Process Addiction
Treatment for Process Addiction at Black Horse Health
Struggling with process addiction? Black Horse Health provides tailored treatments, expert guidance, and a roadmap to a healthier, more balanced life.
What Is Process Addiction?
Process addiction is a behavioral form of addiction. It occurs when someone compulsively partakes in behaviors despite them having negative consequences to their life.
A repetitive behavioral addiction works differently than substance addiction does. For example, those with a process or behavioral addiction will generally not experience physical dependence or withdrawal symptoms.
Instead, compulsive behaviors are often associated with mental health conditions and psychological dependence on certain behaviors or mentalities. Someone may feel like they need to perform behaviors to stay safe, healthy, or function normally when they struggle with this type of addiction.
Receive Holistic Care for Process Addiction at Black Horse Health
If you or someone you care about is struggling with a behavioral addiction, Black Horse Health can help. Our highly trained team of professionals is knowledgeable in the many causes that can influence process addiction.
We also work collaboratively to create custom treatment plans for every patient’s unique needs. We listen to you to ensure that your mental, physical, and emotional symptoms are treated.
What Are the Different Types of Process Addictions?
Several types of compulsive behaviors can be classified as process addictions. Here’s an overview of some of the most common ones:
Gambling Addiction
The highs and lows of winning and losing high-stakes gambles can create an adrenaline and dopamine rush for many individuals. Some then find themselves continually chasing after that feeling, whether it’s betting on poker, sports games, horse races, or others.
However, those struggling with a gambling addiction often find their bank account slowly – but significantly – decreasing over time. A common sign that someone is struggling with gambling addiction is if they’re struggling to make rent, having relationship problems due to finances or lost time, or continuing to gamble despite having to take out loans.
Treatment for gambling addiction requires a supportive and comprehensive approach. Black Horse Health can help by providing behavioral therapy, support group meetings, and life skill-building activities that will build coping mechanisms for common triggers for gambling.
Sex Addiction
Sexual activities cause many endorphins to increase within our systems. While healthy for most, those who compulsively engage in sexual acts can experience many negative consequences. These can include STDs, unwanted pregnancies, dangerous circumstances, or troubles in their relationships.
It’s important for rehab programs to treat sex addiction in a supportive and understanding way while understanding the root cause of the problem. For example, this type of addiction could be tied to trauma or feelings of low self-esteem that would need to be treated during therapy.
Support group meetings and trauma-based therapies can also be beneficial for individuals who need to continue treatment or who simply need added care.
Gaming Addiction
Video games create a dopamine rush that keeps players wanting to come back. Most people can maintain a healthy balance between gaming and their everyday lives, but some can struggle with process addiction.
This type of addiction is common in those who struggle with stress or mental health conditions. These may cause the game to feel like an escape or way to cope with what’s going on in their life.
Those struggling with gaming addiction may experience struggles like spending too much money on video games, neglecting responsibilities at work or school, or withdrawing from relationships.
Treating the Root Cause
Like other behavioral addictions, it’s important to understand what the root cause in someone’s life may be that are causing it to occur.
For example, it would be important to simultaneously treat symptoms of depression and gaming addiction to ensure a successful recovery. Treatment centers can also provide life skills training that can assist individuals in practicing healthy money or time habits.
Our team at Black Horse Health will take an in-depth approach during intensive assessment and treatment to get the best results.
Eating Disorders
Food nourishes our bodies and can fill us with happy memories of childhood. However, it’s not uncommon for many who struggle with stress, anxiety, or other underlying issues to use food to cope with the way they feel.
Those struggling with an eating disorder may find that they are putting on an unhealthy amount of weight, having health complications because of it, or overspending on food each month.
While eating disorders can feel hard to overcome since food is a daily part of our lives, there are many resources that can help.
Our team at Black Horse Health can help you build a healthier relationship with food, as well as identify and treat any underlying problems that may be causing the addiction to occur in the first place.
Exercise Addiction
Normally, exercise is a healthy activity, and it’s recommended for everyone to stay active to maintain good health.
However, in some cases, it can be taken to extremes where it causes negative complications such as overuse injuries, an unhealthy amount of weight loss, chronic pain, or the individual neglecting other daily responsibilities.
During treatment for exercise addiction, it’s important to build a healthy relationship between working out and the patient’s body image. Our team at Black Horse Health can provide holistic and therapeutic resources that will help. We’ll also help treat any co-occurring conditions while creating a long-term plan for a healthy and sustainable lifestyle.
What Are Common Symptoms Associated With Process Addiction?
While all process addictions are different, there are still general symptoms that can signify that you or someone you care about may be struggling.
These include:
- Spending a significant amount of time thinking about performing the behavior
- Spending a significant amount of time performing the behavior, even while experiencing problems with work, school, family, or personal health because of it
- Using the behavior as an escape from negative emotions
- Trying to stop the behavior but feeling like you’re unable to
- Increasing the amount of time you spend performing the behavior
- Experiencing psychological withdrawal symptoms when you don’t perform the behavior for a significant amount of time, such as anxiety or feeling a sense of distress
- Experiencing health risks due to the process addiction, such as exposure to STDs or vitamin deficiencies
How Can Black Horse Health Help Curate Process Addiction Treatment?
At Black Horse Health, our goal is to provide personalized and empowering care for anyone who comes to our facility struggling with process addiction or any other ongoing health concerns.
When you begin treatment with us, we’ll perform a complete intensive assessment to provide an accurate diagnosis. Then, we’ll partner with you to develop a tailored treatment program that fits your needs.
Here’s an overview of the treatment programs, therapies, and holistic options that can help treat your process addiction at our facility.
Treatment Programs
Depending on the level and severity of addiction, along with each individual’s personal preferences, we have several treatment programs available that can help treat process addiction.
These include:
Residential Treatment
Some individuals with process addictions that are more severe or who simply need extra support during recovery will benefit from residential treatment at our private and serene facility in Houston, Texas.
When you choose residential treatment at Black Horse Health, our supportive treatment staff will be there for you 24/7 to help answer questions and provide support whenever they are needed.
We’ll ensure you stay comfortable and ease any psychological withdrawal symptoms you may be experiencing with high-level care. We will also provide any co-occurring care that you may need, such as chronic pain management, mental health therapies, and more.
Outpatient Treatment
Those who have a less severe addiction or who can’t neglect family and work responsibilities can benefit from outpatient treatment. You will commute to the facility at scheduled times during the week to receive therapy, attend support groups, and perform skill-building activities that help build long-term coping strategies for success.
During outpatient treatment, it’s important to stay accountable to your program since you’ll be traveling to the facility yourself. Our family program can also help with this aspect if you want to educate family members so they can provide support and motivation in your household.
Partial Hospitalization Program (PHP)
Our PHP program is a step up from regular outpatient care. You’ll still be able to return home each night after receiving treatment at the facility. However, sessions with a PHP will usually be more frequent and longer.
These factors can be beneficial if you have a process addiction that requires more support or if you want to provide more structure to your days while still having the flexibility of living at home.
Mental Health Stabilization
Some individuals who come to our facility for a process addiction may also be experiencing a mental or behavioral health crisis at the same time. This is why we provide integrative treatments that are effective for all of your needs.
Our complete mental health stabilization program provides around-the-clock support to ensure patients get the care they need so that they can put their full effort into a treatment program once they are ready.
Alumni Support
Managing a process addiction is ongoing for many individuals. Activities like exercise, eating, or sex are regular parts of our lives, which is why it’s important to learn how to achieve balance and manage any potential risk factors for relapse.
That’s why we provide continued support for everyone who completes a treatment program at Black Horse Health. We provide regular check-ins, allow you to continue meeting with therapists at the facility, or continue skill-building activities as needed.
Therapies
Every patient and process addiction is unique. This makes it essential that multiple forms of therapy are available to manage underlying causes and unique issues that may be occurring in someone’s life.
Some forms of therapy we offer at Black Horse Health that can help with process addiction treatment include:
CBT has proven to be a valuable approach in treating process addictions. In this context, CBT focuses on identifying and challenging distorted thoughts and beliefs related to the addictive behavior.
Through this process, individuals gain insight into the triggers and automatic reactions that may fuel their addictive tendencies. Our CBT therapists also equip individuals with coping strategies and healthier ways to manage stress, boredom, or other emotional triggers without resorting to addictive behavior.
DBT combines cognitive-behavioral techniques with mindfulness strategies, emphasizing the importance of accepting and regulating emotions.
Individuals with process addiction often struggle with emotional dysregulation, impulsivity, and a lack of effective coping mechanisms. DBT addresses these challenges by teaching skills in distress tolerance, emotion regulation, interpersonal effectiveness, and mindfulness.
By enhancing emotional awareness and providing tools to manage intense emotions, individuals in Black Horse Health treatment can develop a greater capacity for self-control and make more informed choices.
When someone struggles with a process addiction that occurs in everyday life, 12-step recovery and support can help. Attending regular support group meetings is a great way to learn how to cope when triggers present themselves in daily life and keep a structured approach to recovery.
At Black Horse Health, we can incorporate 12-step recovery modality programs into individual treatment options. This type of support will help you connect with individuals who have similar struggles and build a solid support system that you can continue on even after your treatment program with us has ended.
This type of therapy offers a unique and effective approach to treating process addiction. It promotes psychological flexibility and acceptance of one's internal experiences.
Since individuals with process addiction often grapple with a strong desire to avoid uncomfortable emotions or thoughts, they start to rely on addictive behaviors as a coping mechanism. However, ACT encourages individuals to accept these internal experiences without judgment while simultaneously committing to behaviors that align with their values.
ACT also encourages clients to develop a more open and accepting relationship with their thoughts and emotions, reducing the need for avoidance through addictive behaviors.
EMDR is primarily known for its effectiveness in treating trauma, but it can also be beneficial in addressing underlying issues related to process addiction.
EMDR involves guided bilateral stimulation, typically through rapid eye movements. This helps individuals process distressing memories and associated negative emotions. EMDR can assist individuals in reprocessing these experiences, reducing their emotional charge and diminishing their impact on addictive patterns.
Process addictions can often lead to neglect of physical health, with irregular eating habits and poor nutrition exacerbating the negative effects of addictive behaviors. Nutritional counseling aims to educate individuals on the importance of a balanced diet and how it can positively impact overall health.
By working with a nutritionist at Black Horse Health, individuals can develop personalized meal plans that support their recovery journey. Proper nutrition can contribute to stabilizing mood, enhancing cognitive function, and providing the body with essential nutrients to restore well-being.
Holistic Treatment Options
We also offer a variety of holistic options that can help treat process addiction, as we believe that treating the whole picture is imperative for healing.
Some holistic options we offer are:
Yoga
Mindfulness exercises
Relaxation techniques
Art and expressive practices
When you’re seeking treatment for process addiction, know that Black Horse Health can help with all your needs. We’ll provide you with a supportive environment and a custom treatment plan. Contact us today to learn more.
