The Confusion Over and Controversy of Exercise Addiction
Exercise addiction is probably the most
contradictory of all the addictions. As well as being a widely promoted health
behavior, important for the prevention and treatment for a range of ailments,
it is an effective part of treatment for other mental health problems.
Exercise is even promoted as part of a
complete program of recovery from other addictions. It forms part of new and
effective approaches to treating mental health problems which commonly co-occur
with or underlie addictions such as depression
and borderline personality disorder (BPD).
It's understandable how some are confused by how exercise could be an addiction
itself.
Like other behavioral addictions, exercise
addiction is a controversial idea. Many experts balk at the idea that excessive
exercise can constitute an addiction, believing that there has to be a
psychoactive substance that produces symptoms such as withdrawal for
an activity to be a true addiction. Although there is considerable research
showing that exercise releases endorphins (opioids produced within the body),
and excessive exercise causes tolerance to
the hormones and neurotransmitters
released, these physiological processes are often not considered comparable to
other substance addictions.
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