New Frontiers in the Treatment of Behavioral Addictions. Innovative Proposals and Integrated Approaches

Journal title RIVISTA SPERIMENTALE DI FRENIATRIA
Author/s Gabriele Zanardi
Publishing Year 2024 Issue 2024/3
Language Italian Pages 12 P. 69-80 File size 714 KB
DOI 10.3280/RSF2024-003005
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In the last decade, the concept of addiction has grown signifi- cantly, expanding beyond classic substance addictions, such as drugs and alcohol, to include a range of behaviors that can manifest similar character- istics of compulsivity and loss of control. These behavioral addictions, “substance-free addictions,” include a va- riety of activities such as pathological gambling, internet and social media addiction, compulsive shopping, sex addiction, and excessive use of video games, among others. The term “addiction” is used to define a general condi- tion when psychological dependence drives the search for the thing, without whom one’s existence loses meaning. Specifically, we refer to a series of dysfunctional behaviors incidents where the object of addiction is not a substance but a specific behavior. They are characterized by the presence of repetitive forms of abuse behavior that the individual will find it hard to control at all despite the negative conse- quences. Similar to substance addictions, these involve compulsive research of the behavior, tolerance (the necessity to increase the intensity or frequency of the behavior in order to achieve the same effect), high resource expendi- ture in economic terms of energy and time, and psychological withdrawal symptoms when the behavior is stopped. In plus, behavioral addictions often lead to significant deterioration in personal relationships, work performance, and physical and mental health. This phenomenon focused the attention of scientific community, highlighting the need for a deeper understanding of the underlying mechanisms, mental and physical health consequences, and effec- tive treatment strategies.

Keywords: Behavioral Addictions, Pathological Gambling, Compulsivi- ty, Reward System, Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation.

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Gabriele Zanardi, Nuove frontiere nel trattamento delle dipendenze comportamentali. Proposte innovative e approcci integrati in "RIVISTA SPERIMENTALE DI FRENIATRIA" 3/2024, pp 69-80, DOI: 10.3280/RSF2024-003005