Phenomenology and Treatment of Behavioural Addictions

Abstract

Behavioural addictions are characterized by an inability to resist an urge or drive resulting in actions that are harmful to oneself or others. Behavioural addictions share characteristics with substance and alcohol abuse, and in areas such as natural history, phenomenology, and adverse consequences. Behavioural addictions include pathological gambling, kleptomania, pyromania, compulsive buying, compulsive sexual behaviour, Internet addiction, and binge eating disorder. Few studies have examined the efficacy of pharmacological and psychological treatment for the various behavioural addictions, and therefore, currently, no treatment recommendations can be made.

“It’s A Deficiency Disorder”. Clients Understanding of Substance and Behavioral Addictions and Treatment Needs: An Interview Study

“…Clients in recovery from substance and behavioral addiction need a variety of interventions that create a holistic treatment, centered on long-term benefits [11,14]. Prior studies have for example shown that clients need support to strengthen their self-perception and they also need support to repair and develop social and intimate relations [10,21].…”

“…Through brain imaging studies it is possible to evaluate underlying brain systems pathology and also visualize effectiveness of treatment [7] and through interview studies it is possible to investigate the shared phenomenology of addiction to substances and behaviors [8][9][10]. In line with this, some researchers view addiction to substances and behaviors as varying expressions of an underlying difficulty or deficiency [11][12][13][14]. The term behavioral addiction is however questioned.…”

Addictions. Substance addictions vs. behavioural addictions

“…The newest notion introduced is behavioural addiction, which is defined as repeated patterns of impulsive behaviours and inability to oppose the impulses, drives and urges associated with behaviours that are harmful to affected individuals and/ or other people [18] or syndromes analogical to substance-related addictions in which the affected individual focuses on certain types of behaviour and not substance use [19].…”

Behavioural Addictions as a Way to Classify Behaviours

“…Some investigators choose to include impulse control disorders, currently listed in DSM-IV-TR (for example, PG, kleptomania, and pyromania) as members of the behavioural addiction category, but have also included disorders not currently recognized in the DSM system (for example, CB, Internet addiction, and CSB). 3,4 In this edition of The Canadian Journal of Psychiatry, both Dr Jon E Grant and colleagues 5 and Dr Robert F Leeman and Dr Marc N Potenza 6 write about the behavioural addictions, yet appear to disagree about its members. For example, Dr Grant and colleagues 5 include pyromania and binge eating disorder, but Dr Leeman and Dr Potenza 6 do not.…”

“…3,4 In this edition of The Canadian Journal of Psychiatry, both Dr Jon E Grant and colleagues 5 and Dr Robert F Leeman and Dr Marc N Potenza 6 write about the behavioural addictions, yet appear to disagree about its members. For example, Dr Grant and colleagues 5 include pyromania and binge eating disorder, but Dr Leeman and Dr Potenza 6 do not. Conversely, Dr Leeman and Dr Potenza 6 include video game playing, but Dr Grant and colleagues 5 do not.…”