Types of Addictions Aren’t Limited to Drugs

When you hear that someone is suffering from addiction, your first thought is likely that they are addicted to drugs or alcohol. This may be true. But drugs and alcohol are not the only types of addictions that plague people today. They are simply the most commonly experienced forms.

Types of Addictions

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) recently reported that 21.7 million Americans over the age of 12 have a problem with abuse of alcohol or drugs. These addictions are the most widely understood. But there are a multitude of other common addictions that you hear less of, although they still cause many problems in individuals’ lives.

Addiction is actually defined as “the fact or condition of being addicted to a particular substance, thing, or activity.” So what are these “things” and “activities” considered types of addictions?

Below are eight common addictions for which people seek treatment today:

• Sex, also called hypersexual behavior disorder by the American Psychiatric Association (APA)
• Gambling, identified by the American Psychiatric Association as a legitimately addictive activity
• Internet use, of which the American Psychiatric Association has reported as causing changes in the brain identified by neuroimaging
• Shopping, a compulsive behavior more widely affecting women than men, requiring counseling and treatment to overcome the financial and personal ramifications of this disorder
• Video gaming, treated through counseling and behavior modification
• Plastic surgery addiction, considered body dysmorphic disorder (BDD)
• Binge eating disorder, affecting about three percent of Americans
• Risky behavior addiction, with thrill seekers experiencing many of the same symptoms as drug users

Common Traits of All Types of Addictions

Regardless of the substance or activity around which an addiction is formed, all types of addictions lead to common behaviors or traits. These common traits of addictions include:

• Lying
• Manipulation
• Criminal behaviors
• Blame shifting
• Abusive behaviors

Drug and Alcohol Addiction Treatment Provides a Brighter Future

If you or someone you love are addicted to drugs or alcohol, treatment is the key to overcoming that addiction. Beaches Recovery in Jacksonville FL provides Joint Commission-accredited programs that heal the mind, body and spirit. Whole person wellness is needed to ensure that drug or alcohol addiction does not transition into other forms of addiction. At Beaches Recovery, true healing and holistic balance can be achieved for lifelong sobriety.

Call Beaches Recovery now at 866.605.0532 to learn more about addiction and how you can get the treatment you need for an addiction-free future.