Understanding complex personality traits in alcohol and other drug treatment
What are personality traits?
Personality traits are consistent patterns of behaviour, thoughts, and emotions that shape how people interact with the world. These traits influence decision making, relationships, and reactions to different situations, shaping daily experiences and long term habits.
Personality traits affect how we process information and memory. They also shape how flexible our thinking is, with some individuals adapting to change easily while others may struggle. Beyond cognition, personality traits influence emotional regulation. Some manage emotions through problem solving, while others may rely on self soothing. Sensitivity to rewards and threats also impacts behaviour — those motivated by rewards may take risks, while threat sensitive individuals may avoid challenges due to fear of failure.
When do personality traits become a disorder?
Strong personality traits don’t necessarily indicate a personality disorder. Many individuals with complex personality traits share characteristics with those who have personality disorders, such as trauma history, emotional regulation difficulties, and interpersonal struggles.
A personality disorder involves ingrained behaviour patterns that significantly disrupt daily life. These disorders often appear in adolescence and persist into adulthood, making it difficult for a person to maintain stable relationships or function as well as they would like.
People with personality disorders may have difficulty controlling impulses, processing emotions, or handling stress in a healthy way, and their behaviours may seem unpredictable or extreme to others.
Personality traits and alcohol and other drug use issues
Personality traits can overlap with behaviours linked to alcohol and other drug use issues, making it difficult to distinguish whether behaviours stem from traits, alcohol and other drug use, or other factors.
Behaviours associated with withdrawal, medication reactions, or cravings may resemble personality disorder symptoms. Treating individuals with complex personality traits can be challenging, especially as traits like impulsivity, emotional dysregulation, or avoidance can interfere with therapy.
Recognising and understanding personality traits is crucial for developing effective treatment plans. By distinguishing between personality driven behaviour and reactions and those influenced by alcohol and other drug use or other factors, alcohol and other drug workers can tailor interventions to better meet an individual’s needs.
The more we understand personality and its connection to cognition and emotion, the better equipped we are to provide meaningful support and treatment.
Our interactive, half day Working with Complex Personality Traits workshop is designed to equip practitioners with a helpful model of thinking about personality and how to best respond. You’ll learn about the essential elements of working with people with complex personality traits so you can provide effective alcohol and other drug treatment.
Walk away with practical skills that you can implement immediately:
- Understand complex personality traits and their impact on clients including their cognitive processes
- Understand how to include consideration of complex personality traits into treatment formulation
- Identify effective engagement strategies
- Improve skills in responding to complex personality traits
- Learn essential strategies to maximise client engagement and retention and improve outcomes
Learn more about Working with Complex Personality Traits here.
