Behavioral Addictions: Beyond Gambling (2025-2026 Recording)-Behavioral Addictions: Beyond Gambling Recording

Video Transcription

Video Summary

The session explored “behavioral addictions beyond gambling,” with Rush University fellows presenting an updated overview of emerging research, screening tools, and treatment approaches. They framed addiction using the familiar “four C’s” — cravings, loss of control, compulsive engagement, and consequences — and emphasized that many behavioral addictions may share neurobiological pathways with substance use disorders, especially mesolimbic dopamine circuitry.<br /><br />The presentation covered technological addictions first, including internet addiction, social media use, internet gaming, texting/emailing, AI chatbots, and “info-obesity” (information overload). Speakers discussed how these behaviors can become compulsive, disrupt work and relationships, and mirror withdrawal-like symptoms when access is restricted. They reviewed screening tools such as Young’s Internet Addiction Test and the Bergen Social Media Addiction Scale, and noted that CBT and motivational interviewing are common first-line treatments. Social media and AI were highlighted as especially controversial because platforms may be designed to maximize engagement.<br /><br />The second half focused on “innate” or process addictions: problematic sexual behaviors, food addiction, exercise addiction, and compulsive buying disorder. Each was described as a normal behavior taken to an extreme, often with shame, concealment, and functional impairment. The team reviewed evidence linking these behaviors to psychiatric comorbidity, trauma, impulsivity, and reward-system changes. Screening tools included the Yale Food Addiction Scale, Exercise Addiction Inventory, and Compulsive Buying Scale.<br /><br />Treatment across conditions generally centers on treating co-occurring psychiatric disorders, psychotherapy, support groups, and sometimes medications like naltrexone, SSRIs, mood stabilizers, and in some cases GLP-1 agonists. The key message: these conditions are real, underrecognized, often overlap with substance use disorders, and should be actively screened for in addiction medicine settings.

Keywords

behavioral addictions

gambling

internet addiction

social media addiction

internet gaming

AI chatbots

food addiction

exercise addiction

compulsive buying disorder

screening tools

cognitive behavioral therapy

naltrexone

mesolimbic dopamine circuitry