Health Upp Addiction is not a bad habit. It is a health condition. That is why it required proper treatment and medical attention. However, the treatment is not the same for all types of addiction. Mainly there are two types of addiction, physical and behavioral.
Drug and alcohol abuse falls under the category of physical addiction. On the other hand, gambling addiction to video games comes to behavioral addiction. When it comes to the treatment of physical dependence, there are a lot of addiction recovery treatments you can opt for.
Experts in Pinnacle Recovery offer complete care with a higher success rate. But before opting for the treatment, you need to know the basics about different types of addiction.
Drug and alcohol addiction is a little easier to identify. However, it is behavioral addiction issues, which also require the same medical attention and often become hard to locate. Here, in this article, we are talking about different types of behavioral addiction.
Signs And Symptoms Of Behavioral Addiction
As we have mentioned earlier, behavioral addictions do not show the same withdrawal symptoms prevalent in alcohol and drug abuse. However, the mental and emotional symptoms are pretty similar in both cases.
Here they are as follows.
- Denial.
- Lying.
- Shame and guilt.
- Missing school, work, or significant events.
- Sleep disturbance.
- Fighting with family and friends.
- Lack of self-care.
Apart from that, there are a number of physical consequences as well to those behavioral addictions.
For example, individuals with sex addiction might also suffer from STIs. At the same time, gaming and internet-addicted individuals could develop headaches, carpal tunnel, and also suffer from back and neck pain.
When it comes to psychological withdrawal symptoms, they are almost similar to those experienced in drug addiction, such as anxiety, craving, and problems sleeping.
Common Behavioral Addiction
It is time to have a look at the most common behavioral addiction. So, without wasting any more time, let’s start the main discussion now.
1: Gambling Addiction
Out of all the types of behavioral addiction, an addiction towards gambling is really closely resembles alcohol and drug addiction. APA or the American Psychiatric Association classifies gambling disorder, particularly, as an addictive disorder.
Studies state that different types of gambling addictions focus on the same areas of the brain as drug addictions. So, when it comes to the treatment, it also includes similar types of therapy settings, usually like alcohol and drug abuse.
2: Sex Addiction
You might have heard often that celebrities are going into a rehabilitation center for sex addiction. Formally it is not classified as a form of addiction. Still, there are actually some treatments for it, which is considered by the APA.
The symptoms of sex addiction are a disregard for risks and consequences and loss of control, obviously. Aren’t they pretty much similar to the usual substance abuse? 12 step program is considered best for treating sex addiction just like any other traditional addiction.
3: Internet Addiction
We are living in a world that is impaired without the existence of the internet. Although psychologists and psychiatrists do not consider internet addiction as a true form of addiction, it can become a problem for some people when it goes out of control.
Apart from that, the excessive use of internment also comes with negative consequences at work and at home. As per reports, internet addiction also shows changes in the brain. An individual might spend 11 hours in a day on the web.
4: Shopping Addiction
Shopping is another behavior that is considered to be an impulsive control disorder when it goes out of control. Do you buy items in order to avoid feeling sad and, after purchasing, end up feeling guilty? In many cases, the individual has a closet full of clothes, even with the price tag.
If the scenario is similar to this, the individual is a shopaholic. As per studies, compulsive shopping affects males more than females. Often it results in severe problems, both personally and financially.
Treatment for shopaholics generally offers behavioral therapy and counseling.
5: Video Game Addiction
Can’t you get your hands off the game console? Reports state that video game addiction is the most common in men and boys. 10% of the video games between the age range of 8 to 18 years are “out of control gamers.”
Plus, for them, games start to feel more real than fantasy. In case you are suffering from video game addiction, your treatment will include behavioral modification and counseling.
6: Plastic Surgery Addiction
To improve the way one looks, a number of individuals go under the knife again and again. In fact, individuals with a propensity, particularly for plastic surgery, might obsessively roam from one doctor to another till the time a plastic surgeon agrees to treat them.
These people are more suffering from body dysmorphic disorder or BDD than a cosmetic surgery addiction. Around 1% to 2% of the population has BDD.
Individuals with those particular disorders are preoccupied with their appearance and also think and believe that they are deformed or ugly.
7: Food Addiction: Binge Eating Disorder
For a number of years, Americans have argued a lot about whether food obsessions could really be food addiction or this particular disorder is just an excuse.
Later studies have shown that binge eating is actually a disorder that affects around 3% of adults in the USA.
The symptoms are eating food in order to ease emotions, overdoing eating while alone, and after feeling guilty. However, the actual cause of the eating disorder is still unknown, but experts are assuming that it is more related to depression than addiction.
The Treatment Of Behavioral Addiction
When it comes to behavioral addiction, they are mostly treated by behavioral and counseling. It is all about treating the mental health conditions of an individual. For some particular addictions, a 12-step program is also being used and shows effective results.
Treating behavioral addiction is a really new addition in the addiction treatment sector. The sector has a long way to go now. Often it has been seen that the main reason behind developing behavioral addiction is something else and treating that issue becomes necessary.