What Is Process Addiction?

Process addiction, also known as behavior addiction, is a type of addiction that occurs when someone develops an unhealthy dependence on a certain activity or behavior. This behavior or activity must cause significant impairment in one’s life in order for it to be considered clinically significant. For example, gambling is considered a process addiction.

Understanding Addiction

Of course, when we hear the word “addiction,” we associate it with substance use. However, the term addiction is often defined as continuing to engage in the use of a substance(s) or behavior(s) for the rewarding effects, despite the harmful or detrimental consequences.

Therefore, addiction does not only refer to the use of substances but to repeated, persistent, and compulsive behaviors while also causing distress or impairment in aspects of the person’s life. This means that the person develops an irresistible urge to continue to engage in the act or behavior that is causing problems.

Behavior Addiction vs. Substance Addiction

What is process addiction, and how does it relate to substance addiction? Some evidence shows that process addiction and substance addiction affect the brain in similar ways. According to some studies, similar chemicals in the brain get released when engaging in both behavior addiction and substance use. For example, when people with a gambling addiction engage in gambling, their brains can release a rush of dopamine similar to that of cocaine use.

Behavior Addiction vs. Substance Addiction

Other common features of substance addiction and process addiction include:

Nonetheless, unlike substance addiction, process addiction does not often cause the same physical symptoms during use and withdrawal. However, there is evidence that those with process addiction experience some form of withdrawal. When the behavior is suddenly stopped, individuals can experience irritability, difficulty sleeping, increased anxiety, restlessness, cravings, depression, and headaches.

Common Types of Process Addictions

While the only recognized non-substance-related addiction disorder recognized by the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5) is gambling, there are many other types of process addictions. Some of the most common types of process addiction will be detailed below.

Sex Addiction

People with sex addiction are unable to stop engaging in sex and spend a disproportionate amount of time seeking out sex while also keeping their behaviors secret.

Sex Addiction vs. Pornography Addiction

Pornography addiction is often placed under the same distinction as sexual addiction; however, unlike sex addiction, pornography addiction is based on the interpersonal experience. In other words, individuals with sex addiction need to have sex with another person to satisfy their needs and urges, while the needs of those with pornography addiction are satisfied through their personal experience with watching pornography.

Gambling Addiction

As mentioned, gambling is the only behavioral addiction that is currently recognized as a disorder in the DSM-5 and involves continuing to engage in gambling despite the negative consequences or toll it takes on one’s life.

Gambling addiction symptoms can include being preoccupied with gambling, feeling the need to gamble an increased amount of money, continuing to gamble to get back money lost, losing important relationships due to gambling, and unsuccessfully trying to control gambling behaviors. It is estimated that two million people in the United States have a severe gambling addiction and nearly six million have a mild or moderate gambling problem.¹

Internet Addiction

Internet addiction is defined as the maladaptive, excessive, and non-essential use of the internet or mobile devices to achieve satisfaction. Discontinued use may cause feelings of withdrawal, cravings, and negative consequences. Surveys conducted in the U.S. and Europe found that as high as 8% of people have internet addiction disorder.²

Internet Addiction vs. Social Media Addiction

Social media addiction is characterized as being overly concerned about social media, uncontrollably driven to open or log in, and compulsively scrolling through social media that may negatively impact other areas of life. Researchers believe that between 5% and 10% of people in the U.S. have social media addiction.³

Gaming Addiction

Similar to internet addiction, video game addiction is the compulsive and uncontrollable use of video games that negatively impacts other areas of the individual’s life. Gaming addiction can cause people to neglect other areas of their life.

Food Addiction

Food addiction results from an inability to stop eating certain foods. This addiction is comparable to substance addiction, as the brain experiences an uncontrollable urge to consume food and often a positive emotional response when eating. According to a meta-analysis examining twenty-five studies, the prevalence of food addiction was 19.9% and occurred more often in participants who were over thirty-five years old, females, and overweight or obese.⁴

Food Addiction vs. Eating Disorders

Although food addiction and eating disorders, such as binge eating disorder, look very similar, there are a few differences that set them apart. For example, food addiction has more to do with biochemistry and physical dependence on certain foods, while eating disorders often result from more complex mental health conditions.

Shopping Addiction

Shopping addiction refers to the behavior of compulsively buying or spending money in order to feel good and cope with negative feelings.

Shopping Addiction vs. Kleptomania

Shopping addiction and kleptomania are distinctly different due to one factor—how the items are obtained. Kleptomania is characterized by the overwhelming urge to steal, while shopping addiction is about spending money to buy items.

Exercise Addiction

Exercise is commonly associated with improved health; however, exercise addiction can cause harm and be maladaptive, just like many other behaviors. The characteristics of exercise addiction include continuing to exercise despite causing physical injury or threatening one’s health, exercising too much or for too long, and not giving the body proper rest. It is considered an addiction when it begins to negatively impact one’s life, health, and relationships.

Why a Process Addiction Assessment Is Important to Comprehensive Diagnostic Testing

Assessments for process addiction are important when engaging in comprehensive diagnostic testing, as there is increased overlap between process addiction, substance addiction, and mental health disorders. Although there is no identified cause of process addiction, comprehensive testing to help determine factors involved in the development of behavioral addiction are important.

Common Features of Substances Addictions and Process Addictions

Common factors of both substance and process addictions include:

Process addiction has also been shown to have a high comorbidity rate with substance addiction and mental health disorders.

What Health Problems Are Associated With Process Addiction?

Most commonly, mental health conditions are associated with process addiction. Engaging in the compulsive behaviors of process addiction can cause or increase depression, anxiety, and interpersonal problems.

Process addiction can complicate other health problems by causing the individual to ignore or avoid physical concerns due to compulsively engaging in behavioral addiction. For example, exercise addiction can increase the likelihood of physical harm due to ignoring the body’s need for rest.

Treatment for Process Addiction at Pacific Beach Health

Are you looking for treatment for a process addiction? Pacific Beach Health can help. Pacific Beach Health offers a variety of mental health and addiction treatments using compassionate, holistic, and research-based approaches.

Depending on your personal needs, the treatment provided at Pacific Beach Health may include a combination of therapy, medication management, and self-help groups. For more information, please contact us at 858.295.8694.

What Is Process Addiction?

Diagnosis, Signs, and Symptoms

Learn about process addiction, the common types, and the treatment process in this comprehensive article.