There used to be a time when people thought of addiction as a moral failure. Some might still embrace this opinion. Science now shows us that chemical dependency is actually an illness. Could it be true; is addiction a disease? Is Addiction a Disease? Science proves that addiction is a sickness of the brain that…
Talk to people about addiction, and they visualize someone abusing alcohol or pain pills. However, few have heard of behavioral addiction. It’s a situation where someone struggles with specific behaviors in the same way someone else experiences substance abuse. It still requires treatment at addiction treatment centers. Do you fall into this category? What’s a…
Have you ever wondered why your smartphone is so hard to put down or why you can’t resist reading that incoming text? Why do you suddenly feel vulnerable when you find yourself without your smartphone — a condition described with terms such as “nomophobia” or no-mobile-phone phobia?
The so-called runner’s high has an evolutionary explanation, according to researchers who have been exploring the phenomenon. A study by a team at the University of Arizona, led by David Raichlen, PhD, a professor in the School of Anthropology there, has found evidence to suggest that the runner’s high is an evolutionarily adaptive mechanism unique…
A behavioral addiction occurs when an activity that gives you a reward becomes something you can no longer control. Just like with drug abuse, a certain behavior can make you feel good and you’ll want to repeat it. When you are engaging in the behavior to the point that other aspects of your life suffer…
Are some demographic groups more vulnerable to pathological gambling than others?
Addiction experts in Europe are warning that the Internet will be responsible for the next wave of addiction cases, fueled by the rise of smartphone addiction. Addiction counselors point out how they’re seeing a rise in cases of online gambling and pornography addiction, which they believe is being fuelled by the 24-hour access provided by…
Gambling disorder is the only form of non-substance-based behavioral addiction with an official definition provided by the American Psychiatric Association. Affected individuals have an established, dysfunctional pattern of gambling involvement. Modern technology has increased the availability of gambling opportunities for the average consumer, and online gambling is now an option for fairly large numbers of…
A technology addiction can take a number of forms: hooked on texting, addicted to social media, obsessed with gaming or just being compulsive about using all forms of modern media. If you feel like you might be crossing the line from using devices to enhance your life to a full-blown tech addiction, it’s time for…
A marathon session of watching your favorite TV show sounds harmless enough. Thanks to on-demand viewing and online streaming, it’s easy to catch up on several episodes or even a whole season at a time. But binge-consuming anything — whether it’s TV, booze or food — may be a sign that something is missing in…