This timely, up-to-date book is full of good, clear, and reliable information about behavioral addiction. -- Donald W. Black, MD, University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine Wonderfully helps people to understand, without any stigmatization, that the many addictions to behaviors are universal and similar but also different from each other. The book is an extremely useful treatment guide for people afflicted by-or affected by-these disorders. -- Michael Levy, Director of Substance Use Services, North Shore Medical Center, Salem, Massachusetts, and author of Take Control of Your Drinking...And You May Not Need to Quit and Celebrity and Entertainment Obsession: Understanding Our Addiction

At some point in our lives, we all engage in behaviors that are risky, irrational, or unwise. We might find it exciting and temporarily rewarding to gamble on the lottery or impulsively buy an expensive gadget. But just as substances like alcohol and narcotics have the potential to become addictive, so do certain behaviors. A person addicted to gambling, shopping, the internet, food, or picking at their skin may suffer shame in the shadows while their behavior consumes time and energy and disrupts their life. Some people with behavioral addictions lose their family, job, savings, and home. With a physical basis in the brain, behavioral addictions are serious illnesses-but simply willing yourself to stop is usually not enough. Why Can't I Stop? is for anyone who has a behavioral addiction, as well as their supportive families and friends. Examining seven of the most common and serious addictions-gambling, sex, stealing, internet use, shopping and buying, hair pulling and skin picking, and food-the authors bring together cutting-edge research to describe behavioral addiction, its causes, and how it can be diagnosed and treated. Featuring patient stories of behavioral addiction and recovery, as well as information about treatment centers, this compassionate guide will help readers better understand the complicated issues surrounding these addictions and teach family members how to help the addicted person while helping themselves.