A study from Private Rehab Clinic Delamere has revealed the most common mental health and addiction related queries on Google and which location in the UK searches for them the most.
Anxiety is officially the most searched mental health complaint in the UK and is searched on average 130,000 times per month. Schizophrenia followed in second place with 128,000 and depression with 118,000.
Sex addiction ranked as the top addiction concern in the UK with 8,000 monthly searches, followed by gambling addiction 6,100 and gaming addiction with 5,500.
According to the research, London and Glasgow are the two cities where Addiction is the biggest health concern. Residents of London are concerned about many forms of addiction including alcohol, cocaine, food, porn, sex, gambling and gaming addiction.
Addiction and mental health specialist, Dr Catherine Carney explains that “sex addiction is a behavioural and intimacy disorder, characterised by obsession and compulsion. It is one of the most overlooked and misunderstood addictions.
“Sex addiction, also known as Compulsive Sexual Behaviour Disorder (CSDB) is a recognised mental health disorder that can manifest in many forms, including excessive masturbation, pornography, obsessive fetishes or seeking sex with strangers or multiple partners. Whatever the activity or behaviour that is linked to sex addiction, the driving force is the person’s distinct lack of control.
“Sex is a part of our basic human nature, but in sex addiction, it is taken to the extreme and can overpower every aspect of a person’s life”.
Dr Catherine Carney states that “gambling addiction is a medically recognised disorder of the brain. It is more severe than simply an inability to gamble responsibly, much like substance addiction is more severe than an inability to manage their intake.”
“Gambling addiction is a type of disorder that has progressed to the point that the brain’s pleasure or reward system has been conditioned to prioritise gambling above every other aspect of life. A gambling addict will lose the power of choice when gambling, as the addiction hijacks the individual’s brain.
“Someone suffering from gambling addiction will take increasingly greater risks with their gambling and become so preoccupied with gambling that they will allow it to take over their social life, personal relationships, finances and career.
“The destructive nature of a gambling addict can be as frustrating and painful for those close to the individual struggling with the addiction as it is for the individual themselves. In many cases, when gambling addiction is left untreated, it can cause the sufferer to completely self-destruct and even contemplate the idea of suicide”.
