Process Addictions
What is a Process Addiction?
While many people often associate addiction with substances, addictions can take place with them. These are addictions tied to habits which provide a person with an emotional high, keeping them engaged in the behavior.
Sometime called behavioral addiction, a process addiction is exemplified by an eagerness to engage in certain behavior in spite of the negative consequences. The result of such behavior is an elevated mood, but usually followed by a sense of shame or guilt when the behavior stops.
Process Addictions Are Difficult
Men who believe their wellbeing and happiness depend on specific activities and outcomes often find that their relationships suffer tremendously. With the process addiction of compulsive shopping, you may be unable to resist the urge to order online items even as your credit card debt climbs.
The delivery of packages makes you feel powerful – if only for a moment. That adrenalin rush fuels even more unrealistic purchases.
At Origins Recovery Center, we specialize in helping men recover from behavioral health problems like process addictions that often accompany substance use disorders. A Process addiction may be unknowingly encouraged by loved ones. Identifying the root causes is paramount to long-term recovery.
Behavioral health problems such as compulsive gambling and sexual addiction can be hard for men to stop without professional therapy and intervention. These conditions often co-occur with substance use disorders. They are known as process addictions.
MENTAL HEALTH DISORDERS
Body Dysmorphic Disorder
Men who are obsessed with physical perfection may go to extreme means to look a certain way, such as excessive skin-tanning and multiple plastic surgeries. This becomes a type of process addiction for some men wherein their perceived ideal may be linked to other people’s appearance in their social circle.
Exercise Addiction
Over-exercising to the level where injury and exhaustion result may signal an exercise addiction. They continue to run, cycle, or work out despite injury and exhaustion may have an addiction to exercise. Rather than rest, these men work out, run, and cycle to the extreme.
Work Addiction
Sacrificing personal health for success in the workplace is common with men and encouraged by society. When the desire for approval and recognition gets out of control, mental, emotional, and relational health with loved ones can suffer. Men with a work addiction often try to justify compulsive drive for approval
Gambling Addiction
Risking your retirement savings or assets in the hopes of cashing gambling chips at the casino or a winning ticket at the racetrack is a type of process addiction which may be a sign you are unable to stop gambling without help.
Shopping Addiction
Shopping and spending money to purchase more than you need for your daily existence may signify a shopping addiction. Regardless of financial means, shopping can be a strong compulsion for men.
Love and Relationship Addiction
Patients who jump from one amorous relationship to another or have multiple romantic relationships are destructive to everyone, including themselves. These compulsive patterns have nothing to do with true love and are harmful to all those involved.
Smartphone Addiction
Checking your cellphone constantly or feeling anxious when your phone is not in your hand may be a sign that you cannot pull yourself away from it. If loved ones point out that you ignore them and scroll the internet on your smart devices instead, you may have a problem.
Some men describe phantom vibrations even when their phone is in another location.
Social Media Addiction
Checking likes and reactions to your social media posts and constantly scrolling through other people’s profiles can become obsessive. Comparing your life to carefully curated ideals is unhealthy, as is compulsively posting photos on social media instead of engaging in real life.
Cyber Addiction and Video/Internet Gaming Addiction
Playing online video games indicates a compulsive desire. Some men get to the point where their hygiene, work, and sleep patterns suffer.
Self-harm Addiction
When men experience an inability to feel emotions, they may turn to self-harm, such as compulsive skin cutting.
Treating Process Addictions
When men cannot engage in their process addiction of choice, they experience physical and mental withdrawal. Process addictions can be challenging to treat, but recovery is possible.
At Origins Recovery Center, our treatment methods for behavioral addictions include:
- Psychological testing and support for other co-occurring mental health disorders
- Individual psychotherapy to address triggers associated with process addictions
- Advanced trauma therapies to tackle the core issues related to your addiction
- Psychopharmacology and medication management
- Group counseling to help eliminate shame and unveil solutions with peers
- Support groups for process addiction, including 12-Step programming and fellowships
We Are Here to Help
Origins Recovery Center recognizes that a process addiction and substance use disorder in men are interrelated. Recovery is possible.
Begin your journey to wellness today: 561.841.1019.
Origins Texas: Most Insurance Accepted
In-Network with Aetna, Ambetter, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas, and Magellan
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South Padre Island, TX 78597
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