Compulsive Behaviors

...High volume instant messaging and texting may be like shopping addiction, with aspects of materialism and impulsiveness that show signs of becoming an addiction. In a recent study, Americans check their phones once an hour -- at least-- and nearly three out of four respondents said that losing their phone would make them feel "panicked."

.. the iPhone has defined a new kind of communication form ... and some of interesting sociology ... in the news this week is "nomophobia", the fear of being away from your smart phone. People in the 18 to 24 year range seem most dependent on mobile technology with over 75% expressing discomfort with being away from their phones for more than a few minutes. The 25 to 34 year old group was only a bit behind with 68 percent. "Nomophobic people have a fear of losing connection with the outside world," according to psychologist Elizabeth Waterman, who has started to address nomophobia in group therapy sessions at the Morningside Recovery Center in California. We discuss different aspects of the issue and how it relates to other addictions.

The Olympics ... ways athletes strive to enhance their performances ... by using drugs - as well as other techniques - like blood-doping ... also news about gambling -- it seems Facebook users are more inclined to gamble and make compulsive choices than "normies," and the related obsessions with FarmVille ...

The new DSM-5 could classify many more people as addicts ... among the questions and criticisms being being raised in articles and blogs, including a recently in the Sunday New York Times story. The 5th edition DSM ... adds addiction and related disorders as a new category, replacing substance abuse and dependence .... and behavioral addictions such as gambling.

Inspired by a recent Huffington Post article, we look at whether there is a trend to "medicalize normality out of existence" -- with the inclusion of behavioral addictions in the new psychiatry handbook (DSM-5.) Gambling is the first topic in our wide-ranging discussion of addiction.

A recent conference in Hawaii examined the connections between social media, substance abuse and suicide, with a focus on the adolescents. Dr Inaba was one of the featured speakers, and gives us some of the highlights and trends from the conference.