Attention Training, what is it:

Attention training is the deliberate practice of strengthening your ability to focus, sustain, shift, and control attention, instead of letting it be pulled around by distractions, impulses, or emotional triggers.

In psychology, attention may not be a single skill; it could be a system you can train much like a muscle.

Core Components of Attention Training

Sustained Attention
Staying focused over time (reading without drifting)
Selective Attention
Filtering out distractions (focusing in a noisy room)
Executive Control
Choosing what to focus on and resisting impulses
Attentional Shifting
Moving focus flexibly when needed (task-switching without losing efficiency)

Evidence-Based Attention Training Methods

1. Mindfulness Training

Rooted in practices:

Focus on the breath or body sensations
Notice when attention drifts, gently bring it back
Builds meta-awareness (awareness of attention itself)

Effect: Improves sustained attention and emotional regulation

2. Focused Attention Exercises

Pick a single object (breath, sound, visual point)
Maintain attention for a set time (5–10 minutes)
Restart when distracted

This is like “reps” for your attentional system.

3. Cognitive Training Tasks

Maybe used in neuropsychology and ADHD interventions:

Continuous Performance Tasks (CPT)
Dual n-back tasks
Stroop tasks

Effect: Strengthens executive control and working memory

4. Environmental Structuring

Remove distractions (phone, notifications)
Use time blocks (25-minute focus sessions)

This may support attention externally while you build it internally.

5. Attentional Control Training (ACT)

Maybe used in anxiety treatment:

Deliberately shift attention between stimuli (sound, sight, body)
Trains flexibility and reduces fixation (rumination)

6. Physical Foundations

Sometimes overlooked but critical:

Sleep quality
Exercise (especially aerobic and anaerobic)
Nutrition: Non-GMO foods, please consult a clinical Dietician

These directly affect attentional capacity and fatigue.

Clinical Applications

Attention training is used for:

ADHD
Anxiety disorders (reducing hypervigilance)
Depression (interrupting rumination)
Addiction (impulse control)
Trauma (stabilizing focus and grounding)

A Deeper Insight

From a psychological and parapsychological lens, attention training is essentially about “attentional sovereignty”, regaining control over where consciousness is allocated.

Untrained attention is:

Reactive
Fragmented
Stimulus-driven

Trained attention becomes:

Intentional
Stable
Directed

In fields like Controlled Remote Viewing (CRV), this becomes crucial, because attention is treated not just as cognition, but as a targeting mechanism of awareness.

Simple Daily Protocol (5–15 minutes)

5 min: Breath-focused attention
5 min: Open monitoring (notice thoughts without engaging)
Optional: 5 min deliberate shifting (sound, body, visual field)
Shervan K Shahhian

Post-Divorce Counseling, a great explanation:

Post-divorce counseling could be a structured form of emotional and psychological support that helps individuals process the end of a marriage and rebuild their lives in a healthy, intentional way. It may not be just about “getting over it”, it’s about integrating the experience, stabilizing identity, and moving forward with clarity.

What It Focuses On

1. Emotional Processing

Divorce may trigger grief similar to bereavement, loss of a partner, identity, routine, and future expectations. Counseling could help process:

Sadness, anger, guilt, or relief
Emotional ambivalence (missing someone you chose to leave)
Unresolved attachment wounds

2. Identity Reconstruction

Some people experience a disruption in their sense of self after divorce:

“Who am I outside this relationship?”
Shifts in roles (partner to single parent, etc.)
Rebuilding self-worth and autonomy

This may overlap with concepts like identity stabilization and self-concept restructuring.

3. Coping & Regulation Skills

Counseling strengthens:

Emotional regulation (especially if there’s conflict or co-parenting stress)
Adaptive coping (vs. maladaptive patterns like substance use or avoidance)
Stress tolerance and resilience

4. Co-Parenting Support (if applicable)

For those with children, therapy may include:

Communication strategies with ex-partner
Reducing conflict exposure for children
Navigating loyalty binds and role confusion

5. Relationship Pattern Insight

A deeper layer:

Identifying attachment styles (anxious, avoidant)
Recognizing repetitive relational dynamics
Understanding projection, transference, and unmet needs

Some Of The Common Therapeutic Approaches

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT): reframing negative thought patterns
Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT): attachment-based emotional healing
Narrative Therapy: rewriting the personal story of the relationship
Meaning-Centered Therapy: finding purpose and meaning after loss
Family Systems Therapy: understanding relational roles and dynamics

What Makes It Different from General Therapy?

Post-divorce counseling could be more of a transition-focused therapy:

It deals with a specific life rupture
It integrates grief work, identity work and future planning
Often shorter-term but can deepen into long-term growth work

Typical Outcomes

With effective counseling, people might often:

Reach emotional closure (not necessarily reconciliation)
Develop a clearer sense of self
Form healthier future relationships
Reduce bitterness and chronic resentment
Improve functioning (work, parenting, social life)

A Deeper Lens

From a more advanced or parapsychological/meaning-oriented perspective, divorce can also be seen as:

A disruption of shared psychic/relational fields
A forced individuation process
An opportunity to examine unconscious contracts or “soul-level” dynamics

Even without adopting those frameworks literally, some clients report a sense of existential reorientation after divorce.

Shervan K Shahhian

The Fawn Response, what is it:

The fawn response could be a psychological coping strategy that emerges in response to stress, fear, or trauma, especially interpersonal trauma.

It maybe considered a fourth trauma response, alongside:

fight
flight
freeze
fawn

What is the Fawn Response?

The fawn response may involve appeasing, pleasing, or accommodating others in order to avoid conflict, rejection, or harm.

Instead of fighting back or escaping, the person might:

“moves toward” the threat by becoming agreeable, compliant, or overly helpful.

Core Features

People using the fawn response may often:

Prioritize others’ needs over their own
Struggle to say “no”
Seek approval or validation excessively
Avoid conflict at all costs
Feel responsible for others’ emotions
Adapt their personality to please others

Why It Develops

The fawn response maybe linked to chronic relational trauma, such as:

Childhood emotional neglect
Living with unpredictable or volatile caregivers
Abuse where resistance made things worse

In these environments, the nervous system may learn:

“If I keep others happy, I stay safe.”

Psychological Mechanism

From a possible clinical perspective, the fawn response may involve:

Hyper-attunement to others’ emotional states
Self-abandonment (disconnecting from one’s own needs)
A survival-based form of attachment regulation

It may overlap with concepts like:

codependency
people-pleasing
trauma bonding

Example

Someone with a strong fawn response might:

Agree with a partner even when they feel uncomfortable
Apologize excessively, even when not at fault
Stay in unhealthy relationships to avoid abandonment
Feel anxious when someone is upset, even if it’s not about them

Long-Term Effects

If it becomes a habitual pattern, it might lead to:

Loss of identity or unclear sense of self
Resentment and emotional exhaustion
Anxiety and depression
Difficulty forming authentic relationships

Healing & Integration

Recovery may focus on reclaiming the self while maintaining connection:

Learning boundaries (“no” without guilt)
Reconnecting with personal needs and emotions
Tolerating conflict and discomfort safely
Developing secure attachment patterns
Trauma-informed therapy (somatic or relational approaches)

A Deeper Frame

From a possible existential or parapsychological lens, the fawn response can be seen as:

A distortion of relational sensitivity, where intuitive attunement becomes survival-driven compliance
A misalignment between authentic self-expression and external energetic regulation

In other words:

A natural capacity for empathy becomes hijacked by fear.

Shervan K Shahhian

Schizophrenia Care, explained:

Schizophrenia care maybe a long-term, multi-layered approach that supports both symptom management and overall quality of life for someone living with Schizophrenia. It may not be just about medication: Consult with a Psychiatrist, it may involve psychological, social, and lifestyle support.

A possible clinical breakdown:

Medication (Foundation of Care) Consult with a Psychiatrist

The primary treatment could be certain medications: Consult with a Psychiatrist, which may help reduce symptoms like hallucinations, delusions, and disorganized thinking.

Key point: Medication adherence is critical, relapse risk increases significantly without it: Consult with a Psychiatrist.

Psychotherapy & Psychological Support

Medication alone may not be enough. Evidence-based therapies include:

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT for psychosis)
May help patients question and manage delusional beliefs and hallucinations.
Supportive therapy
Focuses on coping, emotional regulation, and daily functioning.
Family therapy
Educates families and reduces relapse by lowering expressed emotion in the home.

Psychosocial Rehabilitation

This maybe where long-term recovery really develops.

Social skills training: Might improve communication and relationships
Vocational rehabilitation: May help with employment and independence
Case management: May coordinate care (housing, treatment, services)

Programs like Assertive Community Treatment (ACT) provide intensive, community-based support.

Lifestyle & Self-Regulation

These may often get overlooked but are powerful stabilizers:

Consistent sleep schedule
Low stress environment
Avoiding substances (especially cannabis, which can worsen psychosis)
Routine and structure

Crisis Planning & Relapse Prevention

Schizophrenia may often episodic, so early detection matters.

Recognizing early warning signs:
Social withdrawal
Increased paranoia
Sleep disturbance
Having a relapse plan (who to call, medication adjustments: Consult with a Psychiatrist)

Hospitalization (When Needed)

Short-term hospitalization may be necessary during:

Acute psychosis
Risk of harm to self or others
Severe functional decline

Recovery Perspective (Important Shift)

Modern care might emphasize that people with schizophrenia can:

Live independently
Work and maintain relationships
Experience meaning and purpose

Recovery may not always mean “no symptoms”, it means living well despite them.

Clinical Insight

From a psychological standpoint, schizophrenia care may often involves balancing:

Reality testing vs. subjective experience
Maintaining dignity while addressing impaired insight (anosognosia)
Integrating biological treatment: (Consult with a Psychiatrist) with existential/meaning-centered frameworks

Shervan K Shahhian

Substance Prevention, Treatment and Recovery, explained:

Substance Prevention, Treatment, and Recovery refers to a full continuum of care addressing substance use/abuse, from stopping it before it starts, to treating it, to supporting long-term healing. It may often be discussed within Addiction Medicine: PLEASE CONSULT WITH A NEUROLOGIST/PSYCHIATRIST, and Clinical Psychology.

1. Prevention (Stopping Problems Before They Start)

Prevention focuses on reducing risk factors and strengthening protective factors.

Key Types of Prevention:

Universal prevention: for everyone (education programs)
Selective prevention: for at-risk groups (trauma-exposed youth)
Indicated prevention: for early signs of substance misuse

Common Strategies:

Education about substances and risks
Strengthening family communication
Teaching coping and self-regulation skills
Community policies (limiting access to alcohol or opioids)

Psychological Focus:

Prevention may often targets:

Impulsivity
Peer pressure
Emotional dysregulation
Early trauma exposure

2. Treatment (Addressing Active Substance Use)

Treatment may help individuals reduce or stop substance use and manage underlying issues.

Evidence-Based Approaches:

Psychotherapies

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
Helps identify triggers, thoughts, and behaviors tied to substance use.
Motivational Interviewing (MI)
Enhances readiness and internal motivation for change.
Contingency Management
Uses rewards to reinforce sobriety.
Trauma-informed therapy (important when addiction is trauma-linked)

Medications (Medication-Assisted Treatment, MAT)

Used especially for opioid and alcohol use disorders:

PLEASE CONSULT WITH A NEUROLOGIST/PSYCHIATRIST

Levels of Care:

Detoxification (medically supervised withdrawal, PLEASE CONSULT WITH A NEUROLOGIST/PSYCHIATRIST)
Inpatient / residential treatment
Partial hospitalization (PHP)
Intensive outpatient (IOP)
Standard outpatient therapy

3. Recovery (Long-Term Healing and Maintenance)

Recovery may not just be abstinence, it’s rebuilding a meaningful, stable life.

Core Elements:

Ongoing therapy or counseling
Peer support groups
Lifestyle restructuring
Identity transformation (moving beyond “addict” identity)

Peer Support Models:

Alcoholics Anonymous (AA)
Narcotics Anonymous (NA)

These emphasize community, accountability, and meaning-making.

Recovery-Oriented Concepts:

Relapse is often part of the process, not failure
Building purpose and connection is essential
Addressing co-occurring disorders (depression, trauma)

Integrated View (Biopsychosocial Model)

PLEASE CONSULT WITH A NEUROLOGIST/PSYCHIATRIST

Substance use maybe best understood through a biopsychosocial lens:

Biological: genetics, brain chemistry: PLEASE CONSULT WITH A NEUROLOGIST/PSYCHIATRIST
Psychological: coping styles, trauma, personality
Social: environment, relationships, culture

Clinical Insight

From a deeper psychological standpoint, addiction often functions as:

A maladaptive self-regulation strategy
A substitute for unmet attachment needs
A way to modulate unbearable affect (shame, emptiness, dissociation)

This aligns with modern integrative approaches combining:

Neurobiology: PLEASE CONSULT WITH A NEUROLOGIST
Attachment theory
Trauma-informed care
Shervan K Shahhian

Somatic Rituals, what are they:

Somatic rituals are structured, repeated body-based practices used to regulate emotions, stabilize identity, and create a sense of safety through the nervous system.

They may sit at the intersection of body awareness (somatic) and ritualized behavior (repetition with meaning).

What “somatic” means

“Somatic” may come from the body. In psychology and neuroscience, it may refer to:

“PLEASE, CONSULT WITH A NEUROLOGIST”

Physical sensations (heartbeat, tension, breath)
Body posture and movement
Nervous system states (calm, fight/flight, freeze)

What makes something a “ritual”

A ritual is:

Repetitive
Intentional
Predictable
Often symbolic or meaningful

When you combine both, somatic rituals: meaningful, repeated body actions that regulate inner states.

Examples of Somatic Rituals

These maybe simple or highly structured:

1. Grounding rituals

Placing feet firmly on the floor
Slow, deliberate breathing
Touching objects with awareness

It might help reduce anxiety and dissociation

2. Movement-based rituals

Yoga flows
Stretching sequences
Walking in a specific rhythm

It might help discharge stress and restore regulation

3. Self-soothing rituals

Hand on heart or chest
Rocking gently
Wrapping in a blanket

It may mimic early attachment regulation

4. Performance rituals

Pre-performance breathing routines
Repeated gestures before competition

Stabilizes may focus and reduces performance anxiety

5. Trauma-informed somatic practices

It maybe used in approaches like Somatic Experiencing or Sensorimotor Psychotherapy:

Orienting to the environment
Pendulation (moving between tension and safety)
Controlled activation and release

Why Somatic Rituals Matter

They could work because they bypass purely cognitive processing and go it may go directly to the nervous system?

“PLEASE, CONSULT WITH A NEUROLOGIST”

Key effects:

Regulate the autonomic nervous system
Reduce anxiety and compulsive behaviors
Increase body awareness (interoception)
Stabilize identity and emotional states
Create predictability and safety

Clinical Insight (important distinction)

Not all rituals are healthy.

Adaptive somatic rituals: grounding, calming, integrating
Maladaptive rituals: compulsive, rigid, anxiety-driven (in OCD)

The difference is:
Is the ritual increasing flexibility and regulation, or reinforcing fear and compulsion?

Shervan K Shahhian

Simple Example

Instead of:

Overthinking stress

A somatic ritual would be:

Pause
Place hand on chest
Take 5 slow breaths
Feel the body settle

That’s a bottom-up intervention.

Pre-Performance Routine, explained:

“CONSULT WITH A MEDICAL DOCTOR”

A pre-performance routine (PPR) could be a structured set of mental and physical actions you do right before performing, whether in sports, public speaking, therapy sessions, exams, or even creative work. Its purpose could stabilize attention, regulate arousal, and optimize performance consistency.

Core Idea

You may think of it as a psychological “launch sequence”, a repeatable ritual that puts your mind and body into the ideal state for performance.

It may widely be used in fields like:

Sports psychology (routines before a free throw or serve)
Performing arts (actors, musicians)
Clinical and professional settings (therapists preparing for sessions)

Key Components

1. Centering / Physiological Regulation

Slow breathing (4–6 breaths per minute)
Muscle relaxation
Grounding

It might reduce anxiety and prevents over-arousal.

2. Attentional Focus

Narrowing attention to task-relevant cues
Blocking distractions

Example: focusing only on the ball, audience, or first line of a speech.

3. Mental Rehearsal (Imagery)

Visualizing successful execution
Engaging sensory detail

This might draw from principles studied in Sports Psychology and Cognitive Psychology.

4. Self-Talk

Short, directive phrases:
- “Stay smooth”
- “One step at a time”
Can be motivational or instructional

5. Behavioral Ritual

A consistent physical sequence (bouncing a ball, adjusting posture)
Acts as a conditioned trigger for performance readiness

Why It Works

A PPR may help regulate the inverted-U relationship between arousal and performance:

Too little arousal, underperformance
Too much arousal, anxiety, choking
Optimal zone, peak performance

Example (Simple Routine)

“CONSULT WITH A MEDICAL DOCTOR”

A 60-second PPR might look like:

Take 3 slow breaths
Say a cue word: “Focus”
Visualize the first successful action
Adopt a confident posture
Begin immediately

Clinical / Psychological Angle

From a behavioral perspective, PPRs function like:

Stimulus control (cue, performance mode)
Conditioned response chains
A way to reduce performance anxiety and “choking”

They overlap with techniques used in:

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (self-talk, restructuring)
Mindfulness-based interventions (present-moment awareness)

Important Distinction

A healthy PPR is:

Flexible
Performance-enhancing

But it might become maladaptive if it turns rigid or compulsive (overlapping with traits seen in perfectionism or obsessive patterns).

Shervan K Shahhian

Compulsive Exercise or Exercise Dependence, explained:

Compulsive exercise, is a behavioral pattern in which physical activity becomes excessive, rigid, and psychologically driven, rather than flexible and health-oriented.

It may not just “working out a lot”, it’s when exercise starts to control the person, instead of the other way around.

Core Definition

Compulsive exercise maybe characterized by:

A loss of control over exercise habits
A compulsion to continue despite injury, illness: (SEEK MEDICAL HELP), or negative consequences
Exercise being used to regulate mood, anxiety, or self-worth

It may often classified under behavioral addictions, similar to gambling or internet addiction.

Key Psychological Features

1. Obsessive Drive

Persistent thoughts about needing to exercise
Feeling “forced” to work out, even when exhausted

2. Withdrawal Symptoms

When unable to exercise, the person may experience:

Anxiety
Irritability
Restlessness
Depression

3. Tolerance

Gradually increasing duration or intensity to feel the same psychological relief, could be very unhealthy.

4. Loss of Flexibility

Example: Rigid routines (must run exactly 10 miles daily)
Distress if routine is disrupted

5. Continuing Despite Harm

Exercising through:
- Injuries: SEEK MEDICAL HELP
- Illness
- Severe fatigue

Common Warning Signs

Prioritizing exercise over relationships, work, or health
Guilt or shame when missing a workout
Exercising primarily to avoid negative feelings rather than for enjoyment
Linking self-worth strongly to performance or body image

Underlying Psychological Drivers

Compulsive exercise may often be linked to:

Anxiety regulation (exercise reduces tension temporarily)
Perfectionism and high self-criticism
Control needs (especially when life feels chaotic)
Body image concerns, including
- Anorexia Nervosa
- Bulimia Nervosa

Compulsive exercise frequently might co-occur with eating disorders, where it may function as a way to burn calories or “compensate.”

Clinical Perspective

While not a standalone diagnosis, it could be widely recognized in clinical and research settings as a maladaptive coping mechanism and a subtype of process addiction.

Healthy vs. Compulsive Exercise

Healthy Exercise	Compulsive Exercise
Flexible and enjoyable	Rigid and obligatory
Enhances well-being	Reduces anxiety temporarily but creates long-term distress
Can take rest days	Feels unable to stop
Driven by health goals	Driven by guilt, fear, or compulsion

Treatment Approaches

Treatment might typically focus on restoring balance and addressing underlying issues:

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
- Challenge rigid beliefs (“I must exercise daily”)
Emotion regulation strategies
Addressing co-occurring disorders (eating disorders)
Gradual reintroduction of healthy exercise patterns

Conceptual Insight (Psychological Lens)

From a deeper perspective, especially relevant to behavioral and parapsychological frameworks, compulsive exercise can be seen as:

A self-regulation loop gone rigid
A somatic ritual for managing internal states
Sometimes even a form of identity stabilization (“I am disciplined because I never skip workouts”)
Shervan K Shahhian

Exercise Addiction, what is it exactly:

“Please Seek Medical Advice”

Exercise Addiction is a behavioral addiction where a person feels driven to exercise excessively, even when it causes physical harm, emotional distress, or interferes with daily life.

Core Idea

At its core, exercise addiction may not about fitness or health anymore, it becomes about addiction: compulsion, control, and emotional regulation.

Psychological Features

Exercise addiction may share many features with other behavioral addictions:

Loss of control
Unable to reduce or stop exercising despite wanting to
Tolerance
Needing more and more exercise to feel satisfied
Withdrawal symptoms
Anxiety, irritability, guilt, or depression when unable to exercise
Preoccupation
Constantly thinking about workouts, schedules, or calories burned
Continuing despite harm
Exercising through injuries, illness, or exhaustion

Signs & Symptoms

Working out multiple times a day or for excessive durations
Feeling intense guilt or panic if a workout is missed
Ignoring injuries or medical advice: “Seek Medical Advice”
Prioritizing exercise over relationships, work, or responsibilities
Using exercise to cope with anxiety, shame, or emotional pain

Why It Happens

Exercise addiction may often develop from a combination of factors:

1. Psychological

Perfectionism
Low self-esteem
Need for control
Anxiety or depression

2. Biological

PLEASE CONSULT WITH A NEUROLOGIST

(“runner’s high”)
(reward system activation)

3. Social/Cultural

Pressure to maintain a certain body image
Fitness culture that glorifies extreme discipline

Related Conditions

Exercise addiction maybe linked with:

Eating Disorders (anorexia or bulimia)
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (rigid routines, compulsions)
Body Dysmorphic Disorder (distorted body image)

Primary vs Secondary Exercise Addiction

Primary: Exercise itself is the main addiction (for mood regulation or control)
Secondary: Exercise maybe driven by another addictions

Healthy vs Addicted Exercise

Healthy Exercise	Exercise Addiction
Flexible routine	Rigid, compulsive routine
Rest days accepted	Rest causes distress
Enhances life	Interferes with life
Done for health/enjoyment	Done to relieve anxiety or guilt

Treatment & Recovery

Treatment may focus on restoring balance:

Psychotherapy
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
- Addressing underlying emotions and beliefs
Behavioral regulation
- Structured, moderate exercise plans
- Reintroducing rest without guilt
Addressing co-occurring disorders
- Especially eating disorders or anxiety

Deeper Psychological Insight

From a clinical perspective, exercise addiction may often functions as a maladaptive coping strategy, a way to:

Regulate overwhelming internal states
Maintain a sense of identity or control
Avoid deeper psychological conflicts

In some cases, it may resemble a ritualized behavior system, not unlike compulsions seen in OCD, but reinforced by social approval, which makes it harder to detect and treat.

Shervan K Shahhian

Process Addiction, what is it:

Process addiction is a pattern where a person becomes compulsively engaged in a behavior or activity, rather than a substance, despite negative consequences.

In simple terms:
It’s when the process itself becomes addictive, not a drug, but what you do.

Core Idea

Unlike substance addiction (alcohol or drugs), process addiction may involve behaviors that activate the mind’s reward system in a similar way especially through dopamine (CONSULT WITH A NEUROLOGIST) release and reinforcement learning.

Common Types of Process Addictions

These are some well-known examples:

Gambling Disorder (compulsive gambling)
Internet or social media overuse
Video gaming addiction
Shopping (compulsive buying)
Sex or pornography addiction
Work addiction (workaholism)
Exercise addiction

Key Features

A behavior may be considered a process addiction when it shows:

Loss of control:
The person can’t stop or limit the behavior
Compulsion/craving:
Strong urge to engage in the activity
Short-term reward, long-term harm:
Temporary relief or pleasure followed by guilt, distress, or consequences
Tolerance-like effect:
Needing more of the behavior to get the same “high”
Withdrawal-like symptoms:
Irritability, anxiety, or restlessness when unable to engage

Psychological Mechanism

Process addictions may often follow a reinforcement loop:

Trigger, Behavior, Reward, Reinforcement, Habit, and Compulsion

Over time, the behavior becomes:

A way to regulate emotions (stress, boredom, loneliness)
A learned automatic response
A central part of identity or daily routine

Clinical Perspective

Gambling Disorder could be classified as a behavioral addiction
Others (like gaming), (“Internet Gaming Disorder” as a condition)

Important Distinction

Note:

Not every habit or passion is an addiction.

It becomes a process addiction when:

It interferes with life functioning (work, relationships, health)
The person continues despite harm
There is psychological dependence

From a Deeper Psychological View

Process addictions may often function as:

Maladaptive coping strategies
Attempts to regulate affect states
Substitutes for unmet needs (attachment, meaning, stimulation)

They can overlap with:

Trauma-related dysregulation
Personality dynamics
Reinforcement learning gone “rigid”
Shervan K Shahhian