Addictions and Compulsions

According to William G Allyn, Professor of Medical Optics in Rochester University, “More than 50 percent of the cortex, the surface of the brain, is devoted to processing visual information.“ ... Read More

According to a 2008 study, between 3-6% of Americans engage in compulsive sexual behavior (CSB), better known as sex addiction. Other studies cite similar statistics, and some addiction ... Read More

Skydiving. High-speed races. Ziplining through jungle canopies. These can all be telltale signs of an adrenaline junkie. Some people crave the adrenaline rush that comes with high-stakes ... Read More

It’s difficult to spend time in any women’s community, online or otherwise, without hearing a reference to retail therapy. In the popular press, shopping is gendered as a pursuit for ... Read More

Therapists used to reserve the term “trauma” to describe events like war, rape, and life-threatening experiences. We now recognize that people can have similar responses to relational ... Read More

Are you in an addictive relationship with someone? Would you like to break free from your bondage and feel inner peace? Do you want to stop the obsessions, break the cycle of seeming insanity, ... Read More

I don’t like to admit it, but it’s true: generally speaking, women can’t handle their liquor as well as men. Although there are always exceptions, research indicates women are more ... Read More

Six simple screening questions can test for social media addiction, according to James Roberts, PhD, a marketing professor at Baylor University’s Hankamer School of Business. Roberts ... Read More

Dear GoodTherapy.org, First of all, my partner does not hit, abuse, or commit any acts of violence toward me. It’s the main reason I haven’t left yet. I’m writing because ... Read More

Why do people develop addictions and compulsions? In general, their psychological purpose is to push out of conscious awareness anything disturbing. The unconscious mind knows how deeply ... Read More

Sexually compulsive behavior is easy to joke about. We’ve seen an endless array of politicians and celebrities claim they’re “sex addicts.” Some of them legitimately are addicted ... Read More

People with a gambling addiction who attended Gamblers Anonymous (GA) meetings gambled less frequently than peers who avoided the 12-step program, according to a new study published in ... Read More