The Kumu

Porn Addiction and Effects on the Brain

The Kumu · July 13, 2021 · Leave a Comment

One of the most misunderstood addictions (and one of the most common) is porn addiction – and with limitless access, it’s only becoming an even bigger problem, especially for young men.

While the diagnosis of porn addiction is still a controversial one amongst mental health professionals and doctors, research shows that porn addiction can have lasting effects on the brain. So, what is porn addiction and how does it affect the brain? Here’s what you need to know.

What is Porn Addiction?

Before we get into how porn addiction affects the brain, it’s important to define exactly what porn addiction is and what it looks like. Porn addiction refers to someone who becomes psychologically dependent on pornography to the extent where it’s negatively interfering with their ability to function, daily life, and their relationships.

Although there’s still plenty of research to be done on it, some doctors do consider porn addiction to be a subset of a hypersexual disorder – which is a broad term that includes behaviors that may result from porn addiction, like excessive masturbation.

What Are the Signs of Porn Addiction?

Porn addiction isn’t always easy to diagnosis, especially since the condition itself is controversial in the medical community, but there are some signs that point toward an unhealthy relationship with pornography:

The pornography that you’re viewing causes you to feel less satisfied with your partner or it begins causing relationship issues
Even when it begins causing relationship issues, you don’t feel like you can stop viewing porn
You’re regular sex life becomes or feels less satisfying than it used to be
You’re performing risky behavior to view porn, like watching it while you’re at work or out in public
You’re ignoring responsibilities or obligations to view porn, such as cancelling time with friends or calling out of work to watch pornography
You feel ashamed or frustrated after viewing pornography but feel like you can’t stop watching it
You have to continually watch more extreme pornography to feel the same release or satisfaction that you did before
You express a desire to stop viewing porn but can’t seem to quit using it
You use pornography to cope with negative emotions in your life, like anxiety, sadness, or anger
You’re spending large amounts of money on pornography and possibly at the expense of other things you need, like groceries or daily necessities

What Causes Porn Addiction

Since the diagnosis of pornography addiction is still controversial, researchers haven’t identified clear causes for it – but there are a few possible causes that could contribute to someone developing a porn addiction, such as:

Using pornography as a way to escape other mental distress: Some people may learn to use pornography as a form of escapism from other psychological or mental distress in their life.
Existing relationship and intimacy issues: If you regularly feel dissatisfied in your relationship, pornography may become an alternative sexual outlet for that dissatisfaction.
Biological causes: Specific biological factors, like changes in your brain chemistry, could also lead to an increased risk of pornography addiction.
Unhealthy cultural norms or societal expectations: Cultural ideas about the types of sex you should enjoy or how someone should behave and look during intimacy can draw a person to pornography.

Combined with the potential causes above, the easy (and often free) access that many people have to pornography could increase the risk of addiction.

How Does Porn Addiction Affect Your Brain?

Any addiction doesn’t just change your behavior or affect your life negatively – it’s a medical condition that actually affects the brain, and makes you feel compelled to keep continuing the behavior regardless of what it costs you. Porn addiction isn’t an exception to this, and here’s how it can affect or alter your brain.

It May Trigger Your Reward Center

Inside your brain, everyone’s got a reward center, whose job is to release a pleasure chemical, dopamine, into your system when you participate in specific, positive behaviors. If you’ve ever gotten a rush of happiness after eating a delicious meal, exercising, or even spending time with a loved one, there’s a good chance that your brain was supplying you with dopamine.

Because our brains reward us with dopamine for certain behaviors, it’s only natural that you may want to repeat those behaviors.

Unfortunately, addictive drugs use that same dopamine process, and flood your body with pleasurable feelings and positive reinforcement – which leads your brain into developing a preference for that substance so that it can be rewarded again and again.

This is common knowledge with addictive substances like alcohol or drugs, but research suggests that porn could work the same way. It’s easy for porn to trigger those dopamine processes because it’s already easily accessible – for many people, accessing porn and feeling that dopamine rush is as simple as logging onto the internet.

Over time, porn can create pathways and cravings in your brain, which can lead people to spend a longer time watching or viewing porn to get the same “high” they used to. Just like a tobacco user that may start off smoking a cigarette a day but end up smoking an entire pack over time, porn addiction can work the same way.

Someone who’s addicted to porn may start off only watching it a couple of times a week, but after awhile, they may begin viewing it multiple times a day just to feel that same level of satisfaction.

And, like any other addiction, it can be hard to stop watching porn once you’re addicted. If you try to quit, you may experience cravings from the brain’s reward center.

It May Rewire What You Find Arousing

Besides affecting your reward center and dopamine processes, porn addiction can also affect what you find arousing or how you respond to sexual stimuli. Everyone already has preprogrammed, biological reactions to certain stimuli – you may feel a pang of hunger when you see a tasty meal, feel sympathetic or protective over small animals, or be drawn to specific physical traits.

However, we can also change the way we react to certain stimuli by artificially overwhelming them on a regular basis and changing our expectations – which happens more often than you might think. For instance, a new horror movie might terrify you, while an old horror flick from fifty years ago might not scare you at all.

The same phenomenon can happen with pornography – with enough repeated exposure, porn and porn addiction can shape and change the way that we react to sexual situations. Pornography can provide an endless supply of exaggerated sexual stimuli, and change your expectations for intimacy and desire from a partner.

Not only can this change how you view real life partners and intimacy, but when natural stimuli can’t live up to the exaggerated, artificial stimuli that pornography offers, it can also lead to less sexual satisfaction too.

Can the Effects of Porn Addiction be Reversed?

Like any addiction, the effects of porn addiction can be long-lasting and resilient, but studies show they’re not impossible to overcome or reverse. With the right treatment and plenty of patience, the brain can heal and create new, healthy pathways, but it takes sustained effort and plenty of practice.

However, once you’ve gone through treatment and the effects of porn addiction have largely been reversed, many people feel as if they can:

Rebuild the relationships that they may have harmed with their pornography addiction, especially romantic ones
Experience intimacy in a healthy way
Turn to alternative, healthy coping mechanisms rather than pornography
Identify and manage triggers that may lead to cravings for pornography or sexual thoughts
Manage stress better

How Do You Treat Porn Addiction?

Just as you would need to treat substance abuse, porn addiction also needs treatment – and most people can’t (and shouldn’t) fight it alone. However, because pornography addiction isn’t an official disorder that shows up in the DSM-5, there’s no official or specific treatment for pornography and may be tricky to find a recovery center that even treats it – but not impossible.

At Tikvah Lake Recovery, we offer professional recovery programs for porn addiction that are personalized to treat the way that this addiction may be affecting your life and relationships. Some of these programs include:

Individual counseling
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
Detox management
Group therapy sessions
Holistic and wellness treatment approaches

Going through treatment may not “cure” the addiction, but it can help you manage cravings for pornography and return to your regular life without the compulsive need to view it. If you’re interested in what a personalized treatment program for porn addiction at Tikvah Lake Recovery may look like for you or you’re just looking to find out more information about porn addiction, contact one of our experts today.

How are Escapism and Addiction Linked

The Kumu · July 13, 2021 · Leave a Comment

We all want to escape from time to time. Whether it’s from our jobs, our home life, or general life stressors, no one can continue on without some sort of rest indefinitely. It’s human nature to want a break from the mundane; we need a reset from time to time.

However, it becomes unhealthy when a person uses escapism as a means of retreating from painful memories, unresolved traumas or mental health issues in a way that is detrimental to their physical or mental health.

Unfortunately, this is a common occurrence in people who are suffering from pain that’s too much for them to bear, and too often results in dangerous activities, addiction being one of these.

In this post we will discuss the details of escapism, what it means, how it can be helpful in some cases, and when it becomes dangerous.

What is Escapism?

Merriam Webster defines escapism as “habitual diversion of the mind to purely imaginative activity or entertainment as an escape from reality or routine.” While we all do this from time to time and there are of course healthy ways to do so, when dealing with mental health issues and addiction it becomes problematic.

When using escapism healthily, a person is still capable of handling their responsibilities and is present in their day-to-day life as they would normally be. By these people, the escape is seen as a simple break; a way to reset and recharge before returning to their normal reality.

However, escapism becomes unhealthy when a person prefers to live in their imaginative reality, spending more time away from reality in order to escape the reason for their pain. This is one reason addictions begin; the addictive substance or activity affords the person their desired escape, giving them reason to stay away from the reality that is painful in some way.

Reasons for Escapism

The reasons someone might use escapism are vast, and often include mental health issues such as unresolved trauma, behavioral disorders, and the list goes on.

These are the most extreme reasons to use escapism and often result in addictive behaviors, for the simple reason that the addicted person prefers the way they feel when they are not forced to deal with their painful reality.

Other reasons a person might use escapism include a stressful home life or work environment, an overwhelming number of responsibilities, or even just plain old boredom of their seemingly mundane life.

These are the cases that tend to use escapism more sparingly, generally being aware that at some point life must resume as normal and that they must return to their responsibilities.

Forms of Escapism

There are both healthy and unhealthy ways to use escapism depending upon the person’s mentality regarding their chosen escape. However, any form of escapism can lead to dependency. Here are a few examples of some common escapism related activities:

Exercise

Exercise is widely known as a way to help us feel better, both physically and psychologically. The release of exercise-induced hormones such as oxytocin help to lift a person’s mood, along with the physical benefits that exercise brings such as weight loss, better range of motion, feeling stronger, etc.

Many people use exercise as their chosen form of escapism, and it can be a great way to feel better about life in general when done regularly.

Meditation

Meditation is a temporary form of escape that has a cumulatively positive effect on a person’s mental and emotional state. Not only does it provide a break for the amount of time required to participate, but it also works to calm the mind and create a lasting effect of tranquility over time.

This helps people to see life in a more positive way, making it feel less stressful or overwhelming. Known for being helpful for such conditions as anxiety and depression (among others), meditation is quickly becoming more popular within the mainstream wellness community.

Mindfulness

Mindfulness is similar to meditation, but there are a few key differences. While meditation requires a set period of time for quiet and reflection, mindfulness can be done throughout the day, causing little to no differences within a person’s daily routine (apart from finding themselves in a better mood).

This allows life to go on as normal while also giving the person a way to escape the mundane or stressful, simply by being intentionally conscious of their thoughts or activities.

Reading

Reading is a time-honored way of escaping; the term “getting lost in a good book” comes to mind here, and rightfully so. While immersed in the story of their choosing, a person wishing to temporarily escape can find themselves involved in any reality of their choosing, depending on what book they choose to read.

As a bonus, reading has been shown to increase mental acuity and brain health and is a recommended activity to participate in on a regular basis.

Drug/Alcohol Abuse

Drug and/or alcohol abuse (also known as substance abuse) is sadly an all-too common form of escapism, and a dangerous one at that. Many addicts come from traumatic pasts or have unresolved mental health issues that are too painful for them to deal with, causing them to find ways to make the pain go away on their own.

When attending substance abuse rehabilitation psychological treatment is frequently included, as professionals in this field are aware of the correlation between addiction and mental health issues.

Risky Behaviors

Risky behavior can include anything from engaging in unsafe sexual activity to extreme sports or criminal activity. While there are of course people who participate in these activities that are not utilizing them for the purpose of escapism, it is a common occurrence.

These risky behaviors often provide a rush of adrenaline, which makes a person feel stronger, excited, and even as if they are untouchable in extreme cases. Risking one’s own safety as a form of escapism is a dangerous choice to make.

Shopping

Shopping is a common form of escapism and can actually be done in a healthy manner. However, when a person shops themself into debt or begins collecting items that they have no actual use for solely for the purpose of buying things, this becomes an unhealthy form of escapism.

There are correlations between excessive shopping and several mental health issues, making this an addictive behavior in some cases, and therefore potentially dangerous for the person involved.

Gambling

Gambling is dangerous for a variety of reasons and is a common form of both addiction and escapism. The risk of financial ruin is the primary danger, however there are other risks involved as well, hanging around with dangerous people and owing money they are unable to pay being examples of these.

The rush of the occasional win keeps the gambler returning to the behavior, eventually becoming dependent upon it. This is often when the trouble begins, and it only worsens over time.

When Escapism Meets Addiction

As has been stated earlier, escapism can be healthy when done in moderation, especially when engaging in beneficial activities. However, when escapism meets addiction, the results can be catastrophic to the addicted person. This can be caused by a traumatic childhood or other trauma, or a deeper problem within the person’s mental state.

For example, when a person with a mental health disorder such as Schizophrenia suffers from symptoms such as hallucinations or hearing voices, they may wish to escape these occurrences. Often times, people are unaware that they have a problem and so they don’t seek professional help for themselves.

This can lead to substance abuse because through the substance, the affected person is able to temporarily escape the reality that scares them for a time. Eventually they realize that they feel better when under the influence than not, which often leads to excessive use. The chemical component of addiction then takes over, and they find themselves truly addicted; unable to stop for they feel as if they need the substance to survive.

The simple desire to escape from their reality caused a chain reaction that ended in a dangerous substance abuse problem. This is why treatment centers are staffed with mental health professionals; the underlying mental health disorder is often the root cause of the addiction and the key to a lasting recovery.

Conclusion

Escapism can be a healthy way to reset and recharge when we simply need a break from our daily lives. Choosing healthy activities such as reading, exercise, creative endeavors or meditation are beneficial to our overall well-being, and can contribute to our lives in positive ways.

Unfortunately, escapism can also be detrimental to our physical and mental health. Addiction, dangerous behaviors, and overuse of escapism to essentially run away from one’s reality can have a variety of negative effects and potentially lead to further problems.

The correlation between addiction and escapism is complex, but also clear. Addiction in itself appears to be an extreme form of escapism, affording the user temporary relief from issues they cannot face on their own. This can unfortunately lead to a much bigger problem, making recovery even more difficult than it might have been before the addiction took hold.

What is Lizard Brain

The Kumu · July 13, 2021 · Leave a Comment

Human evolution has made leaps and bounds in so many ways. We’ve come from hunter gatherers to technology touting intellectuals, all in a matter of a few thousand years.

However, there is one part of our evolution that hasn’t quite caught up to the rest, and it can be just as frustrating as it is helpful. Today we’ll discuss the Amygdala, otherwise known as the Lizard Brain.

What is the Amygdala?

In a nutshell, the Amygdala is part of our middle brain. It shares the Limbic system with the Hippocampus (responsible for spatial navigation, creativity and imagination, decision making, and character judgement) and the Hypothalamus (responsible for body temperature, appetite, emotions, and sleep cycles).

When these three elements of the brain are healthy, they work in harmony to create an optimal mental health state, as well as achieve homeostasis.

However, when one is overly active the others are thrown off balance, contributing to the potential onset of a variety of physical and mental health issues; anxiety, depression and adrenal fatigue being just a few of the many possibilities.

For example: for a person with anxiety, the frequency of perceived danger can be greatly increased compared to that of a person without anxiety. This causes the fight or flight response to become activated more often than is appropriate or necessary, eventually leading to the individual living in a near constant state of Amygdala arousal.

This, in turn, releases an unhealthy amount of stress hormones into the blood stream over time, contributing to Adrenal Fatigue along with numerous other health issues, both mental and physical.

Why is it called the Lizard brain?

The term Lizard Brain was aptly coined due to the Amygdala’s primary function: it’s solely responsible for our fear response, also known as the fight or flight response. It doesn’t deal with emotions such as happiness or sadness, joy or anger; it only functions to keep us alive and away from any threats we may perceive, whether real or imagined.

Since reptiles generally operate in survival mode and are perceived not to be emotional creatures, the term Lizard Brain was adopted to refer to the Amygdala. While in fight or flight our primary focus is to stay alive, therefore the parts of the brain that contribute to other important functions go offline until they are useful once again.

While this was an appropriate design for our hunter gatherer ancestors who were constantly in danger for their survival, it’s not always so helpful in recent times. The threats we face have changed from primarily physical to psychological, a side effect of our overly scheduled, busy lives.

The unfortunate result of this is that a growing number of people report having an overactive Amygdala; the stresses of daily life being much more frequent than the odd Sabre Tooth Tiger that our ancestors had to deal with.

What does this mean for me?

If a person has a healthy balance within their Limbic system and is knowledgeable on coping strategies for dealing with stress in a healthy manner, they will likely retain optimal mental health.

While stress is somewhat inevitable and can even be beneficial in some cases (think competitive sports or deadlines), keeping it within normal limits is key.

Unfortunately, prolonged exposure to stress and the fight or flight response can lead to deterioration of the other areas of the brain, such as the Hippocampus or the Hypothalamus (or both).

While of course it is advised to speak with a medical professional before attempting to self-treat or self-diagnose, there are ways to help strengthen these areas when they are depleted, like adopting certain diets and participating in physical and mental exercises.

What does the Amygdala have to do with addiction?

The correlation between addiction and the overactive Amygdala is complex, but has been recognized in certain studies. The chronically stress induced state of a person without a substance addiction is dangerous enough, but when combining factors of addiction and mental health disorders, the danger only multiplies.

One reason for this is that the fight or flight response in an addicted person may cause them to seek out their addictive substance. When someone is in near constant fight or flight, the sheer magnitude of their negative mental state can be too much to bear, causing them to use dangerous amounts of their substance of choice.

Another possibility is the fact that the Amygdala, when extended (or over-used), contains neurotransmitters that are associated with the positive reinforcing effects of drug abuse. This means that not only will the addicted person seek out the substance because of the stress response, but they will also be rewarded for using it; creating a double danger factor.

While addiction is often associated with untreated mental health issues — the very reason for rehabilitation facilities being staffed with mental health professionals — not all addictions are caused by Amygdala malfunction. However, the fact that so many of us are overly stressed on a constant basis provides viable reason to check further into the symptoms, and therefore treatment options of an addicted personality.

Conclusion

While the lizard brain has served us well in terms of helping us to survive danger and evolve as a species, in recent times it has become over worked and somewhat problematic.

Our busy lives and jam-packed schedules leave us vulnerable to frequent bouts with stress, and while some stress is considered healthy, it can be detrimental to our physical and mental health when we find ourselves too immersed in it.

While there are ways to combat the negative side effects of living in constant fight or flight, the ideal solution is to prevent them by maintaining a healthy balance of stress and relaxation. This way, the elements of the Limbic system can remain in harmony and do their job in an optimal environment.

Addiction is a difficult subject, for those suffering and their loved ones alike. However, addressing the possible mental health issues a person is dealing with (including chronic stress response) is their best option for recovery that lasts.

6 Ways to Stay Level-Headed During Treatment

The Kumu · July 13, 2021 · Leave a Comment

For anyone in recovery, going into treatment represents a new beginning, but it’s not an easy one. Not only do you have to slowly unlearn unhealthy coping mechanisms, but the recovery itself can feel extremely stressful and taxing.

Fortunately, there are techniques that you can use to stay focused during treatment and to prevent yourself from becoming overwhelmed – here are six different methods for staying level-headed while you’re in the midst of recovery and treatment.

1. Lean on Your Support System

Losing your addiction and going into recovery is a radical lifestyle change, and while it may feel isolating at times, it’s not something you’re supposed to do alone. One way to keep yourself from being overwhelmed in recovery is by sharing your burdens with other people – whether that’s your friends, family, or your support group.

Your support group can be especially helpful in offering a new perspective, giving you someone to vent to, or even just confiding in someone who also understands addiction. So, even if you’re not experiencing a lot of support from your real life friends and family, the support group that you meet in treatment will always understand what you’re going through.

And, as you lean on your support system, you can begin re-establishing trust among the people in your life that may have been hurt by your addictive behavior.

2. Use Intentional Breathing

Breathing often feels like an automatic function, one that we perform without even thinking about it. While this is true, we can also utilize intentional breathing to reduce stress and “quiet” the background noise of your brain.

With intentional breathing, the exercise actually activates your parasympathetic nervous system (PNS), slowing down your heart rate and helping you feel more calm and relaxed. Keep in mind that you may not feel relaxed right away, but most people who practice intentional breathing do feel less stressed after they’ve performed the exercise.

The other benefit of intentional breathing is that not only is it a healthy coping mechanism, but you can practice it just about anywhere. Some people may practice intentional breathing at the beginning (or end) of the day, while others utilize it when they’re in high-stress moments.

Here’s a quick step-by-step guide for practicing intentional breathing:

Find a comfortable position and pay attention to the way you naturally breathe. The first step to intentional breathing is finding a comfortable position to sit in and just observing how you naturally breathe. Try to pay attention to where your breath goes – do you breathe into your upper chest, your lower belly, or your sides? Keep in mind that there’s no “wrong” way to breathe here, you’re just observing and taking mental notes.
Position your hands on your abdomen and chest. When you feel like you’ve observed your natural breath long enough, you can move on to the next step – place your right hand on the center of your chest (your sternum) and your left hand on your abdomen, just below your navel. Keep breathing as you normally would and take note of where your breath flows. Are you breathing more into your right hand or left hand? Once again, you’ll want to try and resist the urge to change or adjust your breathing as you do this.
Try breathing “into” your chest. Regardless of how you naturally breathe, try to adjust your breath so that you’re breathing “into” your chest, where your right hand is at. You don’t need to force the breath, but notice how it feels to breathe into the center of your chest. You may already begin to feel relaxed, and try to keep breathing this way for around ten or twenty breaths. Once you reach twenty breaths, take a few seconds to resume breathing as you normally would.
Try breathing “into” your abdomen. Next, you’re going to do the same thing as you did in step three, but with your abdomen this time. Your left hand should be resting on your stomach, near your lower lungs. Perform this step for around ten to twenty breaths, and notice how you feel afterward. Is it uncomfortable or does it feel forced to breathe into your abdomen? Like step three, you’ll want to take a few normal breaths after you complete this step.
Start by taking half-breaths into both your chest and abdomen. Now, you’ll want to try breathing into your chest and your abdomen. You can do this by breathing half of the inhale into your chest (where your right hand is), pausing for a moment, and then breathing the rest of the inhale into your abdomen (where your left hand is located). When you exhale, you’ll want to start where your left hand is and finish breathing out with your right hand. Continue to do this for around ten to twenty breaths.
Breathe deeply and fully. Once you’ve taken several half-breaths, breathing into your chest and abdomen should feel a little more natural, and you can move onto full breaths. Take your breaths like you did in step five, but this time, try not to pause in between inhales or exhales. Instead, try to take fluid deep breaths from your chest to abdomen and see how they feel.
Pay attention to how you feel afterward. Once you’ve practiced step six for a few minutes, you can resume normal breathing for a minute or so. Pay attention to how you feel afterward – do you feel calmer or more relaxed?

Intentional breathing does take practice, so don’t be discouraged if you don’t pick it up right away – you might need to run through the steps several times before it begins to feel natural or truly reduce your stress level.

3. Make Recovery Your First Priority

While you’re in recovery, you may be overwhelmed with thoughts of what’s waiting for you once you’re out of treatment. Maybe you’ve got to find a new job, re-establish trust with your family, or worry about schoolwork – it’s natural to be worried about these things, but if you want to stay focused on treatment, it’s important to make recovery your first priority.

Before you can worry or deal with what’s waiting for you beyond treatment, you’ve got to focus on getting better first. That means making your recovery a singular goal, and making sure it gets the bulk of your attention.

4. Experiment With Healthy Coping Mechanisms

Part of recovery is about confronting negative emotions or trauma that you may have tried to bury with your addiction. Dealing with this personal pain is crucial to recovery, but that doesn’t mean you need to stew in these negative emotions every second of the day.

Recovery might be about dealing with unresolved feelings, but it’s also about finding healthy coping mechanisms as well. Don’t be afraid to give your brain a little “vacation” and experiment with healthy coping mechanisms that you can also enjoy once you’re out of treatment.

Not everyone’s healthy coping mechanisms may be the same, but some of the most common ones tend to be:

Finding an exercise that you enjoy
Reconnecting with a hobby like art or music to express your emotions
Listening to music
Surrounding yourself with nature
Writing or journaling regularly

Your healthy coping mechanism could be something you once enjoyed and are going back to, or it could be a completely new activity you’re trying for the first time.

5. Focus on Gratitude

A lot of people hit rock bottom before they end up in recovery, and it can feel like you’re at the darkest part of your life. As powerful and as consuming as the darkness may seem, there’s always some light in your life. Recovery may help you confront some of that darkness, but it’s also about focusing on the light in your life too.

What parts of your life can you be grateful for? Maybe it’s your family, your friends, or even just the new support system that you’ve been working to establish in recovery. Some people may even go as far as to make a list of all the things they’re grateful for so that they can look at it when they’re feeling stressed or overwhelmed.

6. Don’t Be Afraid to Express Your Feelings

It’s common for people that have addictions to “bury” their negative emotions – whether that’s by ignoring them or using an unhealthy coping mechanism to pretend they aren’t there. When you let go of your addiction, you’ve got to learn how to reconnect with those feelings again, as unpleasant as they may be.

With the help of your support group, you can start dealing with the feelings that you’ve neglected. This means examining what you’re feeling, why you’re feeling that way, and getting to the root of why you may have relied on your addiction to deal with them.

Expressing your feelings can happen in a variety of ways – maybe you need to talk about them directly, journal about them, or even express them through a medium like art or music.

Shopping Addiction Defined

The Kumu · July 6, 2021 · Leave a Comment

In a society geared to sell us things at every turn, it is no surprise that most of us overspend from time to time. But there’s a difference between the occasional splurge and being unable to stop ourselves from buying new items.

Shopping addiction, also known as oniomania or compulsive buying disorder, may be more socially acceptable than other forms of addiction. But it can be just as damaging.

Chasing the euphoria of a new purchase can lead to issues with relationships and self-esteem. And overspending inevitably causes problems with money, including debt.

When shopping is an unavoidable part of daily life, recognizing that spending behavior has gotten out of hand can be tricky. Many people go overboard with purchases on occasion and spend more than they planned.

At what point does a shopping splurge stop being an acceptable indulgence and become an addiction?

What is Shopping Addiction?

Like any form of addiction, shopping addiction is a psychological condition. People experiencing this form of addiction regularly go on spending sprees and find it difficult to stop, even though they can see the negative consequences of their behavior.

While some experts question whether compulsive buying should be classed as a true addiction, there’s no doubt that those struggling with shopping addiction present similar symptoms.

Although there’s no artificial chemical high involved, compulsive shoppers will experience feelings of euphoria and excitement when they shop. They use the high that they get from buying new items as an emotional crutch. They often feel out of control when they shop and find it extremely hard to resist the urge to spend.

Compulsive shoppers feel a craving to shop. When they haven’t purchased anything for a while, they begin to feel tense. They might buy items simply to relieve that tension.

Because the reward comes more from the shopping experience than from the actual items they purchase, compulsive shoppers may end up not using their new possessions or using them much less than they expected. This can lead to hoarding.

Although they may dedicate time and energy to planning their shopping trip, compulsive shoppers often make the decision to purchase additional items impulsively.

Online shopping has made following the desire even harder to resist, as there is less of a physical barrier to accessing shopping websites than brick-and-mortar shops.

Those struggling with a shopping addiction are often aware that their behavior is out of control. They might experience feelings of guilt or shame following a spree.

They may also attempt to hide their spending from those close to them. This can involve lying or hiding purchases. Compulsive shoppers often shop alone, and they may dedicate a significant amount of time to shopping, neglecting other forms of entertainment.

Of course, one of the most impactful negative effects of shopping addiction is on the person’s finances. Because they find it so difficult to resist the urge to purchase, compulsive shoppers often spend more money than they have.

This can easily lead to debt, as well as affecting their relationship with their loved ones.

Who is at risk of shopping addiction?

Although there are no official statistics, the estimate is that around 5-6% of Americans experience shopping addiction.

Both men and women can develop an addiction to shopping. Some studies suggest that it is more common in women, but others have found no difference between the genders.

Shopping addiction typically develops early in adulthood, or even in late adolescence, perhaps because this is when people first begin to have control of their own finances and income. But it can continue to be an issue throughout life, so people of any age may display addictive behavior around shopping.

Like other forms of behavioral addiction, compulsive shopping is often used as a distraction from negative emotions, such as stress, anxiety, or depression.

There’s evidence to suggest that shopping addiction is more common in people who are also struggling with mood disorders, such as depression and anxiety. It may also run in families.

People who put a lot of importance on material things may also be more likely to develop an addiction to shopping. They may see their purchases as a way to impress or build relationships with others.

Symptoms of Shopping Addiction

Since shopping has become a common leisure activity, it might be hard to notice when your enjoyment of shopping has turned into an addiction. Some symptoms that might show up include:

Feeling out of control while shopping
Regularly spending more than you can afford
Lying to friends and family about shopping and money
Distracting yourself from negative emotions by buying new things
Feeling shame or guilt after a shopping spree
Not being able to resist purchasing items, even when you are trying not to
Taking out new credit cards to continue shopping, without paying off the balance on your existing cards first
Hoarding unused items and buying things you don’t have a use for

Treatment for Shopping Addiction

Coping with a shopping addiction can be tough. Some purchases are a necessary fact of everyday life – groceries, fuel, and household items do have to be topped up regularly. And companies spend thousands of dollars every year developing new ways to make us want to buy.

Learning to manage the addictive behavior and find a healthy balance is very possible. But you don’t need to tackle it on your own.

Asking family or a close friend for help can be a good first step. Someone you trust might be able to take control of your finances for a while, so you can avoid making spending decisions while you are working on recovery.

Seeking professional help is another positive step in managing any form of addiction, including compulsive buying disorder. A trained therapist can assist you with developing alternative coping methods, so you have options other than shopping to turn to when you are feeling anxious or stressed.

You can see a therapist while continuing with your usual life. But sometimes a short residential stay can give you the space you need to work on your addiction without the distractions of day-to-day life.

Here at Tikvah Lake, we develop personalized treatment plans to help you address whatever problems you are dealing with. We have particular expertise in addiction and in dual diagnoses – where your addiction presents alongside other issues, such as depression or anxiety.

Our experienced and friendly team will be more than happy to talk you through the options. Get in touch with us today to discuss how we can help you, or someone you care about.

References

Black, D. W. (2007). A review of compulsive buying disorder. World Psychiatry, 6(1), 14.

Granero, R., Fernández-Aranda, F., Mestre-Bach, G., Steward, T., Baño, M., del Pino-Gutiérrez, A., … & Jiménez-Murcia, S. (2016). Compulsive buying behavior: clinical comparison with other behavioral addictions. Frontiers in Psychology, 7, 914.

Lawrence, L. M., Ciorciari, J., & Kyrios, M. (2014). Relationships that compulsive buying has with addiction, obsessive-compulsiveness, hoarding, and depression. Comprehensive psychiatry, 55(5), 1137-1145.

Lejoyeux, M., Richoux-Benhaim, C., Löhnardt, H., & Lequen, V. (2011). Money attitude, self-esteem, and compulsive buying in a population of medical students. Frontiers in psychiatry, 2, 13.

Zhao, H., Tian, W., & Xin, T. (2017). The development and validation of the online shopping addiction scale. Frontiers in psychology, 8, 735.