Addiction psychiatry deals with compulsive behavior that damages relationships. Specializations include drug, internet, gambling, and food addiction. Treatment includes rehabilitation, therapy, and medication. Gambling addiction can be costly.
Addiction psychiatry addresses the client’s need to continue the compulsive behavior regardless of the damage it causes to social, occupational, and family relationships. Examples of addiction include alcohol, drugs, the Internet, gambling and overeating. Addiction psychiatrists often specialize in one type of addiction treatment. This allows them to fine-tune their approach to that specific problem.
A common specialty in the different types of addiction psychiatry is drug addiction. Drug addiction includes addiction to illegal drugs, such as heroin and cocaine, as well as addictions to legally prescribed drugs, such as anti-anxiety or pain relievers. Treatment typically includes inpatient or outpatient rehabilitation, talk therapy, and drugs that block withdrawal symptoms. Some treatment providers hold group counseling sessions, while others prefer to address the problem in one-on-one sessions.
Compulsive Internet use has received media recognition as professionals debate its merit as a true addiction. Meanwhile, mental health professionals have continued to counsel patients whose internet use is interfering with daily life. In addition to the excessive addiction to surfing the Internet, the ability to gamble online also fuels gambling addiction. Treatment includes giving up the internet and cognitive behavioral therapy to learn alternative behaviors.
Food addiction is another specialized area regarding the different types of addiction psychiatry. Anorexia nervosa (failure to consume enough calories to sustain life) and bulimia (binge bines and purge through vomiting) are typical food addiction problems seen in the mental health arena. The psychiatric approach to treatment is usually a period of time in an inpatient rehabilitation center, followed by outpatient group therapy. Some cases require additional individual therapy sessions.
Eating disorders affect more women than men. They tend to run in families, and up to one in 10 teenagers are affected by an eating disorder at some point in their lives. Symptoms include an unrealistic body image and a fixation with food. Patients are typically overachievers at school or work.
A gambling addiction can be very costly to the addict. In the field of addiction psychiatry, this is a specialized treatment area. Gambling addicts have been known to lose entire paychecks, take out loans that don’t get paid back, and borrow, steal, or manipulate others into getting money for gambling. Treatment often includes group therapy, medications to block the compulsions, and cognitive behavioral therapy to modify responses to the desire to play.
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