Process Addiction Treatment in San Diego
Imagine a scenario where everyday activities, ones that most people engage in without a second thought, become a source of overwhelming compulsion. You can’t think of anything else and will go to great lengths to engage in this activity or behavior, no matter the cost.
This is the reality for individuals grappling with process addictions. Unlike drug or alcohol addiction, these do not involve the excessive use of substances but rather behaviors that provide a similar escape or ‘high.’ While less understood than substance use disorders, process addictions can have an equally harmful impact on your life and wellness.
What Is a Process Addiction?
Process addictions are a category of non-drug addictions where an individual becomes addicted to a certain behavior. Unlike drug or alcohol addiction, where individuals become dependent on a particular substance, process addictions are tied to activities such as sex, gambling or shopping. These activities start as harmless engagements but escalate into serious problems affecting mental health, relationships and overall quality of life.
Types of Process Addictions
Process addictions encompass a range of behaviors that, on the surface, might seem like everyday activities. However, for some, these activities become compulsive, leading to a cycle of addiction. This can lead to significant distress and impairment in various aspects of life. Understanding the various types of process addictions can help shed light on how ordinary actions can morph into compulsive behaviors with far-reaching consequences.
Sex Addiction
Sex addiction involves compulsive sexual activity despite negative consequences. Symptoms may include a preoccupation with sexual thoughts or fantasies, engaging in risky or unsafe sex, and using sex to cope with difficult emotions. It’s crucial to understand that sex addiction is not about enjoying a healthy sex drive — it’s an obsessive behavior that can disrupt your daily life and relationships. Individuals with sex addiction often feel a loss of control over their behaviors and may continue to engage in them despite wanting to stop.
Gambling Addiction
Gambling addiction, sometimes called compulsive gambling, is a serious process addiction that can have devastating effects on an individual’s life. It is characterized by an unrelenting urge to gamble despite the toll it takes on one’s financial stability, relationships and normal functioning. Unlike casual gambling for entertainment, gambling addiction is a progressive disorder that can lead to severe psychological and financial consequences. Key symptoms include persistent thoughts about gambling, increasing amounts of money spent on gambling, lying about gambling and an inability to stop or control one’s gambling.
Shopping Addiction
Shopping addiction, also referred to as compulsive buying disorder, is a complex process addiction characterized by an overwhelming preoccupation with shopping and spending. Individuals with this addiction often use shopping as a way to feel good, cope with stress, or fill some sort of void in their lives. However, this temporary relief is followed by feelings of guilt, remorse or distress, creating a destructive cycle that can be difficult to break. Symptoms of shopping addiction include frequent shopping sprees, a ‘high’ or rush while shopping and purchasing items compulsively without consideration for need or consequence.
Video Game Addiction
Video games can be a fun and healthy activity for kids and adults, but when individuals spend most of their time gaming at the expense of their schoolwork, self-care and relationships, it can become harmful. Video game addiction is characterized by excessive gaming, persistent thoughts about gaming and neglect of other activities in favor of gaming. It also involves continued gaming despite negative consequences in one’s personal and professional life.
Digital Device Addiction
Do you find yourself compulsively “doomscrolling” on your phone, tablet or computer? This could be a sign of digital device addiction, which can negatively impact your mental health and lead to disruptions in daily life. Symptoms include an excessive preoccupation with digital media and neglect of real-life relationships and responsibilities, including work and school.
Food Addiction
Highly palatable foods can activate the brain’s reward pathways and trigger feelings of pleasure and satisfaction, similar to drugs or alcohol. Food addiction involves a compulsive need to eat or a preoccupation with food, often leading to overeating and binge eating. This addiction is characterized by intense cravings, eating when not hungry and continued overeating despite the negative health consequences.
Internet Addiction
Internet addiction involves problematic and compulsive use of the internet to the extent that it disrupts daily life. Symptoms of internet addiction may include a preoccupation with online activities, a need to use the internet for increasing amounts of time and feeling irritable or angry when unable to access the internet.
Other Process Addictions
In addition to the specific addictions detailed above, there are other process addictions that can significantly impact an individual’s life. These may include behaviors like compulsive exercise and workaholism. While the specific behaviors involved in different process addictions may vary, they share a common thread: the compulsive engagement in a behavior despite the potential harm and consequences.
How Do I Know If I Have a Process Addiction?
Unlike substance use disorders, which are easy for others to understand, process addictions tend to be more complicated. Instead of becoming addicted to drugs or alcohol, individuals become addicted to the feeling they experience when performing a certain behavior. In response, the brain releases a surge of feel-good chemicals, similar to a ‘high’ or rush.
When trying to determine whether an individual’s behavior is compulsive and could be considered a process addiction, mental health professionals look for many of the same signs that can be seen in those struggling with substance use disorders, such as:
- An overwhelming preoccupation with a behavior or activity
- Wanting to stop or cut back but not being able to despite repeated attempts
- Frequent cravings and the urge to engage in a particular behavior
- Sacrificing important relationships, opportunities or hobbies
- The inability to abstain from a behavior without discomfort or distress
- Using certain behaviors to cope with difficult thoughts or emotions
- Escalating frequency or intensity of a behavior over time
- Continuing to engage in an activity despite the consequences
- Feelings of guilt, shame or helplessness due to the behavior
When it comes to process addictions, these symptoms apply to any compulsive behavior that is out of an individual’s control. Reflecting on your experiences can help provide insight into whether you’re dealing with a process addiction, but a thorough assessment with a mental health professional is required for an accurate diagnosis. As with any addictive behavior, process addictions often require specialized treatment and support to resolve.
Process Addiction Treatment at Achieve Concierge
At Achieve Concierge, we recognize the deeply personal and often complex nature of process addictions. Our approach to treating process addictions is comprehensive and multi-dimensional, blending traditional methods with innovative therapies to address the full spectrum of our clients’ needs.
Personalized Treatment Plans
We start with a thorough mental health assessment to understand the specific challenges and circumstances of each individual. Based on this assessment, we craft a personalized treatment plan that may include individual therapy, group therapy and family therapy, among other approaches. We understand that process addictions are often intertwined with other mental health concerns such as anxiety, depression or trauma, so our treatment plans are designed to address these co-occurring disorders in a holistic manner.
Traditional & Innovative Therapies
Our treatment modalities include traditional therapies like cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), which helps individuals recognize and change destructive thought patterns and behaviors. In addition, we offer innovative therapies such as mindfulness-based stress reduction, which can help individuals develop new coping mechanisms and foster a deeper sense of well-being.
Compassionate, Expert Care
Our team consists of highly skilled mental health professionals, including licensed therapists, clinical psychologists and psychiatric specialists. We are deeply committed to providing compassionate care that respects the dignity and individuality of each person. Our experts work collaboratively with each client to empower them in their journey toward recovery.
Schedule a Consultation for Sex, Gambling or Shopping Addiction at Achieve Concierge Today
If you’re dealing with a process addiction but are ready to break free from compulsive behaviors, we can help. Schedule a consultation at Achieve Concierge to regain control of your life with personalized treatment plans, evidence-based therapy and expert support. Get started by contacting us online or calling us today at (619) 393-5975.