Indoor Tanning Addiction Linked to Substance Abuse, Mood Disorders
Sure, there’s drug addiction, alcohol addiction and gambling addiction. But tanning addiction? Yes, it does exist and is often associated with cross addictions to substances.
Tanning has become a pretty high profile activity lately - partially due to the MTV "Jersey Shore" phenomenon. This is somewhat surprising as the dangers of tanning have long been apparent.
The question is occasionally raised at our treatment center how an activity like tanning can be addictive and we educate our clients and callers about the phenomenon of process addictions - which is where an individual can become mentally dependent on an activity like tanning.
Symptoms of Tanning Addiction
As with other addictions, tanning addicts may participate in the behavior (in this case, tanning) frequently and miss social or work activities in order to tan. People who are addicted to indoor tanning may unsuccessfully attempt to cut down on their tanning time or feel guilty about tanning too much.
A recent study in the Archives of Dermatology found that people who are addicted to indoor tanning may also be more likely to have substance abuse problems and mood disorders such as depression and anxiety. The study was based on interviews with more than 400 university students. Students who met the criteria for tanning addiction had higher rates of alcohol and marijuana use and higher levels anxiety.
“This study provides further support for the notion that tanning may be conceptualized as an addictive behavior for a subgroup of individuals who tan indoors,” said the study’s authors, Catherine E. Mosher, PhD, of Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York City and Sharon Danoff-Burg, PhD, of the University at Albany in New York.
The study’s researchers determined that people addicted to tanning may have an underlying mood disorder that needs professional attention. What the study did not conclude is that people who are addicted to indoor tanning will ultimately develop drug or alcohol addictions.
Why Is Tanning Addictive?
Addictions to tanning develop for similar reasons as addictions to drugs or alcohol: the addictive behaviors release endorphins that target the brain’s pleasure centers to create feelings of relaxation.
Exposure to ultraviolet light from tanning beds and the sun releases endorphins, making people who tan feel less tense and more relaxed. For people with mood disorders, such as anxiety or depression, tanning may help to alleviate symptoms and make the behavior more appealing.
“If you are feeling stressed and anxious, you may feel better after tanning, but there are much healthier ways to reduce anxiety,” Carolyn J. Heckman, PhD, a psychologist in the cancer prevention and control program at Fox Chase Cancer Center in Philadelphia, said in an April 20 article on WebMD. “It is possible that if we treat the underlying anxiety, depression, substance abuse or body image issues, we would reduce indoor tanning and the health risks associated with indoor tanning.”
Indoor tanning can be harmful to people who do it on a regular basis, and may eventually result in skin cancer. People who become addicted to tanning and who have either a substance abuse problem or a mood disorder should seek professional treatment for their disorders instead of attempting to self-medicate through another addictive behavior.
A residential treatment center for substance abuse or mood disorders can help people with addictive behaviors and anxiety or depression get to the root of their issues. Through treatment, people can learn to break their damaging drug or alcohol addictions and address their mood disorders so that they are no longer putting themselves at risk.
Please do not hesitate to contact us by calling 866-540-5242 to speak with one of our experts on addictive behaviors.
