Addiction does not discriminate. You may feel that you are alone in your battle to overcome addiction. However, many individuals feel this same pressure. Many approaches can be taken in recovery. One of these approaches is understanding which of the four tendencies fits your personality.
This can help you better understand how your tendency plays a role in the addiction and recovery processes. The more you understand about yourself, the better your treatment center can tailor your plan to your needs.
What Are the 4 Tendencies?
There are many ways to classify different personalities. For example, you may know your Myers-Briggs, your enneagram, and other personality classification types.
The National Institute of Health (NIH) provides another system: the four tendencies. Each of these tendencies is used to determine how well individuals respond to external and internal expectations. Understanding which tendency you align with most may help you to recognize some of the potential setbacks you may encounter in recovery.
#1. The Upholder
Upholders tend to be highly motivated by forms of accomplishment. Being able to have a list of tasks and complete them is a great motivational factor for individuals who fall into this tendency.
This is because upholders attempt to meet the expectations set forth for them both internally and externally. These individuals desire to meet the expectations of themselves and everyone around them.
While this can be a positive personality characteristic in many ways, it can have its downfalls. If you are an upholder, you may find that you are consistently attempting to please yourself and everyone around you. This can quickly become overwhelming, as nobody is capable of pleasing everyone.
#2. The Obliger
Obligers tend to focus on the external expectations within their life. They may struggle to find themselves engaging in self-care but are highly focused on the well-being of others around them.
If you align with this tendency, you likely can meet outer expectations put upon you but resist internal expectations. This can be extremely beneficial in maintaining your interpersonal relationships. However, you may frequently neglect to care for yourself. Self-care is extremely important to focus on in recovery, so this tendency can have its setbacks.
#3. The Questioner
Questioners tend to be motivated by the availability of answers. For example, if you are an obliger, you may be able to motivate yourself better when you have clear deadlines for the tasks ahead. If you come up with a list of stuff you “could” do but do not “need” to do, it is less motivating to complete.
As obligers tend to only focus on things that make sense to them, they are consistently feeding their internal expectations. This can be great regarding your self-care but can hinder your relationships with others if not addressed.
#4. The Rebel
Rebels typically do not like being told what to do or how to behave. This is the opposite of the upholder. They do not wish to fulfill their internal or external desires. This can lead these individuals to seek opportunities to resist others’ expectations.
If you find that you adhere to this tendency, you may have lowered stress levels from not worrying about too many expectations. However, you may have a hard time recognizing the different consequences involved with your actions. This can be detrimental to recovery if you are unable to recognize the negative effects the substances have on yourself.
Determining Which of the 4 Tendencies Describes You
After reviewing each of the four tendencies, you may immediately relate to one of the four tendencies more than others.
If, however, you are struggling to determine your tendency, you can take a quiz online that will help provide you with some insight. Remember that your tendencies can change, and these quizzes are not always accurate. That said, they can be a good place to start.
Why Are the 4 Tendencies Important to Know?
A key factor in recovery success is understanding what your triggers and factors of motivation are. Understanding the four tendencies may help you to identify the root cause of your addiction, helping you to establish a long-term plan that will lead you to success.
Additionally, each of these tendencies aligns with a unique set of motivational factors and desired outcomes. This helps you to truly understand how you can best manage your addiction going forward. After all, being able to visualize your ideal life can be very motivational. Understanding how substances would interfere with this picture can remind you why you want to continue investing in recovery.
You can use your knowledge of your personality type and the four tendencies as a tool in your recovery journey. Understanding the aspects involved with your personality, you can create an action plan that aligns with your individual needs. You will have the ability to improve your self-awareness and further understand your needs moving forward.
Understanding the different aspects of your personality may help you to become more aware of your needs through your recovery journey. Most individuals align most with one of the four personality tendencies. These tendencies are the upholder, the obliger, the rebel, and the questioner. Each of the tendencies comes with its benefits and consequences. We are not stuck in one tendency permanently. Recognizing which tendency you most adhere to can help you to find a sense of balance between the tendencies, promoting growth through your recovery journey. To learn more about the four tendencies and the common characteristics involved with each of them, reach out to Dream Recovery at (657) 216-7218.
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