Behavioral Addiction

What is ‘Behavioral Addiction’?

The term ‘addiction’ is sometimes applied to compulsions that are not substance or alcohol related.  This can include problems such as gambling, anorexia,  excessive shopping, exercise, sexual addiction and computer addiction. In these kinds of common usages, the term ‘addiction’ is used to describe a recurring and damaging compulsion by an individual to engage in some specific activity.

How is a behavioral addiction similar to a substance behavioral addiction?

In actuality the ‘process’ of all addictions are the same and a substance is no different than a behavior. There must be something reinforcing, it must make you feel better for you to do it again. There is also an emotional component or people will not return to it. People do not become addicted to an behaviour or particular food type because it does not make them feel better. So a process or a behavior is just as addicting as a substance because it has the ability to change the way the person feels or experiences something.

What is an "addictive personality"?

The topic of ‘addictive personality’ is controversial in the therapy world. There is no research to show that there is a specific addictive personality type.  However, the reality is there are some people that are looking for good feelings all the time. These people organize and structure their time and life around the desire for good feelings. For some people this extends to not thinking about consequences such a dept and separation of relationships.