Why Can't I Stop? - Reclaiming Your Life from a Behavioral Addiction (Broché)

At some point in our lives, we all engage in behaviors that are risky, irrational, or unwise. We might find it exciting and temporarily rewarding to gamble on the lottery or impulsively buy an expensive gadget. But just as substances like alcohol and narcotics have the potential to become addictive, so do certain behaviors. People addicted to gambling, shopping, the Internet, food, or picking at their skin may suffer shame in the shadows while their behavior consumes time and energy and disrupts their life.
Some people with behavioral addictions lose their family, job, savings, and home. With a physical basis in the brain, behavioral addictions are serious illnesses - and simply willing yourself to stop is usually not enough. Why Can't I Stop ? is for anyone who has a behavioral addiction, and their families and friends. Examining seven of the most common and serious addictions - gambling, sex, stealing, Internet use, shopping and buying, hair pulling and skin picking, and food - the authors draw on current research to describe behavioral addiction, what causes it, and how it can be diagnosed and treated.
Featuring stories of behavioral addiction and recovery, as well as information about treatment centers, this compassionate guide will help readers understand the complicated issues surrounding these addictions and teach family members how to help the addicted person while helping themselves.