Process & Behavioral Addictions

Trauma is positively correlated with an increased risk of addiction.

Because traumatic events like early abuse, neglect, or feelings of invalidation often become the spark for later behavioral addictions, it’s important to recognize and treat not only the behavior, but the underlying core attachment wounds.

In earlier models, addiction was originally isolated as substance and alcohol dependence or abuse. In today’s addictions, we now understand them to include “process” addictions, or behavioral addictions including technology/internet, gaming, relationships/sex, workaholism, social media, food, shopaholism, or exercise addictions.

With process addictions, the outward addictive behavior is turned to in prolonged, repeated, and self-defeating patterns that are used to escape and avoid vulnerable feelings or past trauma.

The pattern unfolds where the behavior is turned to in higher frequencies or duration with the goal of “numbing” and emotionally avoiding painful emotions or memories.

This pattern correlates with an increased risk of addictive behavior.

I believe that when choosing to recover from addictive patterns, it is important that there is an actionable plan in helping you recognize what your triggers are, where they started, and how they have been affecting the quality of your life. I collaborate with my clients in creating a plan this is customized for your specific needs, and adjusted as you continue to gain success.

Most importantly, my actionable plans include mastery and maintenance, which are the two most critical skills necessary in reducing and eliminating unwanted patterns and addictive behaviors while maintaining new adaptive behaviors.