characteristics

• INTRO - Mark Griffiths

  6 criteria that need to be met for a behaviour to be considered an addiction

  applied to behavioural and substance addictions
• SALIENCE

  description:

  ab = most important thing in individual's life

  dominates thoughts, feelings and behaviours

  when not engaged, their ab preoccupies them

  think about ab more than people around them

  e.g. - when not gambling > spend time working out ways of getting money/next bet
• MOOD MODIFICATION

  description:

  engage in ab > change in mood (high, buzz, numb), and when not engaged - irritable

  ab used as self medication

  feeling may change at different times

  e.g. might get buzz after gambling/winning, then later relaxed when they bet
• TOLERANCE

  description:

  effect of time on ab

  engage in ab overtime > need more to feel the same effects as before (build up tolerance to it)

  chemical and behavioural addictions

  e.g. increasing the frequency / amount of bets
• WITHDRAWAL SYMPTOMS

  description:

  if person stops ab > experience unpleasant signs of withdrawal

  physical = insomnia, nausea, headaches

  psychological = irritability, moodiness

  behavioural and substance

  e.g. anxiety, sweats, aggression
• CONFLICT - Intrapsychic

  description:

  person experiences conflict within themselves

  know ab is damaging but struggles to stop

  self loathing

  e.g. know gambling is bad and may lead to debt, but it unable to stop
• CONFLICT - Interpersonal

  description:

  when ab compromises the individuals relationships with others

  e.g. distracted at work, get into trouble / family concerned > gambling and money leads to arguments
• RELAPSE

  description:

  addicts stop engaging with ab, return to it after a period of stopping

  can happen, days, weeks, months / years after they stopped engaging

  e.g. stopped betting for 3 months but relapsed after negative event occurs