Americans love to shop. In 2018, overall retail spending in the United States exceeded $3.6 trillion. Retail e-commerce purchases in America totaled $517.36 billion—more than any other country. In addition, more people use smartphones to shop rather than laptops/desktops than ever before because of convenience—46 percent of online shopping orders are placed with phones.* There’s...Read More

An Overview Our culture has many misconceptions involving sex addiction. Sex makes us uncomfortable, and we attach to it aspects of morality that make it even more difficult to talk about. All of this makes it challenging to recognize the differences between a healthy sex life and a damaging, compulsive one. Compulsive sexual behavior disorder,...Read More

Sex Addiction Sex addiction has nothing to do with sex.  As with any addiction, it is a way to relieve feelings associated with depression, loneliness, and a sense of emptiness.  Many sex addicts live with guilt and shame; the same as an alcoholic or drug addict.  Sex addiction can include any number of behaviors including...Read More

What Is Compulsive Buying Disorder? Compulsive Buying Disorder (CBD) is characterized by patterns of persistent, uncontrollable, and intense desires or urges for buying.  These urges result in excessive buying followed by negative emotions after the purchase, which precipitates additional buying to overcome the negative emotions.  It is a persistent cycle in which one is unable...Read More

A process addiction is any disorder that does not involve chemical usage.  Process disorders can include compulsive gambling, sexual addiction, Internet addiction, or compulsive shopping.  These addictions are considered behavioral in nature such as visiting a local casino when feeling overwhelmed or when experiencing stress, or excessive shopping to alleviate anxiety or depression.   The...Read More

Gambling is a social activity for millions of people.  Many can go to a weekly poker game or to a casino and play $20 and leave regardless of winning or losing.  If a person plays with any consistency, there is the chance that the person will cross over into compulsive gambling.  Currently, there are an...Read More

Sex addiction and love addiction are not the same thing.  The exception to this statement is that both typically involve emotional deprivation experienced in childhood.  The sex addict and the love addict come from homes that are not stable or emotionally fulfilling.  The child in this environment grows up feeling neglected and will look to...Read More

Sex addiction is characterized by an uncontrollable urge to engage in sexual activity. It is generally devoid of the pleasure that is normally associated with sex. Sex addiction can take many forms, from compulsive masturbation while viewing pornography, to engaging in sex with multiple different partners, or participating in some sexual activity that borders on...Read More

Food is a source of sustenance and comfort. It forms the basis of community celebrations and is the foundation of holidays and family gatherings. For all of its positive associations, food can be an adverse substance that is used as a substitute treatment for stress, depression, anxiety, and a host of other psychological and social...Read More

Compulsive gambling is no less an addiction than drug or alcohol abuse. Problem gamblers might not experience the same physical withdrawal symptoms that plague drug addicts or alcoholics when they attempt to stop their habits. However, they will experience some. Many who struggle with gambling addiction struggle with a co-occurring disorder of substance abuse, which...Read More