DSM / "Impulse Control Disorder"
There is disagreement as to the exact nature of behavioral addiction or dependency. However, the biopsychosocial model is generally accepted in scientific fields as the most comprehensive model for addiction. Historically, addiction has been defined with regard solely to psychoactive substances (for example alcohol, tobacco and other drugs) which cross the blood–brain barrier once ingested, temporarily altering the chemical milieu of the brain. However, "studies on phenomenology, family history, and response to treatment suggest that intermittent explosive disorder, kleptomania, problem gambling, pyromania, and trichotillomania may be related to mood disorders, alcohol and psychoactive substance abuse, and anxiety disorders (especially obsessive–compulsive disorder)."
In the case of pathological gambling, for example, the American Psychological Association classifies the condition as an impulse control disorder and not an addiction.
Read more about this topic: Behavioral Addiction
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