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Behavioral addictions: a novel challenge for psychopharmacology

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  04 March 2014

Donatella Marazziti ,
Silvio Presta ,
Stefano Baroni ,
Stefano Silvestri  and
Liliana Dell'Osso
Donatella Marazziti*
Affiliation:
Dipartimento di Medicina Clinica e Sperimentale, Section of Psychiatry, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
Silvio Presta
Affiliation:
Dipartimento di Medicina Clinica e Sperimentale, Section of Psychiatry, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
Stefano Baroni
Affiliation:
Dipartimento di Medicina Clinica e Sperimentale, Section of Psychiatry, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
Stefano Silvestri
Affiliation:
Dipartimento di Medicina Clinica e Sperimentale, Section of Psychiatry, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
Liliana Dell'Osso
Affiliation:
Dipartimento di Medicina Clinica e Sperimentale, Section of Psychiatry, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
*
*Address for correspondence: Donatella Marazziti, MD, Dipartimento di Medicina Clinica e Sperimentale, Section of Psychiatry, University of Pisa, Via Roma 67, 56100 Pisa, Italy. (Email: [email protected])
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Abstract

Although addictive syndromes have been traditionally related to substance-use disorders, during the last few decades a novel addictive group, including the so-called “behavioral or no-drug addictions,” has been recognized and has attracted increasing attention for its relevant social impact. This group includes pathological gambling, compulsive shopping, TV/Internet/social network/videogame addictions, workaholism, sex and relationship addictions, orthorexia, and overtraining syndrome. Substance and behavioral addictions show similar phenomenological features, such as craving, dependence, tolerance, and abstinence, and perhaps they share a common possible pathophysiology. It is, however, controversial whether all or at least some of them should be considered real disorders or just normal, albeit extreme, behaviors. The aim of this article is to review current data on pharmacological treatment of behavioral addictions. As no specific and validated treatment algorithms are currently available, only an improved knowledge on their psychopathological, clinical, and neurobiological features may have relevant implications for more focused preventive and therapeutic strategies.

Keywords

Behavioral addictionscompulsive shoppingorthorexiaovertraining syndromepathological gamblingpsychopharmacologysex and relationship addictionsTV/Internet/social network/videogame addictionsworkaholism
Type
Review Articles
Information
CNS Spectrums , Volume 19 , Issue 6 , December 2014 , pp. 486 - 495
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2014 

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