Behavioral Addictions: Don’t Worry, It’s Not a Problem for Me

“Behavioral Addictions: Don’t Worry, It’s Not a Problem for Me” will be presented on Tuesday March 17, 2020; 7:30pm-9:00pm, by Dr Carl Christensen, MD, PhD, D-FASAM. When people think about “addiction” they usually think of substances such as alcohol, nicotine and other drugs. Rewarding behaviors such as gambling, Internet use, gaming, eating, sex, exercise, shopping and other activities also have the potential in susceptible people to become a “process addiction” when the behavior is compulsively continued despite negative consequences.   Research shows there are similarities between substance addiction and process addiction, including how the disorder develops, symptoms, genetic and environmental influences, neurobiology and reward effects, and methods of effective treatment. It’s also not unusual for substance use disorders and process addictions to co-occur, and complicate the recovery from each disorder. This program will review the underlying mechanisms of process addictions and their similarities to substance use disorders, and discuss effective treatment methods for people with process addictions. This program is part of the Dawn Farm Education Series, a FREE, annual education series developed to provide accurate, helpful, hopeful, practical, current information about substance use disorders, recovery, family and related issues; and to dispel the myths, misinformation, secrecy, shame and stigma that prevent people with addiction and their families from getting help and getting well.  All programs are free and open to anyone interested.  Registration is not required. 1.5 hours of free C.E. approved by MCBAP (Michigan Certification Board for Addiction Professionals) is provided. A certificate to document attendance is provided on request. The Education Series is organized by Dawn Farm, a non-profit community of programs providing a continuum of services for people with substance use disorders. For information, please contact Dawn Farm at 734-485-8725 or [email protected], or see http://www.dawnfarmeducation.org.

Location: St. Joseph Mercy Hospital Education Center Auditorium (ground floor,) 5305 Elliott Drive, Ypsilanti, Michigan 48197.