Change is possible. One small, repeatable step at a time.
Addictions & Compulsions
Addiction isn’t about being “weak.” It’s brain learning, stress biology, environment, and access.
Compulsions — like gambling, shopping, gaming, porn, or scrolling — use the same reward circuits.
This page explains what’s going on, why it’s harder in tough circumstances, and what you can do today.
1) What counts as addiction or compulsion?
Addiction
A pattern of use that continues despite harm. It often involves tolerance (needing more for the same effect),
craving, loss of control, and withdrawal when stopping. Applies to substances (alcohol, nicotine, drugs) and behaviours
like gambling.
Compulsion
A strong urge to perform a behaviour to relieve tension or distress (e.g., gambling, gaming, porn, shopping, scrolling).
It can bring short-term relief but long-term problems. Many compulsions run on the same brain loops as addiction.
Note: Obsessive–Compulsive Disorder (OCD) is a clinical condition with different drivers (obsessions & compulsions to reduce anxiety).
Some OCD strategies differ — if you suspect OCD, ask your GP for assessment.
2) Why it hits poorer communities harder
Chronic stress & trauma: Constant stress pushes the brain toward fast relief. Quick rewards (a bet, drink, scroll) feel like the only “off switch”.
Local availability: More outlets, more online targeting, and less safe, low-cost alternatives for joy and community.
Scarcity effect: When money/time/energy are tight, the brain narrows to immediate relief — long-term costs feel distant.
Stigma & access: Shame + fewer services nearby = harder to get help, easier to stay stuck.
This isn’t your fault. The deck is stacked. Change is still possible — especially with practical, local support.
3) How addiction & compulsion work in the brain
Dopamine “teaching signal”: Cues (places, times, phones, adverts) trigger dopamine spikes that make the brain remember: “Do that again.” Over time, cues drive more craving than the reward itself.
Habit loops:Trigger → Behaviour → Relief/Reward. Relief (or the promise of relief) wires the loop.
Tolerance & withdrawal: The brain adapts; you need more for the same effect, and feel rough when you stop.
Stress amplifier: Cortisol & adrenaline boost cue-reactivity — cravings hit harder when stressed, lonely, or tired.
Sensitisation: Repeated exposure makes the system hypersensitive to cues — “just one” can rapidly reignite the loop.
4) The cycle (and how to interrupt it)
Our target: break the loop at the urge with skills, and at the trigger with smart design.
Break at the trigger
Identify top 3 triggers (time, place, people, feelings).
Change the path: different route home, move money on payday, charge phone outside the bedroom.
Remove cues: unsubscribe, block sites/apps, remove delivery apps, ask a friend to hold gambling cards.
Ride the urge (don’t fight it)
Urges peak like a wave for 10–20 minutes. If you surf the wave, it falls on its own.
Set a 10-minute timer; breathe out slowly (4–6 pattern).
Hands busy: shower, brisk walk, wash dishes, cold water on wrists.
Say out loud: “This is a wave; it passes.”
Soften the crash
Plan a non-shame response: note what happened, text a safe person, restart the next step.
Rebuild the loop: keep the cue & reward, swap the behaviour (tea + call instead of a bet; walk instead of a drink).
5) Day-to-day tools that actually help
Urge surfing
Breath + timer + movement. When the timer ends, choose the smallest helpful action.
Practice when cravings are mild so it’s ready for hard days.
Delay • Distract • Decide
Delay: Wait 10 minutes.
Distract: Quick task that uses hands/body.
Decide: If the urge remains, repeat. Often it will have dropped.
If–Then plans
If it’s payday → Then move money to bills pot before 9am.
If I’m alone after 9pm → Then call a friend while making tea.
Stimulus control
Keep alcohol/gambling apps out of the house/phone.
Make the healthy option easy: mug + tea bag waiting; walking shoes by the door.
Support map
List 3 people/places you can go when it spikes. Keep the list on the fridge and in your phone.
Sleep & food first
Cravings jump when you’re hungry or exhausted. Eat something with protein + carbs; aim for a regular bedtime. See Sleep.
Cravings are waves. Ground, breathe, move — and let the peak pass.
6) Gambling: what works in practice
Gambling uses fast reward schedules that hook the brain. Many people struggle with slots, FOBTs, online casinos/sports, loot boxes, or spread betting. The aim is to add frictions before the urge lands.
Block access (online)
GAMSTOP — free UK self-exclusion for online operators (choose 6 months / 1 / 5 years).
Recovery is rarely instant — but small, steady steps create change over time.
Many people in recovery describe it not as one dramatic decision, but as hundreds of small decisions repeated:
making today’s bed, making a call, turning down one urge, showing up to a group, or eating a meal.
Progress isn’t perfect, but each step forward counts. Hope grows in community, routine, and honest
support — and change is possible at any stage of life.
Important Note
The information on this page is for general understanding and support. It is not a substitute for professional medical, legal, or crisis services.
If you feel unable to keep yourself or someone else safe, call 999 (UK) immediately. If you’re outside the UK, contact your local emergency number.
For non-emergency concerns, speak with a GP, local support service, or one of the organisations listed above.
Patch & Pot
