Understanding Addictions in the Modern World 2010

Today's world, with its advancing technologies, has changed how we communicate, study or work and indeed, how we seek pleasure and behave. As a consequence, clinicians are now faced with an ever-increasing new breed of 'life-style' addictions, such as computer/'net', shopping or exercise addiction -- to name, but a few. These addictions fulfil all the diagnostic criteria implicit in the common addictions, such as drugs, alcoholism, gambling or smoking. Similarly, these addictions eventually impinge on the individual's performance, be it socially, in relationships or in the workplace.