Other Addictions: shopping, internet, food, telephone, sex

The so-called “newer” addictions identified by the professional community have been the subject of debate for some time now. These addictions tend to be associated with activities having a psychoactive effect. Treatment for these addictions uses a similar approach as is used to treat substance addictions because they have similar patterns of development and symptoms progression. People do not become addicted directly to drugs or certain behaviors but rather to the experiences they induce. Such experiences can also occur with everyday activities such as shopping, phone activity or surfing the internet, thus giving rise to addiction problems.

The common denominator is the need for some “relief” from one or more life conditions, whether perceived as physical, mental or external ones. The degree of one’s risk of becoming “addicted” in some way may depend on certain personality predispositions and living conditions in which one grew up and how one has learned to manage life crises, either on own’s own or with the help of others.