Understanding The Types, Signs And Symptoms of Process Addictions and Treatment Options at Purpose Healing Center
When people hear “addiction,” substance abuse usually comes to mind. It’s normal to think of alcohol or drug abuse. The reality is that addictive behaviors can go far beyond using substances. From sex and Internet addiction to compulsive gambling and shopping, there are so many things people can be addicted to.
But what is a process addiction?
A process addiction describes any type of compulsive or addictive behavior. You get addicted to the feeling you experience when you do the behavior. The signals it sends to your brain make it hard to stop.
This resource from Purpose Healing Center will go over the key similarities between substance addictions and process addiction, why you’re struggling, and how to get help.
What is a Process Addiction?
If you have a process addiction, it means you’re dependent on an activity or substance. You enjoy the feeling that you get from doing it so much that any negative consequences don’t matter.
For example, someone who has a gambling addiction often continues risking money at casinos or playing the lottery. This habit continues even after they’ve spent money that was meant to go toward bills and lost the trust of their spouse.
What’s the Difference Between a Process Addiction and Substance Abuse?
When you use drugs or alcohol, there’s a chemical substance at play. You become mentally and physically addicted to that substance, so much so that when you don’t have it, you experience withdrawal. You also feel driven to keep using, without giving the significant negative consequences a second thought.
Addictive disorders are more of a compulsive activity or ritual. You start to rely on it for pleasure or to escape. It mimics substance use disorder because it activates your brain’s reward system.
You won’t go through physical withdrawal without it, but you might experience irritability, anxiety, or other emotional symptoms. Mental health decline is also normal if you try to go cold turkey from problems like gambling disorder or video game addiction.
How Do I Know if I’m Struggling with a Process Addiction?
It’s okay to have enjoyment in your life. This is one of the reasons it’s harder to diagnose process disorders compared to substance addictions. Many process addictions are part of daily life. So where do you draw the line?
You may be struggling with a process addiction if you have a hard time resisting that activity. You’ll feel a craving or impulse to do it when you can’t. You might also notice that you feel ashamed or guilty, and don’t really have an interest in activities outside of your addiction.
Often, lying or hiding behaviors are signs of a process addiction. You also might deny that you have a problem, thinking that your habits are normal because they are activities you’d do in day-to-day life.
Last, if you quit a process addiction, you can still experience withdrawal. You’ll notice depression or anxiety when you can’t give in to that behavior. You may also feel agitated, notice weight loss or gain, and have changes in your appetite and ability to sleep.
What Does Gambling Addiction Look Like?
Gambling is the only process addiction officially recognized by the American Psychological Association’s Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. That doesn’t mean other process addictions aren’t a mental health disorder, though. Behavioral addictions are recognized by the World Health Organization.
You may have a gambling addiction if you take risks with your money that affect your life, job, or family. You might “chase” losses, bet more frequently or with bigger amounts than you’d like to, or feel irritable when you don’t have the money to gamble. These problematic gambling behaviors can have severe financial consequences.
What Does Exercise Addiction Look Like?
It’s okay to be excited about going to the gym or getting a good workout in. This usually healthy habit becomes an exercise addiction. You have to work out more and more to get your desired effect. You might find most of your day is taken up by getting ready to exercise, actual exercising, and recovering from your intense workouts.
What Does Food Addiction Look Like?
Everybody needs food to survive. Food addiction happens when you can’t control compulsive eating behaviors. It’s most common to experience cravings for chocolate, salty foods, or carbohydrates. You might even find yourself developing a tolerance, meaning you need more food than you did before to satisfy your dopamine reward system.
On the opposite end of the spectrum are eating disorders. This is a compulsive behavior, especially binge eating disorder, that involves binging and then purging food.
When is Compulsive Buying Considered an Addiction?
Shopping addiction is more than buying yourself a new outfit or perfume when you need a pick-me-up. It usually involves excessive spending, sometimes beyond your means. You feel uncomfortable when you can’t give in to your shopping addiction, even if you’re experiencing negative financial and social consequences from your choices.
When Does Sex Become an Addiction?
It’s very possible to be addicted to porn or sex. Sex addiction can involve a lot of behaviors, from excessively watching porn, excessive masturbation, visiting strip clubs or paying for sex, or even having exorbitant amounts of consensual sex. Any compulsive sexual behavior that affects a person’s life is considered sex addiction.
What Other Compulsive Behaviors Are Common Process Addictions?
Technology today has done incredible things, but there are also behavioral addictions that come from this. Internet addiction disorder, social media addiction, and video game addiction can all become compulsive behaviors. Young adults are especially susceptible to smartphone, video game, and social media addiction.
You can even become addicted to work. There’s a fine line between striving to do your best and letting work consume you so much that your personal and professional life suffers. There can also be serious consequences to your physical and mental health.
Where Can I Find Treatment for Behavioral Addictions?
Purpose Healing Center offers mental health-only treatment, including for process addictions. We also specialize in dual diagnosis, meaning if you have a process addiction alongside other mental health challenges or substance use disorder, we can also help.
Purpose Healing Center takes most forms of AHCCCS and major insurance. This makes it easy for anyone who needs help to find it.
How Does Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Work for Addiction Treatment and Process Addictions?
If you’re reading this, you’re likely already considering how certain behavioral addictions are affecting your life. That’s a big first step. From there, cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is often recommended for process addiction.
CBT works because your thoughts and emotions influence what you do. You learn to notice when you are being triggered, then make different decisions.
Sometimes, CBT is used alongside other therapies. Dialectical behavioral therapy (DBT), for example, teaches distress tolerance. It helps you realize that you don’t have to give in to your preferred process addiction and that it’s okay to feel uncomfortable or compulsive without acting on it.
What Other Ways Are Common Behavioral Addictions Treated?
Outside of therapies, you can do a lot to overcome process addiction. Build healthier habits in your life. Be sure to rest well and eat well. When you’re tired, it’s harder to avoid compulsions.
Having alternate activities or somewhere you can turn when you’re struggling also helps. You need support to overcome behavioral addictions, just like someone who
Many choose a process addiction treatment program to help. This is usually done in an outpatient setting, with the exception of dual diagnosis cases. It’s not uncommon for process addiction to occur alongside substance use disorders or mental health problems.
It can also be helpful if you’re dealing with past trauma, mental health issues, or other problems that contribute to your compulsive habits. Mental health professionals can help you get an accurate diagnosis, then decide on the best course of treatment.
Find Help for Compulsions and Process Addictions at Purpose Healing Center
When you’re living with addictive behaviors, no matter what they are, it can be hard to ask for help. People living with a process addiction often share the same shame or embarrassment as people with substance addiction.
Don’t let this discourage you. There are resources that can help you heal, but that starts with reaching out.
Call Purpose Healing Center today. Our team is ready to answer your questions and design a treatment plan that works for you.
480-579-3319