Process Addictions

What are Process Addictions Treatment?

While the term ‘addiction’ is most commonly associated with substances such as drugs and alcohol, it has more recently been expanded to include several activities or behaviours called process addictions.

Process addiction (also referred to as behavioural addiction) is marked by an overwhelming urge to engage in a particular behaviour or activity.

Suppose you struggle with this type of addiction.

In that case, you may continue engaging in a specific behaviour despite its adverse effects on your emotional, interpersonal, or physical health and well-being.

The most common process addictions include the following:

Food addiction.
Exercise addiction.
Work addiction.
Sex and love addiction.
Gambling addiction.
Video game addiction.
Social media addiction.
Plastic surgery addiction.

Similar to substance addictions, those with process addictions may find it challenging to reduce or stop a particular behaviour despite any negative consequences involved.

This is not surprising as process addictions are highly rewarding, reinforcing behaviours that can be just as addictive and pleasure-inducing as taking drugs or drinking alcohol.

Compassion and awareness for individuals with process addictions are vital aspects of recovery and must be practised in the same way as substance use disorders.

The above can help to reduce the shame and stigma associated with this type of addiction and improve treatment outcomes for those struggling with these emotional issues.

How we can help

If you are worried that you (or a loved one) may have an issue with a specific behaviour, such as gaming or gambling, and would like further information and support, the White River Manor team is here to help.

We provide bespoke treatment programs for individuals struggling with various types of process addictions, offering a range of evidence-based treatments to help our clients overcome these issues and lead a happy, fulfilling, healthy life.

Process addiction treatment at our centre typically includes a combination of the following:

Individual therapy – This treatment involves exploring the underlying issues surrounding your addictive behaviours, allowing you to get to the root causes and develop healthy coping skills so you can replace unhelpful behaviours with healthier alternatives.
Behavioural therapy – Talk therapy, such as cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), is a highly effective treatment for process addiction as it can help you explore any maladaptive thought and behaviour patterns that may cause or worsen your addiction, leading to increased self-compassion and minimising your risk of relapse.
Group therapy– Helps you to explore any underlying issues that may contribute to your addiction with others who can relate to these challenges.

Since this treatment is delivered in a group setting, you can receive honest feedback from those experiencing similar issues and develop an understanding of how others cope during tough or challenging moments.

As well as being an effective treatment for process addictions, group therapy is highly recommended for other types of mental health issues, including depression, anxiety, and substance use disorder, helping you address your concerns and make positive changes in your life.

In addition to the above, White River Manor also provides other therapies as part of your process addiction treatment program, such as:

Trauma-specific therapy.
Equine therapy.
Mindfulness.
Music and art therapy.
Aftercare and support.

Contact our friendly team today for further information and support about our process addiction treatment program and begin your journey to lasting recovery.

When “normal” behaviours become a problem

Many people enjoy playing video games, placing the odd bet here and there, and seeking pleasure from eating their favourite food or working long hours.

When done in moderation, the above behaviours are not disordered and do not always signify that you have an addiction.

However, when a person becomes overly reliant on a specific behaviour, uses it to experience a ‘high’ or euphoria, or to escape stress or emotional pain, these behaviours can spiral out of control, resulting in process addiction.

When you lose control over the rate, frequency or duration of a specific behaviour – and the need to engage in the behaviour becomes more significant than the consequences to your well-being – it is time to seek treatment from a mental health professional experienced in treating process addictions.

Similarities between substance and process addictions

While process addictions do not involve the use of substances like drugs and alcohol, both share similar characteristics and features.

For instance, both substance and process addictions involve:

Feelings of pleasure, reward and euphoria.
The need to escape or seek relief from emotional or physical distress and discomfort.
Feelings of powerlessness (i.e., you may be unable to resist temptation or the impulse to engage in the behaviour.)
The urge to engage in a behaviour, despite it being overwhelming. Although this may have significant negative consequences for your health and relationships, you engage in the behaviour despite these adverse outcomes.
Intense cravings or urges that make a person want to engage in the behaviour where they may spend a lot of time thinking about the behaviour.
Feelings of anxiety, stress or depression when you are unable to engage in the behaviour. These are called withdrawal symptoms.

Process addictions frequently co-occur with other addictions or mental health disorders such as depression, substance use disorder, anxiety and PTSD.

When left untreated, process addictions can cause various complications and issues that not only harm the individual but can also have a profoundly negative impact on the lives of their family, friends, work colleagues and extended community.

Therefore, early intervention for process addiction is crucial and can help you avoid the long-term complications associated with these addictive disorders.

What are the different types of process addiction?

As mentioned, there are various types of process addictions, each with its own diagnostic criteria, symptoms and behaviours.

Some of the most common types of process addictions, such as work, sex, and social media addictions, develop from socially acceptable behaviours and can even include necessary behaviours such as eating, shopping and exercise.

This can make it challenging to recognise when a behaviour has become more than just a healthy habit or pastime and has developed into an addiction.

To help you recognise the differences between healthy behaviours and those that may signify an addiction to a specific behaviour or process, let’s explore some of the most common process addictions in more detail.

Sex addiction

Sex addiction, also known as hypersexuality, hypersexual disorder, sexual compulsivity, and compulsive sexual behaviour disorder, is typically defined by an uncontrollable urge for sexual activity.

Although each person may exhibit different symptoms and behaviours, sex addiction typically manifests in the following ways:

Having sex with multiple partners.
Excessive pornography consumption.
Visiting sex workers.
Engaging in sex chat lines.

There are two primary differences between sex addiction and love addiction:

Sex addicts are intensely focused on sexual activity itself rather than on individuals or relationships. They are driven by the excitement of arousal, not by their emotional needs and connections, seeking sex without love.
Sex addicts often use the promise of romance to attract sexual partners, whereas love addicts use sex as a means to attract and maintain a romantic relationship.

Understanding these differences is vital and can help individuals with sex or love addiction get the treatment and support they need and deserve to recover more quickly.

As well as the above, other symptoms of sex addiction may include:

Having multiple sexual partners or one-night stands.
Being unable to stop engaging in sexual behaviours, even though you want to.
Engaging in risky sexual behaviours such as unprotected sex, sex with a stranger, and minor sexual offences.
Experiencing anxiety, depression or severe agitation when you are unable to engage in sexual behaviour.
Existing mental health conditions are exacerbated or are made worse by sex addiction.

Love addiction

A relentless, obsessive, and dysfunctional pursuit of romantic fulfilment often characterises love addiction.

Many individuals with love addiction yearn for the exhilarating, exciting emotions experienced at the beginning of a new relationship, using this natural ‘high’ to escape from painful or distressing feelings.

To curb this craving, love addicts frequently engage in many fleeting, albeit intense, relationships.

Love addicts typically gauge their self-worth by how much another person wants or desires them, mistaking this type of dependency and need for love.

Moreover, individuals with love addiction tend to seek attention, reassurance, affection, and intimacy to escape feelings of loneliness, fear, insecurity, and self-doubt.

As a result, individuals with love addiction often create an unhealthy dependency, becoming fixated on meeting their partner’s needs while neglecting their own.

Other symptoms of love addiction may include:

Fearing that you’ll never find love and may end up alone.
Neglecting your friendships and family to spend time with a romantic partner.
Being obsessed with and relying on your partner to meet your physical and emotional needs.
Falling in love too quickly without really knowing a person.
Holding onto an idealised ‘story’ over a love interest rather than the reality.
Staying (or going back to) an abusive relationship because you fear being alone.
Feeling anxious and uneasy when you are away from your partner.
Spending a lot of your time thinking about your partner or love interest.
A compulsive and uncontrollable desire to keep yourself from contacting your love interest or object of affection.

Work addiction

Work addiction, commonly known as workaholism, is a serious mental health disorder.

Similar to other addictions, work addiction involves an inability to stop engaging in work-related tasks and can cause various complications for the individual and their loved ones.

This addiction often stems from a compulsive need to achieve a particular level of status and success or to escape emotional pain and/or stress.

The need for professional success often lies at the heart of work addiction and is common among individuals who tend towards perfectionism.

Like those with drug or alcohol addictions, individuals with work addiction experience a “high” from work-related activities, making them want to continue working despite adverse consequences.

Individuals with work addiction may experience the following symptoms:

Working long hours, even when it is not necessary.
Having an intense fear of failure at work or never feeling good enough.
Losing sleep to engage in work-related tasks or to finish work projects.
Paranoia about your work performance and job security.
Using work as a way of avoiding relationships.
Being obsessed with professional success and over-achievement.
Using work to cope with feelings of sadness, anxiety or depression.
Putting work before your relationships and other important matters like your health and social life.

Gambling addiction

Gambling disorder, also known as gambling addiction, is marked by persistent and problematic gambling behaviours that cause various issues and complications for the individual and their loved ones.

The most common symptoms of gambling addiction include:

An inability to stop or control your gambling.
Lying to your friends and loved ones about your gambling activities.
A constant preoccupation with gambling. For instance, you may spend excessive amounts of time thinking about gambling or engaging in the behaviour.
Repeated unsuccessful attempts to stop or reduce gambling.
Frequently gambling when stressed or under significant pressure or strain.
Relying on others for financial help and support and continuously asking friends and family to lend you money.
Frequently chasing your losses. For instance, you may make another bet or gamble to substitute a previous loss or series of losses.
Needing to gamble more and more money away or raising the financial stakes to experience the desired excitement and thrill.
Missing family or work events to gamble.
Experiencing mood swings and sudden bursts of anger.
Feeling depressed and suicidal.

Gambling addiction has been linked with other mental health conditions such as anxiety, depression and bipolar disorder.

However, as well as the above, gambling disorder is also associated with the following mental health issues:

Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).
Increased alcohol or drug use.
Increased stress levels.
Increased risk of suicide.

Individuals with gambling addiction often respond well to a combination of treatments such as cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) and peer support groups (such as Gamblers Anonymous.)

While there is no specific medication to treat gambling addiction, healthcare providers often prescribe certain medicines to help treat the symptoms of co-occurring disorders like depression and anxiety, which can cause or worsen gambling disorders.

What are the causes of process addiction?

As with any addiction, the underlying causes of process addiction cannot be easily identified as one single source or event.

Studies show process addictions are often the result of a combination of different factors, including genetic, biological and environmental.

Underlying exposure to trauma, abuse, unhealthy relationships, or high levels of stress can also be a contributing factor.

Researchers believe that substance addictions and process addictions share many common biological and behavioural characteristics and, therefore, may share many risk factors that influence their development, including:

Personality traits and characteristics.
Low distress tolerance. For instance, a person may lack healthy coping skills for easing stress and daily pressures.
Early exposure to trauma, abuse or neglect.
Having a co-occurring mental health condition, such as anxiety, depression or PTSD.
Societal influences.
Having an existing substance use disorder.

The factors that contribute to the onset of a process addiction are unique to each person, which makes predicting them almost impossible.

However, it is now believed that several factors need to interact to trigger the onset of any addiction and that no two people will be affected in the same way.

What are the signs and symptoms of process addiction?

As mentioned, many of the activities or behaviours involved in process addiction are deemed acceptable in society, such as shopping and exercise.

Therefore, it can be challenging to recognise or acknowledge when a specific behaviour has developed into an addiction.

One key difference between a healthy interest in any of these activities versus process addiction is that healthy enthusiasm adds to our lives.

In contrast, a process addiction takes away from it.

While the physical signs and symptoms of substance addictions are typically absent in process addictions, there are some general mental, emotional and behavioural signs to look out for, including:

Spending excessive time thinking about or engaging in the behaviour or recovering from its effects.
An increasing sense of tension immediately before initiating the behaviour.
An inability to control the behaviour despite being aware of the negative consequences.
Repeated failed attempts to reduce, control or stop the behaviour.
Prioritising the behaviour over other parts of our life, including family, work, friends and other responsibilities.
Giving up important work, social or recreational activities because of the behaviour.
Using the behaviour as a coping strategy to feel in control and/or deal with difficult emotions and feelings.
Secrecy – such as hiding behaviours from others, lying about them and downplaying the extent of the problem.
Developing a tolerance to the behaviour. This means you may need to increase the frequency or intensity of it to achieve the same satisfaction.
Experiencing emotional withdrawal symptoms, such as mood swings and irritability, particularly when you are unable to engage in the behaviour (this can also result in mental health problems, such as anxiety, depression or substance abuse.)

The signs and symptoms of any addiction can vary from person to person, depending on the type of addiction, severity of symptoms, length of addiction and other factors.

You must recognise that without professional help and support, your process addiction will become increasingly worse, resulting in various negative impacts across many areas of your life.

Fortunately, process addictions are highly treatable.

There are various effective treatments available to ensure a complete recovery while helping you develop critical coping and relapse prevention skills so that these behaviours are no longer a problem for you.

How can process addictions be treated?

Process addictions present some unique challenges when it comes to treatment options.

Many behaviours or activities—such as working, eating, shopping, and using the internet—are ordinary and necessary aspects of everyday life.

Therefore, abstinence is not a realistic solution.

Effectively treating process addiction involves not only addressing the underlying issues but also providing recovery tools so that you can engage in the behaviours or activities in healthy, non-addictive ways.

As mentioned earlier, treatment for process addictions typically focuses on behavioural therapies like CBT as well as group therapy and support to help you manage your thoughts and behaviours and cope with any urges or temptations that may crop up during and after treatment.

As well as the above, process addiction treatment may also include:

Psychiatric care – As co-occurring mental health conditions can exacerbate or worsen process addictions, these issues must be diagnosed and treated simultaneously. Medication may sometimes be used to relieve any severe symptoms of mental health conditions while you are undergoing treatment. Each disorder must be addressed comprehensively, including any potential interactions between them.

Complementary therapies—Complementary therapies, such as equine therapy, mindfulness, music and art therapy, and acupuncture, can be beneficial during recovery as part of a holistic treatment plan.

Aftercare – Ongoing support is essential for relapse prevention and can be significantly beneficial for those in recovery from process addiction. An aftercare plan is needed for people to achieve and sustain long-lasting recovery, including access to local support groups and help when required.

The type of process addiction treatment you receive will depend on your individual needs and preferences.

An experienced therapist will assess your current situation, which involves looking at the type of process addiction you have, symptom severity, as well as any coexisting mental health conditions that may need to be addressed and treated.

If you or a loved one are struggling with a process addiction and need help and support, effective treatment is available.

Please contact us today so we can help you discover a treatment plan that will work for you and help you regain control of your life.

We are here and ready to help.