Process addictions share some similarities with substance use disorders and can often be treated with similar methods. Though teen process addiction doesn’t involve the use of toxic, harmful chemicals, it can still end with debilitating mental health consequences. Finding teen process addiction treatment can help your adolescent recover.
When you’re ready to begin treatment, reach out to Foothills at Red Oak Recovery by calling 866.300.5275. Our team can walk you through our different care options and help you make the right choice for your child.
What Is Process Addiction?
Process addiction is a compulsive behavior that shares many of the characteristics of substance use disorders. Also, sometimes called behavioral addictions, these disorders include dozens of different behaviors that can lead to severe behavioral challenges.
But what is a process addiction’s defining characteristics? Like substance use disorders, teenagers who have process addictions experience:
- Cravings
- Loss of interest in activities outside of their addiction
- Trouble at school or home life due to their addiction
- An inability to stop or cut down on the behavior on their own
- Worsening mental health symptoms due to their addiction
Thankfully, teen process addiction treatment can help stop the progression of behavioral problems and teach teens how to grow and thrive in their recovery.
Common Teen Process Addictions
Process addictions are common among adolescents, and they typically present differently than they do in adults. Adults may struggle with gambling, sex and love addictions, or shopping addictions, but many teenagers don’t have the access or resources for these activities. Instead, common teen process addictions include:
Video Game Addiction
Many video game companies use predatory and addictive game designs that encourage players to constantly log in, play the game, and return over and over again. Some games include gambling elements like loot boxes that encourage younger players to fork over real money for in-game rewards.
Teens struggling with video game addiction can begin to neglect the outside world, struggle in social relationships, and perform poorly in school.
Internet Addiction
Internet addiction can take many forms, but the most common form of internet addiction among teens is an addiction to social media. Similar to video game addiction, social media platforms are designed to imitate slot machines, with constant notifications and updates that have teenagers checking into their socials repeatedly.
Internet addiction provides an illusion of social connection and growth that doesn’t carry over to the real world. Teenagers who struggle with internet and social media addiction may have poor self-esteem, struggle to achieve their goals in real life, and need professional process addiction treatment.
Pornography Addiction
Pornography addiction is a form of sex and love addiction. The addictive media is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, for free. Teenagers with a pornography addiction can spend several hours a day watching videos online, neglecting their families, social circles, and academic goals.
Teen Process Addiction Treatment with Foothills at Red Oak Recovery
Teen process addictions are a growing problem. Much of today’s modern world has been carefully cultivated to capture people’s attention, time, and money, and teens are often in a particularly vulnerable position. If a process addiction is left untreated, it can cause serious behavioral problems throughout a teenager’s entire life.
If you think your teen boy is struggling with a process addiction, reach out to the team at Foothills at Red Oak Recovery by calling 866.300.5275. We have a wide range of mental health and addiction services available for teenage boys and are dedicated to helping them learn the skills of recovery. Process addiction can be treated, and the team at Foothills at Red Oak Recovery can help.
