Public Health Significance Statements
Authors submitting manuscripts to Psychology of Addictive Behaviors are required to provide 23 brief sentences regarding the public health significance of their paper. This description should be included within the manuscript on the abstract/keywords page. It should be written in language that is easily understood by both professionals and members of the lay public.
When an accepted paper is published, these sentences will be used in dissemination by the journal, including e-mail alerts, the Society of Addiction Psychology website, and on social media . This new policy is in keeping with efforts to increase dissemination and usage by larger and diverse audiences.
Examples include the following:
- “This study indicates that vaping cannabis is increasing among adolescents and adolescent with lower perceptions of risk were more likely to use cannabis.”
- “This review found that mindfulness-based interventions are increasingly being studied as a primary treatment for alcohol and other substance use disorders. The review also found that mindfulness-based interventions are as effective as other treatments.”
- “This study highlights the importance of including measures of other substances, including alcohol, tobacco, cannabis, and other prescription and illicit drugs, in studies examining opioid use disorder and chronic pain.”
To be maximally useful, these statements of public health significance should not simply be sentences lifted directly out of the manuscript.
What Type Of Programs Are Offered To Treat Behavioral Addictions
Many of the same programs that are effective in the treatment of dependence upon drugs or alcohol are effective in the treatment of behavioral addictions. An effective behavioral addiction treatment program should offer all clients access to the resources they need. This may include any combination of the following:
Registered Reports And Replications
In addition to full-length research papers and brief reports reporting novel findings, the journal publishes registered reports, negative findings, replications, commentaries, and reviews. Replication submissions should include A Replication of XX Study in the subtitle of the manuscript as well as in the abstract. Preregistration of replication studies is strongly recommended, but not required.
Registered Reports require a two-step review process.
The first step is the submission of the registration manuscript. This is a partial manuscript that includes hypotheses, rationale for the study, experimental design, and methods. The partial manuscript will be reviewed for significance and methodological approach.
If the partial manuscript is accepted this amounts to provisional acceptance of the full report regardless of the outcome of the study. The full manuscript will receive rapid editorial review, for adherence to the preregistered design, and expedited production for publication in the journal.
All articles can be published as full-length articles or as brief reports.
The journal has partnered with the Peer Community In Registered Reports as an interested journal to encourage the publication of Registered Reports.
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Behavioral Addiction Vs Substance Addiction
Research suggests that behavioral addiction and substance use addiction work in the brain in similar ways. While they both have some overlapping diagnostic symptoms, such as continued use despite consequences or lack of any benefit, there are also differences. Behavioral addictions differ because they do not produce the same physical signs as drug addiction.
When Do Addictions Need To Be Treated
Addiction is a complex condition caused by multiple factors. In some cases, people can recognize their addiction and break the cycle on their own. In most cases, people need help. There are trained treatment providers out there who can help you get your addiction under control so it no longer harms you.
If your addiction is negatively affecting your quality of life, you need treatment. Whether the negative consequences are physical, emotional, social, financial or any combination of those, addiction treatment can help you move forward. Treatment may be temporary, or it may be a lifelong process. If you find yourself struggling or failing to stop using a substance or participating in a particular activity, treatment is recommended.
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Definition Of Behavioral Addictions
Theres no single agreed-upon definition of behavioral addictions. But theyre generally defined similarly to drug and alcohol addictions. Heres what you get if you adapt the guidelines from the American Society of Addiction Medicine to other behaviors:
- You cant stop doing itat least not for long. You might try for a while, but you keep going back for more.
- You cant stop thinking about it. When youre not doing it, youre thinking about it. You might be willing to do extreme or dangerous things to keep doing it .
- You have trouble managing your emotions. The behavior replaces your other coping skills. You become more sensitive to stress. You have a harder time identifying exactly what it is youre feeling.
- It interferes with your daily life or your relationships. Over time, your behavior gets more and more out of control. Your time and money go toward supporting your addiction in place of your other responsibilities. Other people start to become frustrated with your behavior.
- You have less and less awareness of the negative consequences. The longer your behavior continues, the less you notice how its affecting you and the people around you. Even extremely severe negative consequences, like losing your job or failing classes, are not enough to motivate you to stop. Often other people notice that the behavior is a problem before you do.
Data Materials And Code
Authors must state whether data and study materials are available and, if so, where to access them. Recommended repositories include APAs repository on the Open Science Framework , or authors can access a full list of other recommended repositories.
In both the author note and at the end of the method section, specify whether and where the data and material will be available or include a statement noting that they are not available. For submissions with quantitative or simulation analytic methods, state whether the study analysis code is available, and, if so, where to access it.
For example:
- All data have been made publicly available at the and can be accessed at .
- Materials and analysis code for this study are available by emailing the corresponding author.
- Materials and analysis code for this study are not available.
- The code behind this analysis/simulation has been made publicly available at the and can be accessed at .
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Is Chronic Cheating An Addiction
Chronic cheating can be considered a form of relationship addiction. Persons continually cheating seek the thrill of pursuing new partners in addition to the external validation of new love interests. Research also correlates this behavior with narcissistic personalities.
Narcissistic Personality Disorder has also been classified by some researchers as a form of addiction to esteem. If you are interested in learning more about narcissism, view my article titled, Do Narcissists Have Low Self-esteem?
Other Mental Health Resources
If you are struggling with other mental health issues or are looking for a specialist near you, use the Psychology Today therapist directory here to find a practitioner who specializes in your area of concern.
If you require a lower-cost option, you can check out BetterHelp.com. It is one of the most flexible forms of online counseling. Their main benefit is lower costs, high accessibility through their mobile app, and the ability to switch counselors quickly and easily, until you find the right fit.
*As an affiliate partner with Better Help, I receive a referral fee if you purchase products or services through the links provided.
As always, it is important to be critical when seeking help, since the quality of counselors are not consistent. If you are not feeling supported, it may be helpful to seek out another practitioner. I wrote an article on things to consider here.
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Can Netflix Be Addictive
Netflix can be a form of television addiction. The concept of television addiction was developed by researchers in the 1970s. Although there is currently no agreed-upon definition, Netflix binging may be an addiction if it causes significant harm in ones life.
A 2017 study acknowledged that TV series watching can be addictive, but more research needs to be done in this area to generate a theoretical rationale.
Given my background in gambling and gaming addiction, I would compare television addiction to these areas, asking comparable questions:
Is this a form of leisure activity that you generally have control over? Or is this beyond a form of leisure, acting as a coping behavior? Is it having a significant long term-cost to other areas of your life?
What Kinds Of Things Can Be Addictive
Addiction is a mental illness that involves the reward pathways of your brain. Anything that activates these reward pathways can become addictive. Some things, like sex and gambling, are more likely to do this than others. But really, pretty much anything that feels good can become addictive. It depends less on the behavior itself, and more on how that behavior makes you feel.
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Can You Be Addicted To Your Phone
Preoccupation with your phone as a form of escape, at the expense of other areas in your life, can be a form of internet addiction. Like other forms of addiction, this results in loss of control and significant harm in ones life.
I have written more extensively about this question in my article, Are You Addicted to Your Phone?
Many people say they are addicted to their phones, but very few are actually suffering from an addiction. In that article, I share a quiz you can take to determine your level of addiction, based on the clinically validated Internet Addiction Test .
Start The Recovery Process
At Synergy Recovery, we focus on your recovery by providing a customized treatment plan. We offer comprehensive addiction treatment programs that use both counseling and medication to help you come to terms with and manage your addiction. Everyones story is different, and we tailor our treatment to you. If you recognize you need help, you have already made a huge step toward recovery. Contact us today to book an appointment and begin moving forward with your recovery and your life.
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What If Substance Abuse Is A Part Of A Co
If a substance abuse or addiction disorder is a part of the experience of a client seeking treatment for a behavioral addiction, it is essential that treatment for that substance abuse disorder is integrated into the overall treatment plan. For many clients, the urge to drink or do drugs is coupled with the urge to engage in the process addiction. For example, some say that as soon as they get a drink in hand, the next thought is gambling. Others may include the use of stimulant drugs as a part of their ritual when they engage in behaviors triggered by or related to sex addiction. No matter what the combination of disorders is, it is often recommended that the person enroll in a residential treatment center that is equipped with the staff, resources, and experience to empower healing on all fronts.
Less Common Behavioral Addictions
The list of behaviors that could become addictive continues to grow, but some are less common. These include behavioral addictions that are less often reported, as well as those that have not been researched much. Some of these behaviors are also more commonly attributed to other known conditions .
Other behavioral addictions that have received less attention include:
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How To Treat Addictions
Addiction treatment will vary depending on the substance or activity and each individuals experience. Addiction can sometimes go hand-in-hand with a personality disorder or other mental health issue, requiring a multifaceted approach to treatment. Some addictions can be treated through an outpatient program, while others may require residential treatment or hospitalization. Recovery will differ depending on the individual and type of addiction.
Registration Of Clinical Trials
As of March 1, 2020 registration will be required for all clinical trials reporting primary outcome findings. Prospective registration is required if recruitment began on or after March 1, 2020. Retrospective registration will be accepted only if recruitment began before this date.
Clinical trials must be registered at ClinicalTrials.gov or at another recognized registry. A complete list of acceptable trial registries can be found via the WHO International Clinical Trials Registry Platform. Differences between registered and reported methods or outcomes must be explained clearly and transparently in the manuscript.
Trial protocols, including statistical analysis plans, must be made available to readers. Both published and unpublished protocols are acceptable. Published protocols should be cited in the manuscript. Unpublished protocols may be provided in online-only supplements or made available by request.
Use of the Standard Protocol Items: Recommendations for Intervention Trials checklist is recommended.
For secondary analyses of existing data sets, where primary analyses have already been published , registration is not required. For such analyses, registration status must be made transparent in the manuscript, and authors must follow guidelines about data transparency provided below. The article reporting the primary outcomes, and the findings, must be cited in the manuscript.
For studies that are not clinical trials, registration is encouraged, but not required.
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Can A Behavior Be An Addiction
In a previous blog I asked if someone could be addicted to being at a bar. I presented the example where Bert, a teenager was at a bar named Water Bar in my birth Caribbean village of Trafalgar, Dominica. Bert accused one of the adult men who was waiting outside the bar with him before 7:00am of being an alcoholic. The man did not deny his label but wondered why Bert too was there so early in the morning, and visits the bar so frequently, and for so many hours during the week and on weekends. The man labeled Bert a Waterbaraholic . Bert denied that label claiming, a bar is not rum for me to be addicted to it.
I thought that this example raised a good question about whether a person can be addicted to certain types of behaviors, such as frequently being at a place like a bar. In this visit, we will explore what various mental health professionals have to say on the topic. Is there such a thing as a behavioral addiction? If so, what exactly is it? It will also be important to consider what the general public and counselors should know about behavioral addictions. However, I will leave that topic to future blogs. Here, we will only explore whether behaviors can be addictive. In another future blog, I also aim to explore deeper into what makes a behavior an addiction.
References
How To Identify An Addiction
Many pleasurable activities can become addictions, but how do you recognize that shift from enjoyable pastime to dependency? Some common signs of addiction include:
- Priority shift: Are other aspects of your life, such as work, school or socialization, becoming less important than taking that drug, having a drink, swiping your credit card or gaming?
- Lack of control: Do you find yourself returning to the same behavior even though you recognize it is a problem?
- Increased tolerance: Do you need to take more of a drug or drink more to get the same feeling you are chasing? Do you need to shop, bet, eat or play more?
- Increased risk-taking behavior: Are you less concerned with risks and consequences than with achieving that pleasurable feeling? Addicts often risk their health, safety, relationships and financial security to maintain their addiction.
- Withdrawal: Do you feel unpleasant physical or psychological symptoms if you are unable to indulge in your substance or activity of choice?
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Can You Be Addicted To A Behavior
Traditionally, the term addiction has been applied to people whose drug or alcohol use has become a serious problem. But today, many mental health specialists agree that behaviors can be addictive, too. Treatments have been developed for sex addiction, gambling addiction, food addiction, and many others.
People also throw the word addiction around a lot in everyday conversation: Im so addicted to chocolate! It can make it hard to understand where to draw the line between being addicted to something and just doing it a lot. Especially since most of these behaviors are fine in moderationsome are even healthy or even necessary ! So how can you tell when your behavior is becoming a problem?
Behavioral Disorder Withdrawal Symptoms
The way the brain develops a tolerance to addictive substances, such as tobacco or cocaine, is generally highlighted by the user having to increase the usage to achieve the same effect. This is also true of withdrawal symptoms. Therefore, a person addicted to a specific substance and when they discontinue its use may find the physical and psychological effects incredibly uncomfortable and, in some cases, this can be medically dangerous.
Tolerance and withdrawal symptoms have long been used as measurable criteria when judging a persons level of substance abuse, though it is possible for addicts not to display either. This isnt the same in behavioral addictions, as both are difficult to identify and can vary depending on the specific problematic behavior. There are no physical withdrawal symptoms from behavioral disorders.
The only way to label them is through a change in an emotional state when the behavior isnt engaged. These are most commonly perceived as irritability, restlessness, anger, moodiness, sadness, guilt, anxiety, and feeling tense. But studies have not found a definite correlation between these emotional states and the level of behavioral addiction.
For example, someone with a gambling problem may find themselves experiencing these same emotions after a sustained period of loss despite being constantly engaged in the behavior.There have also been studies into the prevelence of sex, social media, video game, and .
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