What You Need to Know About Behavioral Addictions

Individuals with substance use disorder (SUD) may experience behavioral addictions before or after treatment. Understanding the signs and side effects of behavioral addictions helps people avoid maladaptive behaviors. According to The American Journal of Drug and Alcohol Abuse, "Growing evidence suggests that behavioral addictions resemble substance addictions in many domains, including natural history, phenomenology, tolerance, comorbidity, overlapping genetic contribution, neurobiological mechanisms, and response to treatment." West Coast Recovery Centers helps people in early recovery identify and manage addictive behaviors. 

What Are Behavioral Addictions?

Addictive behaviors are things people do that cause a sense of satisfaction, comfort, joy, euphoria, or other positive emotions. Often, addictive behaviors seem innocuous at first. Individuals are frequently unaware the routines and habits they develop toward that behavior may cause them emotional harm. In addition, even after noticing how it has negatively impacted their lives, people may struggle to stop the behavior. According to the previously mentioned article by The American Journal of Drug and Alcohol Abuse, "Several behaviors, besides psychoactive substance ingestion, produce short-term reward that may engender persistent behavior despite knowledge of adverse consequences." Often, addictive behaviors begin to take over people's lives and become progressively more unhealthy. 

Most people who experience these addictions are unaware their behaviors fall outside the realm of socially acceptable or normal behaviors until they begin to affect other areas of their lives, including relationships. For example, someone with a social media addiction may spend up to 10 hours a day on social media without recognizing the impact it has on their mental health. Friends and family members provide an essential outside perspective and often prompt people to get help with their potentially harmful behaviors. 

Common Behavioral Addictions and Treatment Options

Some of the most common addictive behaviors experienced by individuals with SUD or mental health issues include: 

• Gambling 
• Sex 
• Pornography 
• Gaming
• Eating 
• Excessive exercise 
• Dieting
• Shopping 
• Shoplifting 
• Gaming 
• Social media use 

Almost any behavior can become addictive under the right circumstances. Early intervention and treatment reduce the risk of substance relapse and stop addictive behaviors from causing adverse side effects. Treatment generally includes cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and other forms of psychotherapy. Some people may benefit from entering treatment programs to help them gain the structure and support they need to stop addictive behaviors. 

Warning Signs of Behavioral Addictions

The warning signs of behavioral addiction vary depending on multiple factors, including the person's normal behaviors surrounding the activity. A few signs that a behavior may have become addictive include: 

• An inability to stop or regulate the behavior despite multiple attempts 
• Continuing to participate in the activity despite negative consequences, including illness or injury
• Compulsively engaging in the behavior 
• Avoiding personal or professional responsibilities to engage in the behavior 
• Experiencing withdrawal from the behavior, including cravings during times of abstinence 

Individuals experiencing the warning signs of behavioral addiction should speak to their doctor or another medical professional. Many people benefit from professional mental health and addiction treatment.  

Potential Side Effects

Addictive behaviors cause multiple side effects that exist along a spectrum and vary significantly depending on a wide range of factors. Some of the most common effects include: 

• Relationship conflict or tension 
• Financial instability due to spending excessive time or money hyper-focused on the behavior 
• Legal repercussions for illegal behaviors like shoplifting 
• Lack of impulse control regarding the behavior 
• Obsessive thoughts about the behavior 

Often, friends or family are the first to notice when seemingly innocuous activities become obsessive. An outside perspective can help people better recognize if their behaviors are typical or the potential sign of an addiction. Individuals recovering from substance abuse benefit from regularly checking in with friends and family, allowing them to report any changes in behavior. Many times, people use addictive behaviors as a way to manage stress and avoid relapse. However, replacing one addiction with another only worsens mental health. Treatment programs can provide a solution for individuals with behavioral addictions impacting their lives.

How Does West Coast Recovery Centers Treat Behavioral Addictions?

The addiction and mental health professionals at West Coast Recovery Centers use a variety of evidence-based and alternative holistic therapies to address behavioral addiction or help clients avoid developing them during early recovery. 

Some of the support services offered to clients include: 

• Complementary therapies  
• Individual therapy
• Group therapy
• Peer support 
• Relapse prevention education 
• Aftercare planning 
• Alumni support 

Addictive behaviors are often treated alongside substance abuse during rehabilitation to improve emotional stability and reduce the risk of relapse.  

How to Avoid Replacing Substance Abuse With Other Addictive Behaviors

Some individuals develop addictive behaviors after completing treatment. Boredom, restlessness, or stress may cause them to seek out new activities to fill the time previously spent abusing substances. People avoid replacing substance abuse with other addictive behaviors by utilizing the coping skills and resources developed in treatment. Continuing care plays a critical role in helping people abstain from addictive behaviors and maintain positive mental health. Peer engagement and a strong support system also ensure individuals have somewhere to turn for advice and encouragement if they begin to notice warning signs of addictive behaviors. West Coast Recovery Centers ensures clients feel comfortable in their recovery and have access to essential aftercare support before transitioning out of treatment.  

Anyone can develop a behavioral addiction. Compulsive and addictive behaviors have the potential to derail a person's recovery from substance abuse and may cause additional symptoms or side effects. Everyday activities, such as using social media use and playing video games, may develop into an addiction if people do not monitor and moderate how they spend their time. West Coast Recovery Centers educates clients and their loved ones on the dangers of addictive behaviors and how to identify the warning signs. Treatment for behavioral addictions often involves support groups and individual or group therapy. Treatment must address the root cause of the condition to provide relief. Learn more about our programs and services by calling us today at (760) 492-6509.