Imagine this: your daily thoughts and actions become immersed in uninvited scenarios that build psychological distress to the point that an outlet must be created, like the film Groundhog Day repeating the same narratives about a certain stressor day in and day out. The reason we refer to the film is that in that story, the protagonist is living the same day over, and over, and over, with very little variation. For someone with an obsessive compulsive disorder, their days may be shaped similarly: their daily actions and activities revolve around a particular cycle of consistent, intrusive thoughts.  

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To fully understand the psychology of addiction, you must identify how addiction is created.

An addiction is a habit that becomes profoundly entrenched and self-perpetuating over time. This habit rewires the circuitry of the brain as it is repeated over and over again. By repeating a highly pleasurable experience, the neurons become altered and adjust to become increasingly efficient at the new experience, causing a person to crave that habit. Over time, that habit becomes an addiction. 

Fortunately, there are ways to create new healthier habits that can reframe and replace the unwanted and harmful patterns of addiction. Still, we must first address the causes and risk factors behind the psychology of addiction.

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