What Is Addiction in Scam Victims?

Helping Victims Understand What Happened To Them!

The Psychology of Scams Series

A SCARS Insight

What Is It And How Does It Apply To Relationship Scams?

Basic Definition

A person with an addiction uses a substance or engages in a behavior, for which the rewarding effects provide a compelling incentive to repeat the activity, despite detrimental consequences. Addiction may involve the use of substances such as alcohol, inhalants, opioids, cocaine, and nicotine, or behaviors such as gambling.

There is evidence that addictive behaviors share key neurobiological features: They intensely involve brain pathways of reward and reinforcement, which involve the neurotransmitter dopamine. And, in keeping with other highly motivated states, they lead to the pruning of synapses in the prefrontal cortex, home of the brain’s highest functions, so that attention is highly focused on cues related to the target substance or activity. It is important to know that such brain changes are reversible after the substance use or behavior is discontinued.

Scam Victims

The same is true for scam victims. The involvement in the scam – even though it was caused by the criminal can still result in addiction because of the repeated introduction of emotional hijacking at a very intense level.

In our experience, we have observed that unlike other types of addictions, the addiction in scam victims tends to generally fade quite quickly. We have observed that most victims are over the addictive aspects of the post-scam experience within a month or two (sometimes less). However, the withdrawal does have an emotional impact on the victim,

Addiction & Mental Health

Both substance use disorders and gambling behaviors have an increased likelihood of being accompanied by mental health conditions such as depression and anxiety, or other pre-existing problems. Substance use and gambling disorders not only engage the same brain mechanisms, but they also respond to many of the same treatment approaches.

There have been no scientific studies on the effects that romance scam addition causes in victims (as far as we are aware), though we see parallels with gambling addiction.

Substance use and gambling disorders are complex conditions that affect the reward, reinforcement, motivation, and memory systems of the brain. They are characterized by impaired control over usage; social impairment, involving the disruption of everyday activities and relationships; and craving. Continuing use is typically harmful to relationships as well as to obligations at work or school.

Recidivism

Another distinguishing feature of addictions is that individuals continue to pursue the activity despite the physical or psychological harm it incurs, even if it the harm is exacerbated by repeated use. Typically, one’s tolerance to a substance increases as the body adapts to its presence.

This is where scam addiction seems to differ from other forms of addiction. Though, sadly, we do see plenty of victims that have not sufficiently withdrawn or overcome the addiction after the scam ends and revert to behavior that will result in yet another fake romantic relationship.

Effects on the Brain

Because addiction affects the brain’s executive functions, centered in the prefrontal cortex, individuals who develop an addiction may not be aware that their behavior is causing problems for themselves and others. Over time, the pursuit of the pleasurable effects of the substance or behavior may dominate an individual’s activities.

But it should be noted that in scam victims that trauma also plays a part and that overlapping symptoms and effects can make it hard to treat initially until the addictive phase has passed.

Emotional Effects

All addictions have the capacity to induce a sense of hopelessness and feelings of failure, as well as shame and guilt, but research shows that recovery is the rule rather than the exception (though that is not what we see in scam victims.) There are many routes to recovery. Individuals can achieve improved physical, psychological, and social functioning on their own—so-called natural recovery. Others benefit from the support of community or paraprofessional peer-based support. And still, others opt for clinical-based recovery through the services of credentialed professionals.

The road to recovery is seldom straight: Relapse, or recurrence is common—but definitely not the end of the road. For those who achieve remission of an addiction disorder for five years, researchers report, the likelihood of relapse is no greater than that among the general population. Neuroscientists report that synaptic density is gradually restored.

In the case of scam victims, if a victim can maintain their recovery activity for a year it is likely to never be an issue again.

Myths About Addiction

The processes that give rise to addictive behavior resist a simplistic explanation. There is not just one cause: Although genetic or other biological factors can contribute to a person’s vulnerability to the condition, many social, psychological, and environmental factors also have a powerful influence on substance use.

Some characteristics, such as a lack of ability to tolerate distress or other strong feelings, have been associated with addiction (this includes past traumas and a lack of resiliency), but there is no one “addictive personality” type that clearly predicts whether a person will face problems with addiction. Except in the case of romance scams where almost ALL victims experience addiction caused by hormones and neurotransmitters triggered deliberately by the criminals.

Symptoms of Addiction

In the case of scam victims the post-scam symptoms are very few:

• Disorientation, confusion, shock, and panic after the scam is discovered and accepted.
• A frenetic search for a savior after the scam ends.
• A wave of initial anger to contrary views and guidance.
• Uncertainty about the scam being really a scam – could this all be a mistake

The thing about romance scam addiction is that at the same time a victim is going through withdrawal, they are also traumatized and beginning to process grief. This leaves the victim in a blender full of mixed symptoms.

Causes of Addiction

In the case of romance scam addition, the cause is the obvious 800-pound gorilla in the room – it was the scam!

None of the other predispositions of addition need to apply, though if a person was previously an addict it can have an effect on their resistance or vulnerability to these crimes.

Treatment of Addiction

Romance scam addiction will fade on its own – per our experience – without any extra effort UNLESS the victim is in denial and jumps back into another online relationship to feed that addition.

However, it is important that the victim engages in a real scam victim support and recovery program so that all of the other factors are supported, considered, and that the victim is helped to make it through the post-scam process.

Regardless, we always recommend that scam victims seek the help of a local trauma counselor or therapist, and join one of the SCARS support and recovery groups.

Here are resources to help find a trauma counselor or therapist:

• www.opencounseling.com
• www.psychologytoday.com/us/therapists/trauma-and-ptsd
• www.betterhelp.com/therapists
• www.nbcc.org/Search/CounselorFind

SCARS Support & Recovery Groups

To join a SCARS online support and recovery group go here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/SCARS.Avoidance.Information.Public.Group

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