Surviving (Adrenalin) Addictions, Chapter Two: Introducing The Survivor/Addict Personality Inventory

Update: This update extends Chapter Two, Section: The Cost of Having A Survivor/Addict Personality

The following article was posted, originally, on Anastasia The Storyteller blog site as …

Discovering What Really Matters

The story of “Mommy, I hate your eye patch!” (Part 1)

Words of a seven year old; my seven year old, named Elisa Joy.

I can still hear them ring out as loud and clear in my mind as if they had just been spoken yesterday.

“Mommy, I hate your eye patch!”

Anastasia
(formerly Marcia E. Rosen)
circa 1970

These were the words that changed my life; the words of my seven year old daughter speaking in the code of childhood. One had to be able to de-code child-ese to be able to understand them.

They told me she felt abandoned and betrayed by the disproportionate time I spent away from her, handling my cornea transplants (by this time to I was going on #4 in close to as many years),  my workaholism driven career  – and  -- then the hours given over to socializing.

To this day, no other words have ever quite made their way through t0 my heart so pointedly.

Continued here on Anastasia The Storyteller and-

This update extends Chapter Two, Section: The Cost of Having A Survivor/Addict Personality

Surviving (Adrenalin) Addictions, Chapter Two, Part 2: Paying For Your Survivor/Addict Tendencies

The Cost of Having A Survivor/Addict Personality

Ok, you’ve read what I’ve written so far. Maybe even gone so far as to take my "Do You Have A Survivor/Addict Personality" Inventory." You’re even willing to consider you just might be a carrier of the Dark Side with its Survivor/Addict tendencies.

Well, so what? Big deal.

How much different than most everyone else around you are you?

Big deal. So you like to chase after excitement. Maybe your habits, especially when they come to excessive money expenditures are a bit over the top.

Big deal. At least you’re enjoying life so why give this stuff much attention?

Well, here’s a bit more of the puzzle. See what you can do with it while you are deciding whether or not to keep visiting this blog site.

6 Ways The Survivor/Addict Personality Costs You

Low Self-Esteem:  Adrenalin Addict behavior is compulsive, out of control, counterproductive, expensive in time, energy and relationships. Actually this kind of behavior brings more pain than pleasure in the long run.

Ask yourself

Does it ever bother you that sometimes a Force greater than yourself seems to be in charge of your life, your time, your money? And, maybe it isn’t the Force of goodness and Light whose ends are rewarding and happy?

Does it ever bother you that sometimes you burn yourself out doing things that afterwards seem to have been a waste of time?

Low Opinion by Others:  Adrenalin Addict behavior is often experienced by others as disruptive, intrusive, chaotic and energy draining.

Ask yourself

Does it ever bother you that sometimes your behaviors are irritating and draining for others?

Have you ever thought to ask others whether or not they experience you in this manner?

If you did, were you satisfied with their answers?

Low Cooperation with Others:  Adrenalin Addict behavior invites adversarial, defensive and/or competitive responses from others.

Ask yourself

Do others find me to be a good team player?

Do I tend to invite out cooperation or competition from others?

Frequent Turnover of Friendships: Lovers, friends, spouses, jobs, interests, money (easy come, easy go), careers, ideas, fads, and values, Adrenalin Addict living leads to a shallow, blocked existence.

Ask yourself

Do I tend to give up easily on relationships, or do others give up on me?

Do I find myself tending to feel bored and unfulfilled in my friendships or intimate relationships?

Does my life seem to have more surface than substance?

Increasing Sense of Despair With Age: In the Survivor/Addict maturity and mellowness do not increase with age. Rather as time goes on Adrenalin Addict living becomes less feasible, and the beauty and strength in life diminishes. Tolerance to environmental toxicity lessens and the side effects of excess excitement increases as the individual burns out and runs out of people with whom to play addict games. It is all just too costly!

WARNING! Adrenalin/Excitement Addiction can lead to emotional/psychological breakdowns, disease, institutionalization and premature death.

Survivor/Addict Living Is Very Expensive!

(And Dark when you get to its core.)

Update – January 30, 2015

The following article was posted, originally, on Anastasia The Storyteller blog site as …

Discovering What Really Matters

The story of “Mommy, I hate your eye patch!” (Part 1)

Words of a seven year old; my seven year old, named Elisa Joy.

I can still hear them ring out as loud and clear in my mind as if they had just been spoken yesterday.

 “Mommy, I hate your eye patch!”

Anastasia
(Formerly Marcia E. Rosen)
circa 1970

These were the words that changed my life; the words of my seven year old daughter speaking in the code of childhood. One had to be able to de-code child-ese to be able to understand them.

They told me she felt abandoned and betrayed by the disproportionate time I spent away from her, handling my cornea transplants (by this time to I was going on #4 in close to as many years),  my workaholism driven career  – and  -- then the hours given over to socializing.

To this day, no other words have ever quite made their way through t0 my heart so pointedly.

Continued on Anastasia The Storyteller

Surviving (Adrenalin) Addictions, Chapter Two: About The Survivor/Addict Personality Inventory

Part 1: Do You Have A Survivor/Addict Personality?

Anastasia’s Comments on the following section.

The text below is excerpted from the original book proposal sample chapters. It is completely as it was in 1988. An edited version of this same chapter will also be posted at a later date.

Again we acknowledge the current limitations of our converting the manuscript of the early 1990s to todays technology. We are working on it but hope, in the meantime, you will be able to follow along with us here to advantage.

Begin sytematically tackling the personal, relationship and societal problems discussed below by taking the "Do You Have A Survivor/Addict Personality?" inventory. The questions on the inventory along with the score assessment that follows it will assist you in identifying the aspects of your personality that represent the survivor/addict in you.

While we are discussing the quiz in this chapter, you can look forward to explanations of the meaning behind each question, interpretations as to how and why reversing the problems of the survivor/addict is so vitally important and a selection of charts to guideline your personal explorations on these pertinent issues.

Surviving (Adrenalin) Addictions, Chapter One, Part 3A: Considerations

In the very center of our deepest pain lives a warrior part of each of us. In its most uncivilized form we might call it our killer side – the inner convict, savage or Hitler part of us. Eric Berne called it the “Little Fascist”.  Its origins are biological. Its inter-psychic and interactive manifestations are behaviorial, emotional and psychological.

It is this biological, psychologically manifest portion of humanity that Eric Berne, M.D., the creator of Transactional Analysis (TA) theory and treatment, described this way –

….whoever is not aware of this force in his personality has lost control of it. He has not confronted himself and cannot know where he is headed. What Do You Say After You Say Hello?  Eric Berne, M.D.

To better understand Berne’s meaning in these words, let us consider several additional aspects of this issue.

In civilized people it (“The Little Fascist”) is usually buried beneath a platform of social ideals and training, but with proper permissions and directives, as history has shown again and again, it can be liberated into full bloom.

(For a full discussion on "The Little Fascist" see What Do You Say After You Say Hello?, p.268. Eric Berne, M.D.)

I have interpreted this point of Berne’s, advanced through up-to-date brain/mind research, neurological and psychological findings as well as my own research. Thus I came to discover what I hold to be the essential message here for personal and collective healing and transformation. 

The central issue is that the killer potential that is biologically and psychologically in all of us must be recognized, healed and transformed if emotionally stable people and a healthy society are desired.

My summation of this circumstance, presented in the "About This Book" section titled “Surviving (Adrenalin) Addictions” offers further explanation on this, as offered briefly below.

This book is a primer on the mysterious capability of the personality’s most powerful biological influence, the survival instinct, described in terms of the basic principles of Transactional Analysis (TA).  

This mysterious capability of the personality’s most powerful biological influence that I sometimes call the Force manifests itself in the form of a rebellious or defiant aspect of the Inner Child. We identify this facet of the Inner Child as the Rebellious Survivor Child, Rebellious Survivor Inner Child (RSC), Survivor/Addict or Adrenalin Addict. It can be used for good or ill.

For an expanded introductory, you are advised to please read “Surviving (Adrenalin) Addictions: About This Book.”

Now If these premises of Berne, Groder and myself make logical sense to you, the points we need most to consider are these –

Question: How can these premises be most useful?

Anastasia’s Answer: Of course, I am biased so I suggest you follow along with me here on “Exploring Your Dark Side: The Adventure Of A Lifetime” to expand your comprehension of these premises.

Question: Then how do I/we proceed after that?

Anastasia’s Answer:

Begin by taking the “Do You Have A Survivor/Addict Personality?” inventory. This will give you an opportunity to discover the where and how of this mysterious capability as it lives in you as a vast storehouse of potential power.

Then keep reading what I am posting here and on New Horizons two other sponsored blog sites (New Horizons Small “Zones of Peace” Project and Anastasia The Storyteller. There are enough suggestions and hints of “how to” on these to keep you busy applying them for a good long time while we take up the next steps on our journey.

Don’t neglect to dig in deeply to what has already been posted on our topic, the Inner Warrior/Dark Side/Light Side etc. on these sites.

Think global, act local with what you learn here. (In other words apply, apply, apply!);

If you need assistance and/or guidance, ask Anastasia The Super Sleuth. (A bit like saying, take two aspirins and call me again in the morning, if you still have a headache.

You can leave your questions or comments here or write me, personally, at: SuperSleuthDSW@aol.com.

Prologue, Part 3: Surviving (Adrenalin) Addictions

The Experiment Not To Do

Anastasia’s Reflections on the Prologue, Part 3:
 The Experiment Not To Do

The section that follows is far and away one of the most important parts of the entire book as    far as I am          concerned. The story embedded in it is an account in which Groder tells of his awakening realization, leading him to reason that --

High Leadership People (HLP) and convicts operate from almost identical perspectives about   other people, life and the role of his/her in it, only the social level of games played differ.

I will refer to this personal experience story of Groder’s as well as my own that precedes this section (see Prologue, Part 2: Meeting Groder) to illustrate exactly how it is that this notion --

High Leadership People (HLP) and convicts operate from almost identical perspectives about other people, life and the role of his/her in it -- 

develops and comes to be acted out in different personality types, the survivor/addict personality, quite possibly with marked gender differences.

This will be an essential principle to understand and heed if one's choice is to, personally, ascend and contribute to the betterment of our society as we have been discussing in reports and activities deriving from New Horizons' Possible Human, Possible Society Study and in our Possible Society In Motion Radio Shows.

This is the key concept upon which all New Horizons practices, projects and programs are based. This includes the construction of all that we do, from the manner in which we run our board of directors, our volunteer training and all public materials, programs and projects, including our blog sites and radio shows. 

These organizational basics have two main, underlying practices as their intention; 1. Modeling and teaching “what not to do” and; 2. Modeling and teaching “what to do” that will result in personal and collective human functioning at its optimum. The former, the “what not to do” is based on Marty’s teachings and my expansions of these, the latter on those of Murat Yagan and the ancient principles of community living that come of his Ahmsta Kebzeh heritage.

These fundamentals, as you will, hopefully come to see, provide us with an approach that confronts “what not to do” behaviors and attitudes in daily life, socially and politically, and offers teaching, instruction, role modeling and guidance on the “what to do;” a phenomenal and far-reaching systematic approach to social development and change on both personal, societal and political levels.  

But for now I am getting a bit ahead of myself. So I will now offer the portion of the manuscript that follows and return to it later to make my analysis and facilitate your being able to draw from it as a teaching story.

The Experiment Not To Do

One Golden Key Fits All Doors

One golden key – and – only one can unlock the door of each and every portal to higher consciousness and optimum personal success on the adventure of a lifetime this site introduces and guides you to attaining.

Many Doorways

It is the “Do You Have A Survivor/Addict Personality?” inventory.

Its close companion is the Survivor Driven Behaviors Catalogue.

A third tool that can be extremely valuable is the Exploring Your Dark Side piece linked here.

Our one golden key unlocks each of the six portals illustrated below. 

If you choose to bypass using these, particularly the “Do You Have A Survivor/Addict Personality?” inventory, remember I suggested otherwise -- and -- travel here on your own design.

All are welcome! No one size fits all. No right way when we get down to the root of it all.

Design and supporting theories introduced by Martin G. Groder, M.D.

Transactional Analysis After Eric Berne

edited by Graham Barnes, published by Harper’s College Press, 1977.

Happy traveling!

How To Read This Blog

To Support Your Personal Adventure To Awe!

Tips for getting the most benefit from this site. (Some of which you probably already know or have figured out. Some which may not be as evident.)

         Follow the story line of a given chapter or topic.

1. Check out “Popular topics” (i.e. "Labels") for item or section;
2. Example: “Prologue”;
3. Click on link to that item. Example: “Prologue;”
4. Read articles that are shown from oldest to newest posting;
5. Example: Oldest “Prologue” article was on December 14, 2014. Begin reading from there forward, chronologically.

   Take advantage of links in a given article to  direct you to  essential  supporting items and data for text.

1. For example survivor/addict or survivor/addict inventory is frequently referenced and linked;
2. If an item such as this shows up from article to article, it is likely you will not be able to understand or apply what is offered without reading – and – sometimes doing the recommended work/application indicated by the link.

    Warning: This site is not intended as pure reading entertainment! 

(If you think/believe that it is, check out your survivor/addict inventory assessment for symptoms of your Dark Side. Pay particular note of those that suggest a drive for "excitement")

1. Recognize that this site is offered as both education/information; and
2. As a teaching tool for making personal and collective change;
3. Please respect our intentions and honor our objectives by using it thus;
4. Be sure to take time, sometimes, to read (or listen to) my supporting and clarifying stories from my personal experience and the principles and applications of what is offered here;
5. My personal stories will generally be found on Anastasia The Storyteller and on the Anastasia The Storyteller Radio Show;
6. Principles, applications of principles and related programs and projects will generally be found on the New Horizons’ Small “Zones of Peace”Project site and the Possible Society In Motion Radio Show.

      Take advantage of my personal availability by contacting me directly for guidance and content interpretations at SuperSleuthDSW@aol.com.

     Join Jack Slattery, my radio show co-host, and myself for live conversation on our Possible Society In Motion Radio Show using the theories and other content offered here.

More as necessary.  Enjoy your adventure of a lifetime!