Shopping addiction, gambling addiction, food addiction, Facebook addiction, sex addiction, gaming addiction, smart phone addiction… The list of new behavioral addictions grows daily, but frequently, the people involved are not new to addictive behavior. In many cases, they are addicts in early recovery from one addiction who have fallen into the trap of addiction transfer.
A Long-Recognized Phenomenon
“How do you find an AA meeting? Look for the chain smokers gathered outside!”
Addiction counselors have long recognized that a percentage of recovering addicts will turn to or continue smoking after they have accepted alcohol or drug abstinence. Now a new behavior has been identified by doctors who perform bariatric surgery. Patients who are succeeding in their weight loss after surgery are starting to drink or exhibit other compulsive behaviors.
Sometimes the new compulsion is not an unhealthy behavior, at least for the time being. Working longer hours to dig out of a financial hole, or stepping up your exercising to fight boredom or a tendency to overeat may be beneficial behaviors. However, when these activities begin to negatively impact your overall well-being, even they may be considered behavioral addictions.
What Causes Addiction Transfer?
How can someone maintain sober living in one aspect of life, and yet display addictive behavior in another? Here are some possible causes of addiction transfer:
• Undiagnosed co-occurring mental disorder that is the root cause of the addiction.
• The chronic nature of addiction, which results in the repeated emergence of addictive patterns.
• Insufficient recognition of addiction triggers and training in how to manage them.
• The mistaken idea that the addiction has been cured, when it must continually be managed.
Addiction satisfies an emotional need and also causes changes in the brain. Both of these conditions leave the recovering addict at risk for addiction transfer.
Holistic Therapies for Lasting Recovery
Have you beaten one addiction, only to find your life disrupted by a new compulsive behavior? At Complete Harmony, we utilize cutting-edge addiction treatment and holistic therapies to offer you the best chance for a lasting recovery. Our goal is to find the underlying causes of your addiction so you can learn the strategies and tools you need to avoid relapse and addiction transfer. Dial 866.930.4673 to speak with our dedicated enrollment team about your personalized recovery options.
