Process addiction is a compulsive behavior related to an activity or process, such as gambling or eating, and can be as debilitating as substance addiction. It requires psychological treatment and is influenced by various factors, including genetics and childhood experiences. Treatment involves identifying the addictive behavior and making a commitment to end it, and people should treat those with process addiction as they would someone with substance addiction.
Process addiction is an addiction to an activity or process, such as eating, spending money, or gambling. These behaviors can be as debilitating as those associated with substance addictions and require psychological treatment. People sometimes have a hard time understanding these conditions, because they believe people should be able to stop negative behavior, but addicts face the same problems as people with substance addictions.
In many discussions of addiction, the term process addiction is used to create a loose category of addictions differentiated from substance addictions. It is a compulsive behavior that is related to a process, while substance addiction requires the ingestion of a particular substance. Substance addictions have been recognized for centuries; process dependency was less widely accepted until the 20th century.
The addiction process is extremely complex and appears to be influenced by a variety of factors. Someone’s mental state, genetics, and social status can all contribute to addiction, as can factors such as childhood experiences. Addiction appears to be closely related to the idea of psychological gratification, as people learn to engage in an activity or substance in order to be rewarded in some way, and this in turn creates a state of dependence.
Just like a substance addiction, a process addiction usually starts small, and people suffering from such addictions may have a delusion of self-control. It can also be very harmful. Chronic gambling and spending, for example, can bankrupt someone as well as generate large amounts of debt. Compulsive eating can lead to health problems and a range of psychological problems as well as costing a large amount of money, and many process addictions are also linked to a social stigma.
Treatment for these conditions requires identifying the addictive behavior and making a commitment to ending it. This can be extremely difficult and often requires a long period of therapy and sometimes the assistance of tools such as pharmaceutical compounds, hypnosis and other techniques. Courses of treatment vary greatly from patient to patient, with success rates equally varied, although many psychologists agree that a conscious desire to address the problem will greatly increase the success rate of therapy.
People who interact with someone who has a process addiction are encouraged to treat that person just as they would treat someone with a substance addiction. Offering drinks to a recovering alcoholic, for example, is generally frowned upon, and likewise it would be considered impolite to invite a compulsive customer who is recovering on a shopping trip.
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