Sometimes a normal activity can start to become an addiction if the behavior begins to repeat itself. These types of addictions can manifest themselves in many ways in people’s lives, almost to the point of obsession. These can range from shopping addiction, eating addiction, gambling addiction, exercise addiction and any other activity that indicates that the behavior could be considered repetitive to the point of abnormality. Obviously, some kind of addictions can be more detrimental than others. Someone addicted to working out could overdo it, but at least they are practicing good habits and really care to be healthy and try their best to achieve this goal. Other types of addictions are clearly not as good for someone to keep repeating, such as a gambling addiction or maybe an eating addiction. These habits become ingrained into one’s daily life and are then very tough to stop. I want to give you guys a few tips on what to look out for, so you can figure out if any family members or close friends are exhibiting any of the initial signs of a process addiction. From here, we want to be able to combat these habits effectively and have steps in place to reign in their current addictive nature.

Signs that a process addiction is brewing

A few of the first signs that someone is beginning to develop process addiction are as simple as looking out for very repetitive and excessive habits in their daily routine. For example, if they are going to the casino everyday this is probably not a good thing as the casino usually wins. A gambling addiction can lead people to losing everything they own. Another way to tell if these signs are turning into a process addiction is if they are acting unlike themselves, such as nervous or anxious all the time or having deep and aggressive mood swings. This would come from the rewarding feeling they get when they win or perform that behavior. The withdrawal symptoms they experience when they are finished with the addictive activity leave them craving more. That is how the vicious cycle is created and the repetitive behavior begins. If you find someone close to you exhibiting these habits, there are a few ways you can step in and help!

How to help a loved one recover from process addiction

If a loved one or friend begins to exhibit the initial signs of process addiction, this could be a major concern. The best thing to do if you think they are getting caught up in a repetitive behavioral habit that isn’t good for them is to just confront them. However, confronting them with planned out thoughts in mind is definitely a better approach than improvising on the spot. If you write the things you want to say down on paper this is much better, so you don’t get sidetracked or dragged into an argument if they start to become defensive about their habits. It is tough for many people to admit they are experiencing some issues in life and that they are becoming too overwhelmed for them to deal with it on their own. This is why going in with a plan and giving the discussion more of a conversational tone is a good way to steer clear of an argument. If you begin by acting condescending and judgmental of them or start to accuse them of things which actually may not be true at all, then not much will be accomplished and it will probably spiral into a verbal fight very quickly. Once you have confronted them and your suspicions turn out to be correct, it is best to be convey very confidently that everything will be ok and from this very moment you will both start to work in their best interest to tackle the addiction. Closely monitoring their activity is best in the early stages as you want to make sure they are not regressing back into their old habits and starting the cycle of process addiction all over again. Also, giving them something else to focus their mind on and giving them other goals to become obsessed with is a good way to do it. For example, if someone was going to be addicted to something, if they become addicted to their work or addicted to eating healthy foods this may not be the worst thing. It is easier to work with process addiction if it’s a more normal activity than something like an alcohol addiction or drug addiction. If nothing you are trying seems to be working and they are sneaking off when you aren’t watching or being non-compliant, seeking outside help may be the best thing for the person involved. There are many places that offer world class help for these types of issues, so getting help is never a bad thing and should never be something to be ashamed of. Everyone makes mistakes, and the only real mistake is not addressing a mistake because you are too ashamed of it. So, take action today, speak out if you know someone negatively affecting their life with bad habits, or try to start your own path to change if you feel you have a process addiction to something you don’t think is helping you get to where you want to be in life!