talking about "addictive personality", I imagined he'd talk about types of personalities that other people get addicted to.
+Daniel Jesús Valencia Sánchez Me too. Guess we were wrong.
Same
that would be addicting not addictive
I'm addicted to SciShow.
so am i
Just felt the need to reply to this comment, thinking it would be crazy if anyone one you replied 4 years later
People might not hear this in every country, but the concept sadly translates over to many countries in one way or another.
Something that changes our understanding of "addictions" in this context is the concept of "getting good" if you can even grasp this. Many older people can struggle with this in the realm (to use that as an example) of top level poker (and i get why) or Esports, Which is currently blowing up, as expected. In which the concepts related to "sport" here just seems to be TOO modern for older people to understand. However, the split comes out when people actually get good. World class. Stellar performances. And the act is taking seriously on multiple levels, finally. All it takes for someone to understand Esports thus, is to put in the effort of what the act requires. And what make skilled individuals different from less skilled people. Get trough or demonstrate that and you should be able to at least explain to older people what is going on. That's my comment for this video, glad someone can clarify this to the few people that is lost on these subjects.
Still, anything in moderation.
YELLOW
+Green Garnish
context.
+Green Garnish Fixed the typo. Now you won't understand jack shit if you are a console peasant. Not that i would know.
I've been told for years by professionals that my addiction issues where down to an "addictive personality". This made me feel helpless and completely unable to overcome my addictions. It made me think my addictions where an inevitable part of who I am.
Once I got accurate information though, that was the first step to me getting clean. I've been free of *most* of my addictions for 6 years. The last few I've managed to replace with less dangerous behaviours. Education and understanding of your own addiction is so helpful when it comes to recovering.
I absolutely have an addictive nature. Which is why I don't experiment with drugs.
And I'm saying this based on other things in life I've hooked on, both good (fitness, learning, love) and bad (food food food)
Edit: I do drink sometimes and have never gotten addicted to it, but I refuse to ever drink alone.
I am addictive to food. Now I have no experience with being addicted to hard drugs, I haven’t tried them. But food is a hard one, because you can’t live without it…literally.
I love that you take each word and break down the meaning and use and the incorrect usage.
Correcting the usage of scientific terms should be a major component of this show. :)
I thought he was going to talk about is their type personality that people love to be with.
+Battle Rifle Same
+Battle Rifle Especially since that is literally what an "addictive personality" _means_ (from a linguistic standpoint, anyways). What this idiom should be is something along the lines of "personality prone to addiction(s)". I don't think the English language actually has the proper declination to express this as "addict[-suffix] personality"
Entropy Zero Yeah thats what I mean
Addiction is a very hot topic for me due to my personal life and how it's impacted it. You did a wonderful job explaining the idea of addiction and how it really is vs how people see it.
*psych majors cry tears of relief and joy*
Always love your videos. One of the best channels online for sure
Having bipolar disorder, I have conflicting thoughts about whether I am addicted to painkillers or they're a coping mechanism.
Well, my thoughts, moods change constantly so technically I am addicted to codeine to help "lift" my negative impulses.
In lehmanns terms, I'm fucked up.
+Philip “Lucky 7” Stevens I hate this for you. True bipolar sucks. Superficial internet diagnosis here, but I have many friends and a teenage daughter who are bipolar. This sounds like you're self medicating, not fucked up. Finding a good Psychiatrist who will medicate your condition properly, and a good counselor to help you manage the behaviors is the only way I've seen work for anyone bipolar.
In short both, ur addicted to painkillers because it's a coping mechanism
Fantastic level of detail in this episode. Reminds me why I love this show.
huh, and here i was thinking 'an addictive personality' meant something along the lines of someone so fun to be around you're addicted to him/her
damn you second language! damn you!
This episode was AMAZING, I learned a lot. Props to Michael Aranda for the way he explained, his on screen presence is great here.
I thought an addictive personality was that people get addicted to spend time with them since they are so charismatic or something along those lines
+OsquiPlays Yeah I expected the same Q_Q
Well that works too
Great job at taking this tough topic on. Someone once said to me in really basic terms, something becomes addictive when an activity becomes repeated and necessary; a problem. No single activity in itself is an addiction.
can i say i am addicted to your voice....
Same it calms me
Has his voice/performance always been this relaxing and soothing?
I never heard of addictive personality type until this video.
Wow this video was very meaty, lots of good info. I liked the part about the newspaper headline popularizing the faulty notion, when the actual research article had stated the opposite.
5:20 I hate journalists and their clickbaity headlines.
+ErzengelDesLichtes New York Times, no less :P
*****
That explains why articles often seem to be saying the exact opposite of the headline. So revision to my original statement: I hate editors and their clickbaity headlines.
Really like the communication of complexity here, and that this channel (unlike many science communication outlets) doesn't try to oversimplify things or tie things off in a way that's conceptually unrealistically neat. But it's still understandable.
i feel like he is staring into my soul
its nice
Hi Michael. I'm struggling with addiction and this video cheered me up. Thanks.
Also, you have a very pleasant voice.
"cancer personality" u probably didn't play league of legends
+يوسف محمد
xD
hahaha! Good one!
He probably doesn't, because we see him in the video.
lol
you talked about the reasoning for negative addictions such as drinking and drugs. I was hoping you would touch on other addictions such as cleaning, exercise, reading, maybe binge watching. I can't imaging those all spawn from stress/anxiety.
im addicted to playing video games, fuck
johnnysweet87 same brah help
I am constantly impressed by SciShow's accuracy in the face of so many popular "did you know" youtube shows. Bravo.
So what is the answer?
no
42
+sikvel 42
Did you actually watch the video, he says it pretty much at the start
The answer is no... probably.
Whenever there's a subject with no single consensus around it, SciShow is very good at presenting as much information as possible so you can draw your own conclusions.
last few videos on this channel have been very informative and somehow connected to me or people in my life. guess what I'm trying to say is that I highly appreciate this Channel and thank you for putting your time and effort into making these videos.
I've never heard of that term before and thought the video was about people with an addictive character, so that others always feel drawn to them... would've been a whole lot more interesting.
I truly the enjoyed the nuances. Please keep making more of these types of videos. :)
When I saw the title, it appeared to me that the subject of the video would be about people that others are 'addicted' to being around. Now, I see that people are idiots... and more malleable than ever.
Very thorough and informative. Well done.
I was diagnosed as bipolar 13 years ago, but I've never been drunk or even taken an illegal substance to get high.
Thank god. That would make your bipolar 50x worse
maybe somthing like lsd or magic mushrooms could gelp you :-)
weed helps
no not really Weed its only a solution for a short time!
+Lukas Beckers man I am bipolar af and it helps me and has for years. It mellows things out when I am manic and numbs things when I am down.
also, just btw I have also tried cocaine, meth, lsd, molly/x, shrooms, xanax...all do nothing for my bipolar. most make it worse. I've also taken various anti depressants and other prescription medicines, and all of it makes everything much worse for a week or two after doing it. that's why I just smoke now, it works better than any prescription I've had. that's just me tho, I'm sure it's very different from person to person.
Another great vid by you guys. But I was so excited to click on the annotation for "Measuring Personality", until there was none. Pretty please make this (or a similar Psychological episode) soon!
HOW DOES NOBODY ELSE NOTICE THE BEEPING
Yassir Douslimi OKAY SO THERE IS ALWAYS THIS SUBTLE BEEPING IN SCI SHOW VIDEOS
I THINK IT'S BECAUSE THERE'S OFFICE NOISES GOING ON AND THEY TRY TO USE A DR GATE TO GET RID OF IT, BUT THAT JUST MAKES IT SO YOU CAN ONLY HEAR THE BEEPS WHEN THE PRESENTER IS SPEAKING
IT DRIVES ME CRAZY SORRY FOR THE CAPS
Are you on meth
Gerald Toaster You are not crazy, please read. Your computer may allow you to apply an equalizer to all audio (newer smartphones do too). If so, reduce the highest Eq band (16k) to zero. This will NOT make things sound weird - most adults can't hear that high very well anyways. If you still have an issue, leave the 16k at zero and take the next highest (8k) down halfway and see if that helps (audio may be a tad 'flat')
Idk abt you, but I have eardrum scars (from infant infections) and have tone deafness - certain (higher) tones I just can't hear. This can cause audio artefacts that folks with normal hearing don't detect. As a fan of SciShow I assume you understand wave cancellation, so I won't go into detail. Essentially, where some higher pitches get cancelled out in 'normal' audio, my deafness to some of those cancelling waves can make annoying beeps and whistles show up where there really aren't any. People with normal hearing can NEVER hear some sounds that I hear, but it is simple mechanics and not insanity :)
I hear it too
Rockin' that vest Michael. Work it.
He spoke for almost 8 minutes without saying anything. He should run for office.
Wtf did you just say
I think you'd be better, seeing that you're willing to comment on what he said even though you obviously weren't listening
he listened without listening for 8 straight minutes. douche bag confirmed
WOW!!! Complicated topic but extremely well explained.
So addictive personality really just means mood disorders like depression, bipolar disorder, etc. coupled with self medication through addictive drugs.
Kind of. That is definitely thinking in the right direction but presents an unfair bias. There is a heavy underlying biological reinforcement to drug addiction and, as such, having a mood disorder isn't necessary for addiction. Simplifying and generalizing addiction in such a way is in fact damaging to both the populous with Mood Disorders and peoples with Substance Use Disorders. It's a complicated realm of science and needs to be seen as such.
Delta-FosB expression in dopaminergic neurons is heavily implicated in the behavioral adaptations with addictive drugs, as well as neuronal adaptations of the specific binding sites like with Mu-Opioid receptors in opioid/opiate addiction. Psycho-social implications are also factors which need to be accounted for, as is very well explained in Kurzgesagt's video "Everything We Know About Addiction is Wrong".
DaCamponTwee yea I always thought that "addictive personality" didn't mean you are addicted to something, just that you're more likely to develop an addiction. Which is why people diagnosed with mental illnesses are advised to not drink/do drugs, bc if you have psychological issues it's easy to fill in the gap by self medicating.
a really good video from scishow. a nice and informative breakdown from every aspect of the phrase.
Can one be addicted to a youtube channel?
+⚛ U Wot M8 ⚛ hmm, if you continue going back to it after it's hurt you repeatedly without sign of getting better then that would probably count.
Wow, this is my first time seeing the show. Amazing job of explaining complex concepts in a very digestible way
It doesn't make sense to call it an addictive "personality." However, certain people are more inclined, perhaps genetically, to become addicted to things quicker than others.
Really awesome episode! Very well done in terms presenting theories and concepts, I would love to see more of this kind of episodes from other fields of science!
But can people be addicted to asking why there's hair where their anus should be?!
Love it when videos get this long and complex 😊
I wish I had an addictive personality, might be able to get a gf then. ;)
I want to thank the whole Sci show crew for making such good videos!
Very interesting! I have said that I have an addictive personality before; thanks for setting me straight! Now I will have to find a different way of describing myself to therapists, etc.
I love that there's a new SciShow almost everyday now.
To keep it simple, many addictive personalities arise from a diminished serotonin or dopamine levels. The reward system can short circuit, and as well some drugs can wear down our natural ability to feel happy. Many drugs merely mimic our natural compounds, so a person who has lower levels of these endogenous compounds it can make them crave more 'stuff'.
It's pretty simple really. So an addictive personality merely means an imbalance in chemistry. But we all have the reward system in place, some use it more for instant gratification.
You're absolutely right about the science here, but what you just described isn't a personality; it's just the act of getting addicted to something. Yes, some people are more likely to get addicted, but those people don't all have the same personalities. Maybe similar traits or circumstances, but individual traits=/=personalities.
This video doesn't deny the fact that some people are predisposed to addictive behaviour. It actually mentions it multiple times. The point of the video is that behaviour isn't the only characteristic of a personality, and addictions do not dictate who you are enough to be considered an entire classification of personality (or disorder)
+carpo719 Again, I 100% agree with you from a biological standpoint. It's just that the social sciences have a different, more specific definition of personality. Honestly, the semantics aren't important to me, personally; I recognize how flexible language can be, and a word's definition doesn't usually cover all its connotations and uses. I was just arguing from the perspective of the scientists quoted in this video, trying to explain how they draw a distinction between personality disorder and a single, complicated trait
+carpo719 Again, I 100% agree with you from a biological standpoint. It's just that the social sciences have a different, more specific definition of personality. Honestly, the semantics aren't important to me, personally; I recognize how flexible language can be, and a word's definition doesn't usually cover all its connotations and uses. I was just arguing from the perspective of the scientists quoted in this video, trying to explain how they draw a distinction between personality disorder and a single, complicated trait
Really though, what constitutes "personality" is a whole philosophical debate, so I can't say I'm right or you're wrong here. Chemicals are absolutely a huge part of it, and human brains are complicated, man :P
Wow, so many sources.
Thank you guys!
Very well spoken! You guys never disappoint. 👍
I have never heard of this but thanks for covering it.
I get the point.... but 'I have an addictive personality' is much easier to say than "I tend to have stress related impulsive habits which have adverse effects. And I generally lack strong desire or personal willpower to fight these compulsions"
loved the broken arm disorder picture :D
7:14
Great video! I was wondering if you had anything to add about the link between adults with ADHD and addiction? I know from personal experience that ADHD sufferers are drawn to high stimulus activities which can be addictive, like drugs or even (in my case) computer games... I'd love to see you guys do an explainer vid on ADHD:)
Thanks for nutshelling what my uni lecturer failed to do in my under degree "Personality" unit years ago!
Thank you very much for this excellent video. Excellent job.
Thanks for the great insight....Addictive behaviour seems to be a mechanism for coping with some trauma in one's life - for example, if you weren't given much love when you were a kid and your parents let the playstation be your nanny - then your lack of love and attention will cause certain people being addicted to games....if parents expected too much and showed too much disappointed at your failures - you may have felt great rejection and felt like a loser - causing you to engage in damaging behaviour to live out the way you feel such as gambling or taking drugs. ... over time, the neurons involved in that addictive behaviour thicken and it becomes a habit that cannot be broken..... in essense, if you find you are addicted to something, its usually caused by some trauma from when you were a kid...probably your parents or some bully at school - my 2 cents
Is Michael going fishing? I can't stop staring at the vest.
Great video. Thanks for posting.
The DSM 5 is very different than the DSM 1. Showing that the so-called experts in the field cannot even agree with each other or their once held beliefs as new information keeps on coming to the fore. However, that being said, the addicts I've known, just keep on exchanging one addiction for another. So if you need to be addicted to something to get you through stressful times, just make sure your new addiction is a healthy one for body & mind, like getting out & making a difference in the world, it is written: "There is more happiness in giving than there is in receiving".
As a recovering addict (5 years in counting) the term is thrown around A LOT. For me it is the obsessive compulsion to seek out instant gradification threw outside stimulus. The important part is the obsessive compulsion. Thanks for reading
Michael,
I'm always interested in what you have to say but I have trouble understanding at the same pace that you speak. I feel I could discern what your point is and follow it to the next point more easily and enjoyably at a slower pace. Just the same as I enjoy eating my hot dog, taking time to savor it bite by bite rather than eating it whole like Joey Chestnut does. There's a time and a place for everything and at a speed competition this would be desirable but at restaurant or hot dog stand it isn't about speed, its about enjoying the hotdog, or topic in this case. You have an ability to be proud of, how many of us can speak, pronounce and enunciate as well as you do even at a slower rate. Just sometimes its too fast for me to take in and follow without replaying it, or, like this time, without wanting to finish it even when the topic is of interest. I sometimes have this same problem with some of the others to a lesser extent.
It is all about mindset. You can be born with deficits but it is how you deal with them that makes the difference. Focus what makes you feel happy, empowered and creative/intellectual and make that the things that fill your voids.
I think I'm addicted to your hair, Michael.
Scishow thank you all for the education i really appreciate y'all
Great episode. Much to be taken in there is.
There is a study which was looking at certain points like growing up in a household with parents who are abusive or do drugs/alcohol themselves. There is indeed a list of points that increase the chance of a person geeting addicted to something.
Wonderful information! Very good video
Awesome video! I was longing to see an ADHD reference but maybe it's better to have a full video on it.
Why would there be a ADHD reference?
I think when some one says they have an "addictive personality", they are telling you they get addicted to things much more easily than the average person. I am one of these people. I had to wait for the semester to end to even _open_ Fallout 4 because of this.
Myself as a case study: I don't have an "addictive personality." That's definitely absurd. But, since a very young age, I have had a tendency to do things obsessively. It is arguable whether all of the things I've done obsessively are strong enough to be called an addiction, but there is definitely a pattern for me that looks something like this:
- Discovery of interesting thing
- Obsessive pursuit of interesting thing
- Burnout (desire to do interesting thing flatlines)
Then I either find something new to do this with, repeating the above with the new thing and completely abandoning the old thing
Or I proceed to one of the following:
1. Take some time off from interesting thing, come back later, and develop healthier, long-lasting relationship that involves moderation.
2. Take some time off from interesting thing, come back later, and repeat the original sequence, but with shorter and shorter phases of burnout. (This is where I end up addicted.)
I've suspected for some time now that it is related, for me, to a form of ADD. The hyperfocus of ADD, and the urge to do unique and interesting things, together make it easy for me to fall into a pattern of behavior that is both obsessive and abrupt. It is not uncommon, when I'm feeling very into something, to spend hours on it, putting off things like eating and breaks, to make progress.
The good news is, I've reached #1 with my primary passions in life, for the most part. It can be done.
Saying you have an addictive personality is one way of telling yourself you "can't help it." It's hard to call bullshit on that for yourself, but there's pretty much always a way to improve. I don't see myself as having an addictive personality, but I do acknowledge the way that my mind works; you can do that much without crippling yourself.
as a followup a video on cravings would be very informative
Very interesting. I've been thinking about whether addictive personalities are a thing for a bit now...
Generally I don't give SciShow too commendation for the same reason I don't with many online (or rather a generic public class that doesn't require an actual college enrolement) and highschool science classes. Many of the episodes I have seen, at least the one's where i have a reasonable repository of knowledge on the topic, take a "summary approach" to the material, where they omit certain information either for the sake of time or complexity, that may be pertinent to really understanding the concept. But I'm very impressed with this segment. I'm not going to pretend to be a psychology expert, but I would be lying if I'd said that I hadn't studied this particular topic decent amount. Michael introduces and explains the topic very well, and were i to be grading this i'd put an A+ on it. Of course there are some topics that could have been put through a little more elaboration, and some of what is said is of course subject to debate in the right company. But nevertheless this was an excellent presentation on Michael's behalf and very informative. Superb material for instruction and information alike.
My favorite part about the entire program is how they actually cite their sources for credibility and personal exploration.
Keep up the good work guys!
Thanks, that was very informative.
this guy needs to start his own radio show, smooth as silk lol
Many great points here! That you know social behavior is learned behavior, or can be of a genetic motivated response to environmental stress, where the conscious mind can become confused or irritated as to how to respond to mental stimulus... when it is harder to "re-learn" the default human behavior, this is when we stop functioning correctly. The secret is in knowing you can say no to your impulses... this is liberating on so many levels when accomplished. In Ohio, there was a doctor who used electro-shock therapy to "reset" the brains activity with great success, actually helping people who were thought to be the worst cases of addiction to live unusually long and productive lives.
someone at work told me a long time ago, that i had an addictive personality n was confused n thought he meant my personality gave off an energy that attracts others. 😊
Believing you have an addictive personality can also be a really dangerous trail of thought that leads to the perpetuation of existing addictions.
+Jade Nice realisation. Most people have no idea how much their bias controls their behaviour. They know it is bad, so they invent an excuse which provides escape from their cognitive dissonance.
Basically, they are becoming their own enabler.
If I had wanted to tell some1 about What I've just seen in this video, I would have to use so many ifs. Amazing how complicated personality is...
This episode was great :)
In the circle I keep we kind of talk about this stuff, but we tend to use language like "I'm careful with alcohol because alcoholism runs in the family". I've commented that I have an addictive personality, but I was going for a cheeky was of suggesting that people are addicted to me :)