What We Treat: Behavioral Addictions

Picture of Reviewed by: Matthew Tatum, PsyD

At Aspen View Mental Health in Greeley, Colorado, we provide compassionate and highly structured care for individuals struggling with overwhelming compulsions. If you or your loved ones are caught in a destructive cycle, we offer comprehensive mental health treatments specifically designed to address behavioral addiction. Our dedicated clinicians understand that true addiction recovery goes far beyond physical substances. By utilizing evidence-based approaches, we safely help young adults and older individuals alike regain vital impulse control, rebuild their overall well-being, and overcome the profound dysfunction that addictive behaviors consistently cause in their daily lives.

Understanding Process Addictions

Before diving into specific behavioral addiction treatment options, it is important to clearly understand what a process addiction actually is. Unlike standard substance use disorders—which involve the physical ingestion of substances like an opioid, chronic alcohol use, or general drug addiction—a behavioral addiction involves a powerful compulsion to engage in rewarding non-substance-related behavior despite severe negative consequences. This happens because the repeated activity directly hijacks the brain’s reward system, releasing massive amounts of dopamine. Over time, the individual develops intense cravings and requires significantly more of the behavior to achieve the exact same feeling, leading to severe withdrawal symptoms such as deep irritability, extreme restlessness, and panic when they cannot engage in the activity.

Severe mental illness and underlying mental health disorders can heavily influence the rapid development of these compulsions. Often, individuals subconsciously use these actions as coping mechanisms for underlying emotional pain, unhealed trauma, or overwhelming daily stress. In the DSM-5, while only gambling disorder is officially recognized alongside traditional substance addictions, many mental health conditions and impulse control disorders function in the exact same destructive manner. When these compulsive actions begin to severely damage physical health, financial stability, and vital relationships with family members, seeking professional health care is absolutely necessary for survival.

Common Behavioral Addictions We Treat

We proudly provide highly discreet, personalized care for a wide variety of process addictions. Our multidisciplinary clinical team is fully equipped to support individuals facing multiple types of behavioral addictions.

Gambling Addiction: addresses severe problem gambling to completely prevent financial ruin and restore lifelong stability.
Sex And Love Addiction: while sometimes referred to in clinical or public health discussions as compulsive sexual behavior, sex addiction, pornography addiction, or porn addiction, we compassionately address these intimacy issues under this broader, less stigmatizing term to safely heal relationship trauma.
Internet Addiction: curbs excessive internet use that dangerously isolates individuals from real-world connections.
Social Media Addiction: helps individuals step away from the constant validation of social media to deeply improve their self-esteem.

Video Game Addiction: establishes healthy, rigid boundaries and time limits for gaming to successfully restore daily functioning.
Shopping Addiction: manages compulsive buying to alleviate heavy financial stress and emotional impulsivity.
Work Addiction: overcomes the obsessive need to work that deeply damages personal relationships and causes severe health problems.
Exercise Addiction: ensures physical activity remains a healthy outlet rather than a highly destructive compulsion.
Food Addiction: supports much healthier relationships with daily nutrition, often closely related to other serious eating disorders.

The Connection to Substance Abuse and Mental Health

Process addictions rarely exist in a total vacuum. It is incredibly common for these complex addictive disorders to overlap directly with a formal substance use disorder. When individuals cannot engage in their preferred behavior, they may quickly turn to alcohol abuse, alcohol addiction, or other forms of substance abuse to numb their overwhelming distress. This highly complex dual diagnosis requires specialized addiction treatment that rigorously addresses both the behavioral compulsions and the chemical dependency simultaneously for a truly sustainable recovery.

Furthermore, conditions like severe depression or anxiety disorders frequently serve as the underlying root cause of these compulsions. A comprehensive approach to mental health care recognizes that treating the deep psychological pain is the absolute only way to achieve sustainable healing. By precisely identifying the core emotional triggers, our clinicians can help individuals safely replace destructive habits with healthy, sustainable strategies.

Evidence-Based Treatment Options

Our Greeley facility relies heavily on proven therapeutic interventions to ensure the highest quality of care possible. We carefully customize these highly effective treatment plans to confidently meet the unique clinical needs of every single client.

Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy: identifies and actively restructures the negative thought patterns directly driving compulsive actions.

Dialectical Behavior Therapy: systematically teaches vital emotional regulation and high distress tolerance skills to properly manage intense cravings.

Group Therapy: confidently connects individuals with peer support groups to openly share experiences and build strong accountability.

Family Therapy: actively repairs broken trust and vastly improves open household communication.

Individual Psychotherapy: provides highly private, confidential therapy sessions to safely explore the absolute root causes of impulsive behavior.

Admissions Process

We know that asking for help takes courage. Getting in touch is the first step. We’re here for you, no matter what. Once submitted, our admissions team will be in touch within 24 hours.

Or call us directly to get started: 970-717-1830

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Getting Started

We know that asking for help takes courage. Getting in touch is the first step. We’re here for you, no matter what. Once submitted, our admissions team will be in touch within 24 hours.

Or call us directly to get started: 970-717-1830

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How It Works

At Sierra Meadows, we provide personalized treatment designed just for you, ensuring a safe and supportive environment every step of the way.

1. Initial Assessment and Medication Evaluation

Making sure that you or your loved one are assessed for optimal care.

2. Individualized Treatment Plan

We craft a treatment plan tailored to suit your individual needs.

3. Medication Management

Our clinicians make sure that you access the medication you need.

4. Follow up Psychiatry Visits

We make sure you or your loved one are taken care of after your stay.

Flexible Outpatient Programs

We understand that everyone requires a vastly different level of structured support. While some individuals may initially require an inpatient setting for physical safety, we specialize in robust outpatient programs. Our varying levels of care allow you to receive comprehensive treatment while confidently maintaining your daily independence.

Partial Hospitalization Program: offers highly robust, full-day clinical support for individuals needing significant daily stabilization.
Intensive Outpatient Program: requires dedicated attendance a few days a week to effectively build lasting skills while comfortably accommodating work or school routines.
Outpatient Treatment: provides lower-intensity, highly flexible support for long-term maintenance and ongoing therapeutic growth.
Psychiatry Services: ensures highly thorough evaluations and comprehensive medication management directly on-site.

Begin Your Addiction Recovery Journey at Aspen View

At Aspen View Mental Health in Greeley, Colorado, we are deeply committed to helping you successfully break free from the exhausting cycle of behavioral addictions. Taking the incredibly brave first step toward seeking professional support is a monumental investment in your long-term future and overall happiness. Our compassionate clinicians provide a safe, highly welcoming environment where you can safely explore your struggles without any fear of judgment.

Whether you are transitioning out of a residential program or seeking outpatient support for the very first time, our dedicated admissions team is here to seamlessly guide you through the intake process. We work diligently with a variety of insurance providers to ensure that our comprehensive services remain as accessible as possible. Contact Aspen View Mental Health today to learn exactly how our highly personalized care can help you regain control, restore your relationships, and confidently build a much brighter, healthier tomorrow.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a behavioral addiction?

It is a deep compulsion to repeatedly engage in a specific, rewarding non-substance activity despite experiencing severe negative consequences in your daily life. Also known as a process addiction, it directly hijacks the brain's reward system in the exact same way that a chemical dependency does, making it incredibly difficult to stop without professional support.

How do I know if I need behavioral addiction treatment?

If your repetitive actions are completely disrupting your work, damaging relationships with loved ones, or causing significant financial and physical health problems, it is time to seek help. Experiencing intense cravings, severe irritability, or withdrawal symptoms when you cannot engage in the activity are also major warning signs.

Do you treat sex and love addiction at your facility?

Yes, we provide highly discreet, compassionate care for individuals struggling with intimacy and severe impulse control disorders. We utilize the term sex and love addiction to provide a less stigmatizing environment for healing, effectively addressing the root trauma behind what is sometimes broadly referred to as compulsive sexual behavior or pornography addiction.

Are process addictions related to substance abuse?

Yes, these conditions frequently co-occur with a formal substance use disorder. Many individuals actively struggle with alcohol abuse, drug addiction, or opioid dependence as a way to self-medicate the extreme emotional distress caused by their behavioral compulsions, requiring a highly integrated dual diagnosis treatment approach.

What types of therapies are used for these conditions?

Our clinicians primarily utilize evidence-based modalities like Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT). These highly structured therapy sessions help individuals actively identify their personal triggers, safely restructure their negative thought patterns, and develop much healthier coping mechanisms.

Can I attend an outpatient program while working?

Absolutely, our flexible outpatient programs are specifically designed to easily accommodate your daily responsibilities. Our Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP) allows you to receive robust clinical care a few days a week while still confidently maintaining your career, education, and essential family obligations.

Reviewed by: Matthew Tatum, PsyD

Dr. Tatum received his Doctorate in Clinical Psychology from Rosemead School of Psychology. He has extensive experience developing and expanding behavioral health services, including residential, detoxification, and outpatient programs. As CEO of Sierra Meadows, his focus is on expanding access to care for the Central Valley.

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