Emotional Compulsion and Addiction within the context of Mental and Metabolic Health Recovery
Exploring Emotional Addiction within the Context of Mental and Metabolic Health Recovery Click this link for the full presentation with images or read below.
Emotional Compulsion and Addiction within the Context of Mental and Metabolic Health Recovery. Dr. Heather Hamilton ©2026
We begin the 4th of 16 BreakThrough! sessions by exploring emotions, compulsive, and impulsive behaviors, as well as relevant brain-body states drawn from the science of addiction recovery. This presentation draws from peer reviewed research and expands on course topics 4.10, 4.11, and 4.12.
It takes a cross section of providers to satisfy the different elements of integrated care. That said, for mental and behavioral health recovery, patients need both encouragement and structured intersession homework.
BreakThrough! courses are structured to shift the work of recovery from provider-led, to client-led. This feature is unique and designed to alleviate provider burn-out. Whether patients work through the course workbook with their provider, attend weekly virtual groups, or work through the learning management platform, with over 170 topics and 550 introspective exercises, the client becomes the stakeholder in their recovery!
Our BreakThrough! team hopes this presentation is helpful in understanding and working with your patients. These are just 2 of over 170 topics presented progressively in the BreakThrough! Course for Mental and Metabolic Health Recovery. For more information regarding this course, the 300 page course workbook, and our on-line virtual support groups, please don’t hesitate to reach out!
Heather Hamilton PhD.
Chair, ACLM Mental and Behavioral Health MIG
Founder Team Breakthrough!
References
- Longley. R. (2021). The psychology of compulsive behavior, How compulsions differ from addictions and Habits. https://www.thoughtco.com/psychology-of-compulsive-behavior-4173631.
- Holtzman, E. (2023), Addictive Behaviors, Compulsions and Habits. A Spectrum of Need Intensity Umass.edu.
- Izard CE. Emotion theory and research: highlights, unanswered questions, and emerging issues. Annu Rev Psychol. 2009;60:1-25. doi: 10.1146/annurev.psych.60.110707.163539. PMID: 18729725; PMCID: PMC2723854.
- Koob GF. The dark side of emotion: the addiction perspective. Eur J Pharmacol. 2015 Apr 15;753:73-87. doi: 10.1016/j.ejphar.2014.11.044. Epub 2015 Jan 9. PMID: 25583178; PMCID: PMC4380644.
- Tangney JP, Stuewig J, Mashek DJ. Moral emotions and moral behavior. Annu Rev Psychol. 2007;58:345-72. doi: 10.1146/annurev.psych.56.091103.070145. PMID: 16953797; PMCID: PMC3083636.
- Koob GF, Volkow ND. Neurobiology of addiction: a neurocircuitry analysis. Lancet Psychiatry. 2016 Aug;3(8):760-773. doi: 10.1016/S2215-0366(16)00104-8. PMID: 27475769; PMCID: PMC6135092.
- Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (US); Office of the Surgeon General (US). Facing Addiction in America: The Surgeon General’s Report on Alcohol, Drugs, and Health [Internet]. Washington (DC): US Department of Health and Human Services; 2016 Nov. CHAPTER 2, THE NEUROBIOLOGY OF SUBSTANCE USE, MISUSE, AND ADDICTION. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK424849/
- Brunetti, A. (2023). What is emotional addiction? Retrieved from: https://humantold.com/blog/what-is-emotional-addiction/
