In this respect, the behavioral addictions resemble substance use disorders. The repetitive engagement in these behaviors ultimately interferes with functioning in other domains. Each behavioral addiction is characterized by a recurrent pattern of behavior that has this essential feature within a specific domain.
The essential feature of behavioral addictions is the failure to resist an impulse, drive, or temptation to perform an act that is harmful to the person or to others ( 4).
It also serves as an introduction to the succeeding papers in this issue, which review some putative addictive behaviors in more detail.Ĭommon Features of Behavioral Addictions: Relationship to Substance Use Disorders In the hope of contributing to this debate, this paper reviews the evidence for similarities between behavioral addictions and substance use disorders, their distinction from obsessive compulsive disorder, and identifies areas of uncertainty warranting future research. Although many of the impulse control disorders (e.g., pathological gambling, kleptomania) appear to share core features with substance addictions, others, such as intermittent explosive disorder, may not. Not all impulse control disorders, or disorders characterized by impulsivity, should be considered behavioral addictions. Which behaviors to include as behavioral addictions is still open for debate ( 3).
#INTRODUCING MY ADDICTION SKIN#
Other behaviors (or impulse control disorders) have been considered for inclusion in the forthcoming DSM – compulsive buying, pathologic skin picking, sexual addiction (non-paraphilic hypersexuality), excessive tanning, computer/video game playing, and internet addiction. The current Diagnostic and Statistical Manual, 4 th Edition (DSM-IV-TR) has designated formal diagnostic criteria for several of these disorders (e.g., pathological gambling, kleptomania), classifying them as impulse control disorders, a separate category from substance use disorders. Several behavioral addictions have been hypothesized as having similarities to substance addictions. Issues around behavioral addictions are currently being debated in the context of development of DSM-V ( 1, 2)
The concept of behavioral addictions has some scientific and clinical heuristic value, but remains controversial. This similarity has given rise to the concept of non-substance or “behavioral” addictions, i.e., syndromes analogous to substance addiction, but with a behavioral focus other than ingestion of a psychoactive substance. Diminished control is a core defining concept of psychoactive substance dependence or addiction. Several behaviors, besides psychoactive substance ingestion, produce short-term reward that may engender persistent behavior despite knowledge of adverse consequences, i.e., diminished control over the behavior.