The myth of the 'addictive personality'

Plus: postnasal-drip relief, America’s surgical deserts, and more health news  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌

Mandy Oaklander | September 29, 2026     People often toss around the phrase "addictive personality." But is there really a single profile of a person at risk for developing an addiction? In her new piece for TIME, Stacey Colino looked into that question, which turns out to be a ripe area of scientific research. And experts had plenty to say on the subject. TODAY’S TOPICS Why you keep clearing your throat How close do you live to a surgeon? Food packaging’s toxic secret Meet the new mRNA flu shot         PLEASE ADVISE Here's a great question we received from a reader: I’ve struggled with constant postnasal drip and phlegm in my throat for years, and antihistamines and gargles haven’t helped. What might be causing it, and is there anything that can actually make it stop? Keeproll—Getty Images You’re probably not doomed to a lifetime of making that little ahem noise. But relief depends on figuring out what’s driving the drip, says Dr. Matt Hershcovitch, an ENT and sinus specialist in Burbank, Calif. Allergies and chronic sinus inflammation are common culprits; reflux and a nose that’s overly reactive to smoke, strong smells, or changing weather can contribute, too. If allergies aren’t responsible, antihistamines might not help. Since this has persisted for years, it’s time to see an ENT instead of continuing to play drugstore roulette. They can examine your nose and throat and recommend treatment for the cause. Seek care promptly if the drainage is bloody, occurs only on one side, or comes with facial pain. There’s reason to be hopeful: Finding the cause can help you finally get the irritation under control. “This is a very manageable one,” Hershcovitch says. –Angela Haupt, Editor, Health & Wellness Read the full story here.  Got a health question or social dilemma of your own? Send it our way to healthmatters@time.com, and we might tackle it in a future edition.         SPONSORED Your K-Cups Sat in a Warehouse for Months Grocery store pods spend months going factory → warehouse → truck → shelf, losing the flavor oils that make coffee taste like coffee. Angelino's roasts, packs, and ships within days — 50+ flavors, compatible with Keurig®, from 39¢ a cup. New customers save 15%, no code needed. Try Fresh-Roasted Pods         BIG NUMBER 15.1 million The number of Americans who live in a county without a general surgeon, according to a new study I wrote about today. Many of these Americans may even live near a hospital, the study found—but not every hospital has a full-time surgeon. You can find out how many surgeons live in your county with this interactive map. –Alana Semuels, Senior Correspondent Source: Journal of the American College of Surgeons         SPONSORED 1,000+ Claude Prompts Top Professionals Actually Use at Work Claude can be your analyst, editor, and strategist. But most professionals are using it to fix grammar. These 1,000+ Claude prompts take it from grammar tool to your most powerful AI work assistant. Sign up for Superhuman AI and get: 1,000+ ready-to-use Claude prompts to get real work done in minutes — researched, tested, and used by professionals at Google, Microsoft, and NASA Superhuman AI newsletter (4 min daily) so you keep learning new AI tools and skills to stay ahead in your career — the prompts are just the beginning Claim your free prompts         THE QUOTE THAT STUCK I spoke with Jane Muncke, chemist and founder of Swiss NGO Food Packaging Forum, for a recent piece I wrote about the potential risks of food-packaging chemicals. She let me in on something that irks her—and now bothers me. —Veronique Greenwood, Staff Writer ❝   “Regulators, governments, and industry are aware there are carcinogens in food packaging that get into food. They are accepting that, and I find that so incredibly infuriating. It's absolutely not fair. It's not right.”   Jane Muncke         SPONSORED 100+ coding prompts top engineers use to ship 5X faster Claude Code, Codex, and Cursor are on every engineer's stack. Most still treat them like a search bar. Top engineers work from a system, these 100+ prompts are that system. Sign up for The Code and get the prompts free, plus a 5-minute daily newsletter to keep sharpening your edge. Claim your free prompts         WHAT WE’RE READING A new mRNA-based flu shot is available for older adults this flu season, Alice Park reports for TIME. Pregnant—and suddenly disgusted by your beloved dog? Adrienne Matei at the Guardian explores the surprisingly common but little-studied phenomenon of pet aversion during pregnancy. An Indiana dance program helps people with disabilities move, make friends, and shine onstage, report Obed Lamy and Mead Gruver at the Associated Press.       More Newsletters from Click to sign up. THE BRIEF +D.C. BRIEF +FUTURE PROOF +INSIDE TIME +IN THE LOOP +WORTH YOUR TIME + Subscribe to TIME Email us: healthmatters@time.com Received this from a friend? Sign up here Connect with TIME PRIVACY POLICY   © 2026 TIME USA, LLC. All rights reserved. TIME Customer Service, P.O. Box 37508 Boone, IA 50037-0508, United States Unsubscribe