Addictive Behaviors Treatment
Common Addictive Behaviors We Treat
Addictive behaviors do not always involve substances. Many individuals struggle with patterns of behavior that activate the same reward pathways in the brain, disrupt judgment, and interfere with relationships, work, and emotional regulation. These behaviors often develop gradually and are reinforced by stress, anxiety, trauma, or unmet emotional needs.
At Insight Into Action Therapy, we treat addictive behaviors with the same clinical seriousness as substance use disorders. Our approach focuses on understanding what the behavior provides, what sustains it, and how it connects to mental health, coping strategies, and daily functioning.
Compulsive behavior is far more common than people assume, especially in our modern, always-online world. Our brains weren’t designed to have gambling and content constantly available. Pornography on every device and anonymous platforms set the stage for compulsive patterns to quietly develop over years, often starting in adolescence.
Common Addictive Behaviors We Treat
Gambling and Sports Betting
Gambling addiction has increased significantly with the expansion of online sports betting and mobile platforms. What often begins as entertainment can escalate into compulsive behavior marked by chasing losses, secrecy, financial strain, and impaired decision-making. Treatment addresses impulse control, emotional triggers, risk tolerance, and the cognitive distortions that fuel continued betting.
Gaming and Technology Overuse
Problematic gaming and excessive screen use can interfere with sleep, productivity, relationships, and emotional regulation. These behaviors often serve as an escape from stress, social discomfort, or low mood. Treatment focuses on restoring balance, reducing compulsive use, and building healthier sources of engagement and reward.
Pornography and Sexual Compulsivity
Compulsive sexual behaviors can lead to secrecy, shame, relationship damage, and emotional isolation. These patterns are often connected to anxiety, trauma, or difficulty regulating emotion. Treatment emphasizes impulse awareness, values-based decision-making, and rebuilding intimacy and trust.
Compulsive Spending and Shopping
Shopping and spending behaviors can become a primary coping mechanism for stress, boredom, or emotional distress. Over time, they may result in financial instability and relational conflict. Treatment targets emotional triggers, impulsivity, and financial accountability while developing alternative coping strategies.
Work and Performance Addiction
Excessive work or performance-driven behavior can appear socially acceptable while masking anxiety, avoidance, or self-worth concerns. Clients may struggle to rest, disconnect, or maintain balance. Treatment focuses on emotional regulation, boundary-setting, and redefining productivity in sustainable ways.
Other Addictive Behaviors We Commonly See
- Social media and internet overuse
- Compulsive exercise
- Food-related compulsive behaviors
- Risk-taking and thrill-seeking behaviors
- Codependent or compulsive relationship patterns
- Compulsive spending or financial risk behaviors
Treatment approach: beyond willpower
By the time people are sitting in a clinician’s office, they have usually tried to stop on their own multiple times and are experiencing real consequences: debt, emotional distance in their relationships, secret accounts, anxiety about discovery, or escalating risk.
Compulsive behavior rarely changes with willpower alone. At Insight, treatment is individualized and can include:
Individual therapy
Therapists work on:
- Identifying emotional and situational triggers that precede behavior
- Breaking automatic links between distress and acting out
- Examining beliefs and narratives that maintain the pattern (“I’ve already ruined it,” “this is the only way I relax,” “no one would accept the real story”)
- Addressing shame, secrecy, and the split between public and private self
- Clarifying values around relationships, money, sex, and integrity, then aligning daily behavior with those values
Insight therapists are skilled in multiple evidenced-based therapies, so we can tailor treatment to your needs.
Couples and relationship work
When there is a partner in the picture, the impact on the relationship is significant. With both partners present, work may focus on:
- Disclosure and boundaries around information sharing
- Trust repair plans and realistic expectations for both partners
- Agreements about money, devices, apps, finances, and other risk areas
- How to rebuild intimacy and trust
Couples work involves an honest assessment and, if both people choose to stay, building clear, observable changes.
Psychiatric and integrative care
For some clients, co-occurring conditions are driving a large part of the compulsive pattern. Our psychiatrists and psychologists can:
- Evaluate for depression, anxiety, trauma-related conditions, OCD, bipolar spectrum disorders, ADHD, or autism spectrum traits
- Consider medication when indicated for mood, anxiety, impulse control, or co-occurring problems
- Use psychological testing when there are questions about attention, impulse regulation, or diagnostic complexity
Clinical insight and a full spectrum of therapies work together to help you feel better and behave differently. Your plan is tailored to symptom patterns, life demands, and the level of risk present.
You Need Now!
Discretion and privacy
Our practice upholds the highest standards of confidentiality and discretion.
At Insight Into Action Therapy:
- We are mindful of the fact that these can be sensitive topics
- We are used to working with professionals, executives, those with security clearances, and community leaders who have legitimate concerns about privacy
- Personal health information stays within the treatment team and is only shared with your written consent
What changes when treatment is working
Clients working on addictive behaviors often notice progress in concrete ways:
- Fewer episodes, less time spent in the cycle, and less escalation
- More transparency with yourself and, when appropriate, with partners
- Reduced reliance on addictive behavior as your primary coping tool
- Clearer thinking around risk, consequences, and long-term goals
- More coherent sense of self: fewer secrets, less distance, lower baseline shame
The focus is on bringing behavior back in line with your values..
If compulsive behavior is taking more of your time, attention, and energy than you can justify, it is a clinical problem that can be addressed. Contact our office to schedule an appointment and begin private, structured work with our team.