What is the cognitive-behavioral approach to behavioral addiction?

What is the cognitive-behavioral approach to behavioral addiction?

Marc Kern (Addiction Expert, Director of Addiction Alternatives) gives expert video advice on: How is a behavioral addiction similar to a substance behavioral addiction?; What is an "addictive personality"?; What can be done about an addictive personality? and more...

First of all, it's a distinct discipline. It is based on the assumption that thinking leads to feelings that leads to behavior. It's sort of like a triangle. And that if you change one's thinking about something, you can change the way they feel about it. You can change the way feel about it, you can change the way they act upon it. An addiction is just a thinking method or a belief method. Certain beliefs lead to feelings that lead to behaviors, and they are often irrational, illogical, excessive, exaggerated beliefs. A cognitive behavioral therapist will focus primarily on the thinking component, will intervene first, talk about the thinking that leads to these feelings or behaviors.