Process addiction is a mental health condition marked by a strong compulsive desire to take a particular action or behave in a specific way. It’s also called behavioral addiction. A person with this disorder engages in this behavior even when it’s harmful to their physical, emotional, financial or interpersonal wellbeing.
Process addictions and substance addictions may co-exist in a patient. The behaviors give a person an emotional high or reward. But just like all addictive behaviors, the person with a behavioral addiction is unable to abstain from indulging in the behavior and needs treatment to stop it.
This is an addiction that occurs without any substances. It’s a form of habitual, compulsive behavior that provides the same type of emotional high that comes from using drugs or alcohol. Although these behaviors are harmful to the person’s wellbeing, and though they bring shame and guilt, the person still feels compelled to keep doing them. Just like someone who is addicted to drugs, a person with process addictions tries to avoid the discomfort that comes with refraining from the action.
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Behavioral addiction may stem from a combination of factors, including:
Genetics is one of the most prominent factors that causes process addiction. People with family members who became addicted are more likely to develop process addictions. Other risk factors include trauma during childhood, neglect, abuse, inadequate parental care or a dysfunctional home environment. Peer pressure can also be a risk factor in developing behavioral addiction.
Family members can help a person accept their need to change and seek treatment for their addiction. Family members can also attend family therapy sessions and participate in support groups to learn more about the mental disorder and how to provide support in the early years of recovery in the home.
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