06/09/2020
Researchers have long discussed whether the compulsive pursuit of non-substance rewards, such as uncontrolled gambling, eating, s*x, exercise, Internet use, compulsive buying disorder and other obsessive behavioral syndromes can be classified as addictions. All can lead to salience, obsession, tolerance, emotional, and physical dependence, withdrawals, relapse and other traits common to substance abuse. Moreover, several of these non-substance rewards have been shown to produce specific activity in dopamine pathways of the reward system similar to drugs of abuse ; This suggests that uncontrolled use of these non-substances can be considered addictions. Romantic love is likely to be a similar addiction, with one exception. Unlike other addictions (that afflict only a percentage of the population), some form of love addiction is likely to occur to almost every human being that lives now and in our human past; few avoid the pain of romantic rejection either.
