The 5 main characteristics of addictions without substances

Although the human mind is characterized by its flexibility and ability to adapt to the challenges it imposes environment, this ease of adjusting its operation in many different ways means a double blade edge.

Among other things, it implies that there is also a wide variety of imbalances that can occur in people's mental health. And there are even psychological and psychiatric disorders in which at first glance it is not easy to distinguish between the pathological and the simple choices the person makes about how he wants to behave and live her life.

The case of addictions in which there is no drug involved is an example of the latter, and in fact, it is It is a problem that usually sets off alarms when it is already consolidated in the behavior of the person. In this article we will see what they are the characteristics of non-substance addictions and how they are treated in therapy.

• Related article: "The 14 most important types of addictions"

What are non-substance addictions?

As the name suggests, non-substance addictions

are disorders in which the person develops a dependency relationship, but not towards a drug, but towards a type of behavior patterns that you feel the need to repeat over and over again. In fact, beyond what the person feels dependent on, non-substance addictions are not very other than drug addictions, including some of the better known such as alcoholism, opiate addiction, etc.

In practice, they tend to be severe problems that lead sufferers to lose control of their lives, including managing your time and money, in large amounts, and in some cases also involve going through accelerated physical deterioration.

Let's see in a more detailed way what are the characteristics of addictions without substances.

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The 5 most important characteristics of non-substance addictions

These are the aspects that most characterize behavioral addictions.

1. The person loses the ability to delay addictive behavior

Slowly, the person is no longer able to resist the need to perform the behavior on which they feel dependent. For example, gambling on slots.

• Related article: "How to control impulsivity? 8 tips that help "

2. The person develops tolerance

As with drug addiction, as time goes by, the person needs to become increasingly involved in the addictive behavior to experience the same intensity of the feeling of being "satiated".

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3. If you spend a long time without consuming the addicting behavior, discomfort arises

Withdrawal syndrome makes the person feel very bad until they relapse, although that option will generate more discomfort in the long term.

4. They predispose people to develop other addictions

Although on paper non-substance addictions do not involve the use of drugs, in practice, the fact of developing this type of disorder greatly increases the risk of developing parallel drug addictions.

This is due to the pattern of poor handling of emotions and modulation of impulses that the person adopts, and also to the type of contexts recreational areas where you like to be (for example, in places where you usually gamble money, there is a lot of alcohol available and easy to access).

• Related article: "Alcoholism: these are the effects of dependence on drink"

5. Addiction blends well with socially accepted behaviors

Unlike what happens with most drug addictions, in which substance use is seen as a sign of possible pathology, in substanceless addiction, problem behaviors go unnoticed, since there is no image of a person introducing a substance with psychoactive effects into their body.

Treating this kind of addiction

In psychotherapy people can be helped to develop better ways to manage their impulses and to detect red flags that indicate a high risk of relapse. In addition, people are provided with information on how to transform their environment to minimize the chances of relapse.

On the other hand, in psychological therapy patients are also supported in the process of discovering and applying incentive-filled activities to their own lives that are outside the addiction. In this way, it is easier to stop constantly thinking about those behaviors that were at the base of the dependency.

On the other hand, although drug use is not involved in non-substance addiction, the need for psychiatric assistance is usually indicated in combination with psychotherapeutic; From medicine, it is possible to use drugs that help mitigate symptoms associated with anxiety and withdrawal syndrome, although always depending on each case and under the supervision of professionals.

Looking for psychotherapeutic treatment for addictions?

If you are interested in having psychotherapy services to overcome an addiction, get in touch with our team of professionals.

On Cepsim Psychological Center we have psychologists trained in psychotherapeutic care for all kinds of health problems including intervention in cases of substance dependence or addictions without drug use. drugs In addition, we offer the possibility of conducting the sessions in person at our centers throughout Madrid, or through the online therapy format by video call.