Often a topic of hot debate is compulsive behaviors and the term "addiction". Are compulsive behaviors addictions? Is someone who struggles with a compulsive behavior forever "in recovery" or is "recovered" possible?
Well, the answer to that depends on who you ask.
According to our text "Certain behaviors such as gambling, eating, shopping, sexual activity, video games, TV and the internet can become compulsive, mimicking compulsive drug use, and affecting the neuroanatomy and neurochemistry of brain cells in the same way that addictive drugs do" (Ksir 2011.)
The above, however, is not every compulsive behavior in the book. Self injury, for instance, is highly addictive and a widespread problem in society.
Psychology today (2013) states that " It is increasingly possible for people to experience so-called behavioral addictions"
I have seen first hand, and experienced myself, behavioral addictions.
Often the twelve steps can be used to treat behavioral addictions, and there is a plethora of twelve step meetings from "emotions anonymous" to "self injury anonymous" to "eating disorders anonymous" and even "sex addicts anonymous." The list goes on and on.
While this method is proven to be affective in the treatment of all 'addictions', and most will agree that behavioral addictions are true addictions,
not all with agree on weather one can recover completely from them or
not.
Great post! I do agree that compulsive behaviors can be categorized as addictions. As you mention self harm, that is definitely an addictive behavior that has target the younger population. There are options and programs for these types of behavioral addictions which mimic the 12 step AA model. It can be difficult to spread the word of recovery to young people, and I think this is one area of focus that should be target by schools.
ReplyDeleteWell done
Thanks,
Isaac