Bihavioral Addictions in Childhood and Adolescence - Pandemic Knocking Door.

INTRODUCTION: Addiction is not solely "substance dependence". Diminished control is a core defining concept of psychoactive substance addiction. Several behaviors, besides psychoactive substance ingestion, produce short-term reward that may engender diminished control over the behavior. Growing evidence suggests that behavioral addictions resemble substance addictions in many domains, including phenomenology, tolerance, comorbidity, overlapping genetic contribution, neurobiological mechanisms, and response to treatment. This similarity has given rise to the concept of non-substance or behavioral addictions, i.e., syndromes analogous to substance addiction, but with a behavioral focus. The type of excessive behaviors identified as being addictive include gambling, use of computers, playing video games, use of the internet, exercise, and shopping. Behavioral addictions have been proposed as a new class in DSM-5, but the only category included is gambling disorder. Internet gaming disorder is included in the appendix as a condition for further study. The ICD-11 included also the definition of a new disorder, gaming disorder. To present actual knowledge about behavioral addictions in childhood and adolescence. METHODS: Analysis of data in available literature in data basis and textbooks. RESULTS: Some behavioral addictions are becoming more common in children and adolescents. Dominant are gaming and gambling addiction that are also best researched. CONCLUSIONS: Behavioral addiction becomes an epidemic in children and adolescents.