Assignment: Scholar Practitioner Project: Chemical and Behavioral Addictions

Many individuals who seek treatment for a chemical addiction may have an unidentified behavioral addiction as well, or it might be the other way around. It is not uncommon for individuals to experience chemical and behavioral cross-addictions, replacing one addiction with another. Some treatment approaches may be appropriate for both chemical and behavioral addictions, but some may not.

For this Assignment, review this week's Resources. Reflect on the characteristics of chemical and behavioral addictions. Examine the similarities and differences between chemical and behavioral addictions. Consider challenges in treatment for chemical and behavioral addictions.

Assignment:

In a 2- to 4-page APA-formatted paper, address the following:

• Select two chemical addictions and two behaviors of addiction and describe the symptoms of each.
• Explain the similarities and differences between the chemical and behavioral addictions that you chose.
• Explain how these similarities and differences pose a challenge for addiction professionals in making treatment decisions.
• Explain any insights you gained as a result of analyzing the similarities and differences between chemical and behavioral addictions.

References (use 3 or more)

Laureate Education (Producer). (2012a). Behavioral and chemical addiction [Video file].

Doweiko, H. E. (2015). Concepts of chemical dependency (9th ed.). Stamford, CT: Cengage.

Garcia, F. D., & Thibaut, F. (2010). Sexual addictions. The American Journal of Drug and Alcohol Abuse, 36(5), 254-260.

Grant, J. E., Potenza, M. N., Weinstein, A., & Gorelick, D. A. (2010). Introduction to behavioral addictions. The American Journal of Drug and Alcohol Abuse, 36(5), 233-241.         

Hoffmann, B. (2011). Pathological gambling: An example of non-substance related.