All addictive behaviors have at least these two things in common: (1) they help people cut off painful feelings; and (2) they are strongly influenced or controlled by a destructive thought process that both seduces the person into the behavior and punishes them for indulging. Like a dance, an addiction finds a pattern by which [...]

Even for mental health professionals, it’s a puzzle to determine what draws people to addiction and how to tell when they are engaging in addictive behavior. What I’ve found in my own practice and research is that all addictive behaviors have two things in common: (1) they help people cut off painful feelings; and (2) [...]