What are the main non-substance addictions?

A summary of the most important and common non-substance addictions.

Many people struggle with addiction to substances such as drugs and alcohol, but not everyone struggles with addictions of this type.

Some struggle with their appetite or gambling, while others may struggle with Internet or cell phone use. And it is this issue that we want to talk about in this article.

There are many people who suffer and have to fight with an addiction on a daily basis, but not everyone suffers from the same one. There are two types of addictions: substance addiction and behavioral addiction.. The first type involves the abuse of substances such as drugs, alcohol, nicotine or caffeine. The second type involves participation in behaviors or activities that cannot be stopped or reduced, even though they cause damage to the person's life. These are called behavioral addictions.

An addiction as dangerous as one involving drug use: behavioral addiction

The addictions without substance or behavioral imply that the person suffers dependence to an object or a behavior, not to something palpable as can be is dependent on an object or behavior, not on something tangible, such as a drug..

Non-substance addictions have a higher risk of relapse, as they use addictive behavior to cope with some aspect of their life. These addictions often develop in response to in response to trauma, stress, loneliness or other difficult times in a person's life.. Some examples might be work, or internet addiction.

For an addiction to exist, there does not need to be a physical item that can be consumed. Sometimes it is simply a behavior that causes us to fall due to a Biological imbalance.

Just as someone can become addicted to a substance, someone can also become addicted to a behavior. For example, gambling is one behavior that can be addictive without the addition of any physical element. This is because the brain becomes unbalanced due to the release of dopamine when gambling.

The most frequent non-substance addictions today.

We have already talked, in this same medium, about how the brain acts when an addiction is developing. In this process, brain structures and neurotransmitters come into play, and for that reason, we must be aware of possible warning signs.

For us, what is relevant in this article is to tell you, so that you have this important information, what are the main non-substance addictions. This does not mean that there are not more, since any behavior you can imagine can be susceptible to become an addiction.

For this reason it is very important that we are prepared to have a correct understanding of how they work, but also how their prognosis and evolution is.

Thus, the most common behavioral or non-substance addictions today are the following.

1. Pathological gambling or gambling addiction

Gambling is a truly addictive and destructive problem that affects many people. One of the main reasons for this is the way gambling addiction affects the brain.

A gambling addict may feel intense excitement or pleasure when gambling, but then feel the same amount of despair, disappointment and frustration when he or she loses his or her bets.. The addict cannot control the urge, even if he or she does not want to.

It is a very serious disorder that has significant personal and family consequences. It can affect people's ability to function in society, and it can also greatly affect their financial situation.

2. Work addiction

Work addiction is a modern phenomenon. It occurs when a person can not stop working even if he wants to and even if it is not a formal imposition from his organizational or work context.

There are many reasons for this addiction, but one of the main reasons is that people have been educated since childhood to work hard, they need to work from home because of personal or family problems, and people think that society will not appreciate them if they do not. Moreover, they think they are not doing their job well.

Workaholism can be very damaging, causing depression and anxiety in some cases.. It can also lead to burnout and poor job performance, which could result in dismissal.

When a person spends too much time on his or her job and stops caring about other things, he or she may develop a limiting disorder that needs to be addressed with special care.

There are many professions that require a lot of time and dedication in order to succeed, but in most cases it is In most cases it is possible to balance work and personal life and maintain a healthy work-life balance. and maintain a healthy balance.

3. Sex addiction

Sex is a basic need of every person. However, if it is maintained through obsessive behavior or abused, it can become a very serious problem that needs to be treated.. It can affect personal relationships, and really all areas of the addict's life.

It is important to note that many sex addicts make use of pornography, something that can be very detrimental to themselves by not actually living up to the expectations they have.