Process addiction, also called behavioral addiction, is characterized by an overwhelming impulse to engage in a certain behavior despite negative consequences. While involved in the behavior, the individual experiences an elevated mood often followed by a sense of shame or guilt once the behavior ends.
Common process addictions include shopping, gambling, sexual activity, video game addiction, pornography, eating disorders, internet use, exercise, and work. Process addictions harm the individual’s physical and emotional health, damage interpersonal relationships, and may cause legal or financial problems.
Process addiction does not include an addiction to alcohol or drug addiction.
Substance use disorder often co-occurs with process addictions, sharing similar underlying psychological triggers. Addressing these mental health issues simultaneously in treatment is benefical to enhancing recovery, as both can manifest through compulsive behaviors and emotional struggles.
What is a Behavioral Addiction?
Definition of Behavioral Addiction
A behavioral addiction, also known as a process addiction, is a type of mental health condition characterized by a strong impulse to engage in certain behaviors, despite the negative consequences. These behaviors can provide a temporary escape or emotional high, but ultimately lead to harm to the individual’s physical, emotional, financial, or interpersonal well-being. Behavioral addictions can be just as serious as substance addictions and can impact the affected individual’s life in a similar way.
What Do Behavioral Addiction and Substance Addiction Have in Common?
Although process addiction and substance addiction are different disorders, they frequently co-occur, which is referred to as a co-occurring disorder. For the best chance of long-term recovery, both conditions must be treated at the same time.
All addictions share similar characteristics, especially the inability of the addicted person to stop or limit compulsive behavior, even when it negatively impacts many facets of their life.
Other Warning Signs of an Addiction Disorder
- Spending an abnormal amount of time thinking about or actively involved in the compulsive behavior, often to the exclusion of other activities, responsibilities, or personal or professional relationships.
- Using the behavior or other addictions as an escape from negative emotions.
- Continuing the behavior despite mental health concerns or physical health, interpersonal relationships, work or school, and other responsibilities.
- Compulsively seeking the “high” from the process addiction, the particular behavior or alcohol or drug use delivers. Over time, increasing amounts of the behavior or substance use disorders are needed to achieve the desired effect.
- Experiencing physical withdrawal symptoms. With a substance addiction, the addicted person experiences physical and psychological withdrawal symptoms once the substance is no longer consumed. When a process-addicted person is unable to engage in addictive behavior, they may experience poor mental health or severe mental distress.
Individuals have a high risk factor for addiction if they experienced childhood trauma, abuse or neglect, grew up with addicted family members, or spend much of their time with people who have substance abuse or behavioral addictions.
The fifth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual for Mental Disorders (DSM-5) recognizes process addiction as a mental health disorder but only includes a gambling disorder under that diagnosis. Experts believe additional process addictions will be classified as serious behavioral health conditions in future editions.
Types of Process Addictions
Process addictions encompass a wide range of behaviors that can become compulsive and harmful. Some of the most common types include:
Shopping Addiction:
A shopping addiction can cause negative feelings and a compeling urgency to purchase items, even when they’re not needed or even wanted. This uncontrollable urge to shop, often leads to financial problems and strained relationships.
Gambling Addiction:
Gambling addiction also referred to as pathological gambling, compulsive gambling, and problem gambling is one of the most common types of process addictions. The compulsive behaviors around gambling, can result in severe financial loss and emotional distress.
Internet Addiction:
Internet addiction is most often noticed by people staying online for hours each day Excessive use of the internet lends to a diagnosis around an internet addiction disorder including social media addiction, video gaming, or non stop browsing, that interferes with daily life.
Video Gaming Addiction:
Video gaming addiction is often driven by feelings of loneliness and isolation, leading to neglect of personal responsibilities. Although video gaming can affected any age group, adolescents and young adults have a higher prevalence of process addictions compared to older adults. Younger individuals are more likely to develop process addictions due to ongoing brain development and less mature coping skills.
Sex Addiction:
Sex addiction is evident wan a person has an overwhelming preoccupation with sexual thoughts, urges, or behaviors that disrupts their personal and professional life. In addition, this behavioral addiction can include types from an internet addiction such as cyber-sex addiction or cyber-relationship addiction.
Food Addiction:
Food addiction is all around compulsive eating behaviors, often linked to emotional distress and difficult emotions, that can lead to negative consequences and serious health issues. One of the most common behavioral addictions, it can encompass eating disorders and disordered eating.
Exercise Addiction:
Exercise addiction is one of the most common process addictions. Males and females experience an obsession with physical fitness and exercise that can cause physical harm and social isolation in a person’s life. Often the occur simultaneously with other process addictions such as food addiction or sex addiction.
Work Addiction:
Work addiction can be a double edge sword hidden behind stated values and the need for family support. A driving and uncontrollable force to work excessively, often at the expense of a person’s physical well being, personal relationships, health and other physical signs.
These types of process addictions highlight the diverse ways in which addictive behaviors can manifest, each with its own set of challenges and harmful consequences.
Causes and Risk Factors
Understanding the Causes of Process Addictions
Process addictions can be caused by a combination of genetic, environmental, and psychological factors. Some common risk factors include:
Genetics: Individuals with a family history of addiction are more likely to develop a process addiction.
Trauma: Those who have experienced trauma, such as childhood abuse or neglect, are at a higher risk.
Mental Health Condition: Conditions like depression or anxiety can increase the likelihood of developing a process addiction.
Social and Environmental Factors: Early exposure to addictive behaviors such as drug addiction, alcohol addiction or substance abuse can predispose individuals to process addictions.
Personality Traits: Traits such as impulsivity or low self-esteem can make someone more susceptible to addictive behaviors.
Understanding the causes and other risk factors of process addictions can help individuals and families identify the signs and symptoms of these conditions and seek treatment early on. Recognizing these factors is helpful for effective process addiction treatment and long-term recovery.
Process Addiction Treatment
Psychotherapy, including cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), is the most recognized treatment for process addiction. The treatment plan may include prescription medications, depending on symptoms or co-occurring disorders.
A process addiction treatment center provides specialized care tailored to individual patient needs. While some patients may benefit from medication alone, others may require more comprehensive support through treatment centers focused on process addictions.
A psychotherapist trained in addiction recovery helps individuals understand their addiction, underlying factors that trigger their addictive behavior, and how to manage compulsions.
During CBT, clients learn to identify, manage, and transform negative thought patterns to improve mental health. Cognitive behavioral therapy is recognized as an effective approach for treating addiction.
Process Addiction Help at Turning Point of Tampa
Understanding how a person can develop addictions and treating a wide variety of process addictions with expertise, sets Turning Point apart from most centers. Addiction coupled with mental health conditions is where our clinical staff excels.
For those experiencing signs of process addiction or substance use disorders, Turning Point of Tampa offers a supportive environment and the expertise needed to guide individuals toward recovery. With our in-network partnerships with most insurance providers, we are committed to helping individuals utilize their healthcare benefits effectively.
Turning Point of Tampa has been offering Licensed Residential Treatment for Addiction, Eating Disorders and Dual Diagnosis in Tampa since 1987. For those needing detoxification from a substance use disorder, we have an onsite detox center.
Working with Family Members
Many individuals with process addictions may lie about their behavior to avoid confrontation or shame. Family members are encouraged to understand and support their loved ones in their journey to recovery. Long-term treatment offers time and space to achieve a range of treatment goals and create a comprehensive plan for continuing care after discharge.
Summary
To summarize the complexities of process addictions, a form of behavioral addiction that involves compulsive engagement despite negative consequences. Types of process addictions include gambling, shopping, internet use, exercise, and more. These addictions share similarities with substance addictions, such as the inability to stop the behavior despite its harmful impact on one’s life.
Treatment for process addictions often involves cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), which helps individuals manage and transform negative thought patterns. A process addiction treatment center can provide specialized care tailored to each individual’s needs.
Turning Point of Tampa stands out as an excellent place to seek help for process addictions. With a focus on treating a wide variety of process addictions and co-occurring mental health conditions they provide comprehensive care.
Frequently Asked Questions about Process Addiction
What is considered a process addiction?
A process addiction, also known as behavioral addiction, involves compulsive engagement in certain behaviors despite negative consequences. Common process addictions include gambling, shopping, internet use, and exercise.
Which of the following is an example of a process addiction?
Examples of process addictions include gambling addiction, internet addiction, sex addiction, shopping addiction, and food addiction. These behaviors can become compulsive and detrimental to an individual’s life.
How to deal with process addiction?
Dealing with process addiction involves recognizing the signs, seeking professional help, and engaging in therapy, such as cognitive behavioral therapy. Support groups and family therapy sessions can also aid in recovery.
What are the three types of addicts?
The three types of addicts can be broadly categorized into substance addicts (e.g., alcohol addiction, drug addiction), process addicts (e.g., gambling addiction, internet addiction), and those with co-occurring disorders involving both behavioral and substance addictions.
How is process addiction diagnosed and treated?
Process addiction is diagnosed through clinical evaluation, often using criteria from the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual for Mental Disorders (DSM-5). Treatment may involve behavioral therapy, counseling, and support from a process addiction treatment center.
