Behavioral Addiction

Context:
- It can (often) involve significant Psychological Distress (e.g. guilt, shame, and anxiety) when the behavior cannot be performed.
- It can (often) coexist with other forms of addiction, such as Substance Addictions, leading to a complex interplay of addictive behaviors.
- It can range from being a Mild Behavioral Addiction to a Severe Behavioral Addiction depending on the disruption to personal, professional, and social functioning.
- ...
Example(s):
- a Gambling Addiction (by gamblers to gambling).
- a Shopping Addiction (by compulsive shoppers to shopping).
- a Video Game Addiction (by gamers to video gaming).
- a Sex Addiction (by sex addicts to sexual activity).
- a Web Addiction (by internet users to internet usage).
- a Ultra-Sport Addiction (by ultra-sport athletes to extreme sports).
- a Wealth Addiction (by wealth addicts to accumulating wealth).
- ...
Counter-Example(s):
- Recreational Activity.
- Personal Hobby.
See: Substance Addiction, Obsessive Behavior, Compulsive Behavior, Impulsive Control Disorder, Workaholic, Addiction Treatment, Therapy, Mental Health, Psychopathology, Reward System.

References

(Wikipedia, 2024) ⇒ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Behavioral_addiction Retrieved:2024-6-27.
- Behavioral addiction, process addiction, or non-substance-related disorder is a form of addiction that involves a compulsion to engage in a rewarding non-substance-related behavior – sometimes called a natural reward – despite any negative consequences to the person's physical, mental, social or financial well-being. In the brain's reward system, a gene transcription factor known as ΔFosB has been identified as a necessary common factor involved in both behavioral and drug addictions, which are associated with the same set of neural adaptations.^[1]^[2] Addiction canonically refers to substance abuse; however, the term's connotation has been expanded to include behaviors that may lead to a reward (such as gambling, eating, or shopping) since the 1990s. Still, the framework to diagnose and categorize behavioral addiction is a controversial topic in the psychopathology field.

↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named Nestler
↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named Natural and drug addictions

(Robbins & Clark, 2015) ⇒ Trevor W. Robbins and Luke Clark. (2015). "Behavioral Addictions." Current opinion in neurobiology, 30, 66-72. [1]
- QUOTE: "Gambling disorder is currently the only example of a ‘behavioral addiction’ recognized in the DSM-5. Other behaviors, such as ‘internet addiction’, ‘sexual addiction’, ‘compulsive shopping’, and ‘food addiction’ are being studied for their potential inclusion."
- NOTE: It emphasizes the recognition of gambling disorder as the only official behavioral addiction in the DSM-5, while acknowledging other behaviors under investigation.

(Ascher & Levounis, 2015) ⇒ Michael S. Ascher and Petros Levounis, eds. (2015). "The behavioral addictions." American Psychiatric Pub. [2]
- QUOTE: "Each chapter focuses on a real-life case study of a patient with a behavioral addiction, illustrating the diverse manifestations and impacts of these addictions."
- NOTE: It presents detailed case studies of individuals with various behavioral addictions, providing insights into their manifestations and impacts.

(Karim & Chaudhri, 2012) ⇒ Reef Karim and Priya Chaudhri. (2012). "Behavioral addictions: An overview." Journal of psychoactive drugs, 44(1), 5-17. [3]
- QUOTE: "The term ‘behavioral addictions’ encompasses activities like gambling, internet use, shopping, and sex, which can become compulsive and interfere with daily life."
- NOTE: It provides a comprehensive overview of various behavioral addictions, highlighting how these activities can become compulsive and disruptive.

(Grant et al., 2010) ⇒ Jon E. Grant, Marc N. Potenza, Aviv Weinstein, and David A. Gorelick. (2010). "Introduction to behavioral addictions." The American journal of drug and alcohol abuse, 36(5), 233-241. [4]
- QUOTE: "Behavioral addictions are repetitive behaviors that some individuals find rewarding and thus become a significant and unhealthy focus of their lives. These behaviors activate the brain's reward system in much the same way as drugs of abuse, leading to significant psychological and functional impairments."
- NOTE: It discusses the similarities between behavioral addictions and substance addictions, particularly in how they activate the brain's reward system.