Process Addiction

Treatment for Process Addictions

Many addictions involve no substance abuse, but rather compulsive behaviors that are self-defeating and self-destructive in nature. These dependencies – such as gambling addiction, sexual addiction, eating disorders or self-harm – are clinically known as process addictions. At Avalon Malibu, we work closely with those suffering from process addictions to break negative behavioral patterns through mindful, healing therapies that bring insight and lasting change.

Over time, behavioral addictions often worsen, due to the neurochemical reactions created by sensations of stimulation, euphoria, and the cycle of stress and relief. Because of these reactions, the dynamic, successful treatment of process addictions involves intensive psychotherapy, deepened self-awareness, and the establishment of healthy behavioral patterns. At Avalon Malibu, we also provide accessible, expertly guided psychoeducation to help clients better understand both the chemical and psychological processes that take place in the presence of addictive behaviors.

Mindfulness-Based Therapies for Behavioral Addiction

Through focused awareness, mindfulness practice provides a powerful tool for changing negative behavioral patterns. Using nonjudgmental, meditative techniques, clients can leverage observation and intention to guide behavioral change. Because compulsive behaviors often involve both a biological and emotional component, process addictions often leave individuals on autopilot, deferring to coping mechanisms reinforced over time. Mindfulness-based therapies (MBT) allow clients to consciously experience and re-examine these automatic behaviors, providing the insight necessary to initiate lasting change.

Uncovering Core Issues Behind Process Addictions

For many clients, process addictions take root early on, usually originating back to young adulthood or even the early childhood years, in attempts to cope with fears, negative belief structures, and traumatic events. At Avalon Malibu, world-class clinicians work closely with clients in private therapy sessions to uncover sources of anxiety, depression and avoidance that set the stage for process addictions to take hold. Specializing in anxiety reduction, psychological disorder treatment, and trauma recovery, our clinical staff guides clients in identifying and healing primary causes of compulsive behaviors.

Present-Centered Recovery for Behavioral Addiction

In a safe, compassionate setting, clinical experts remove the fear around nascent experiences that pull clients towards their unresolved pasts. In addition to well-established cognitive-behavioral and trauma-focused paradigms, clinicians employ emergent psychotherapy tools such as expressive arts and experiential and biofeedback therapies, allowing clients to move from repression to progress. By focusing on the experience of the present moment, clients move towards healing and resolution, enabling them to create the lifestyles they desire and deserve.