Not all addictions are drug or alcohol related. Jack — a pseudonym used by the Toronto Star to discuss this case — found this out the hard way.

You may be familiar with the psychic industry. Though many of us are apt to write it off as harmless fun, psychics make a collective $2.1 billion every year in the U.S. — this isn?t just a few palm readings on the weekend. Jack experienced this firsthand after spending nearly $25,000 on five psychics he routinely visited in an attempt to fix a former relationship. Jack agreed that the experience was similar to an addiction. ?It?s like gambling; it?s like drugs; it?s like alcohol; you want more.?

Others have had similar experiences. One man, Niall Rice, was featured in multiple news stories after it was revealed that the internet consultant had paid three quarters of a million dollars to psychics, for seemingly outlandlish reasons, including building a gold bridge into another dimension. The psychic in this case, Kelly Delmaro, was sentenced to four years of probation for grand larceny once it became clear to Rice that Delmaro was not building him a gold bridge, or reincarnating the former love of his life.

Many psychologists are growing increasingly interested in examining the phenomenon behind this addiction. Like with gambling, people often spend thousands of dollars and often run into personal and financial issues as a result. Rehab centres are traditionally needed for addictions of this level, whether the issue is gambling, alcohol abuse or a fixation on the psychic world.

Confusing this is the beliefs of doctors like Dr. Christian Smith. Smith is no newcomer to medicine and brain studies — he?s working as a brain tumor researcher in Toronto. And he does believe there is sometimes truth in the psychic realm, and that one day psychic intuition will be possible to measure like any other test of health and body. He agrees, though, that the number of people capable of this are a definite minority, and there are many charlatans out there.

Private Drug Rehab Centers

Would a residential treatment center be the right choice for you, if you also have trouble putting down the phone or meeting with a psychic in person? Although there is no right answer, beating an addiction — no matter what the addiction is too — takes time, support, and an encouraging environment. Private drug rehab centers often offer all these things.