Cross-addiction is the propensity for people who have an addiction to develop other addictions to other substances or behaviors.   Substance use disorder is a complex illness that affects individuals' brains, behavior, and health.  Craving a mood-altering state, even in the face of debilitating negative consequences, is a symptom of addiction.  Discomfort creates the perception of the need to eliminate that discomfort.  The brain's reward system urges an individual to seek out mood-altering behaviors or substances to generate a dopamine release, restoring balance in the brain chemistry.

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The causes of addiction are complex and multifaceted.  People with substance use disorder share similar risk factors, such as genetic predisposition, history of trauma, environmental factors, and neurobiology.  People with an addiction are also subject to the contributory factors of defense mechanisms that interfere with their ability to respond appropriately to destructive substance use. 

Defense mechanisms keep unconscious thoughts and impulses from consciousness to avoid anxiety.  They may, however, facilitate and maintain addictive behavior and ultimately prevent complete recovery.  While everyone uses defense mechanisms, those with substance use disorders use these defenses artfully to protect themselves from the negative emotions or thoughts associated with quitting or reducing substance use.  Defenses assist in maintaining the status quo of their addiction.  Defense mechanisms can distort reality to the point that they can work against survival.  Addiction may even be a consequence of overabundance and over-development of defenses.  Addictive substances or behavior may be a way of coping and avoiding underlying emotional pain.  Many people believe that they are self-medicating their emotional and psychological distress through use of alcohol and other mood altering drugs.  

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Early recovery is a time that is especially vulnerable to relapse by cross addiction.  Most people who find their way into recovery do so because they experience some crisis or level of pain that they finally connect to the substance use.  Those substances exclusively are often identified as "The Problem." When that chemical is eliminated, its roles still exist.  A current need for something to occupy those roles (i.e., stress management, anxiety reduction, relief of emotional distress, etc.) can lead the newly sober to seek out a substitute for those specific drugs, thinking that a different drug won't cause the same problems as the last one.  Defense mechanisms facilitate these errors in thinking.  They can become addicted to the new drug or return to the old drug of choice because the new one does not serve them either.  The newly recovering person may not yet recognize that other drugs serve the same purpose and are also addictive.  Defense mechanisms make it emotionally and psychologically comfortable to switch drugs of choice.  Unless they use a recovery support system and recovery tools, the probability of relapse is significant.

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Mood-altering behaviors such as gambling, sex, shopping, food, exciting activities, video games, Facebook, and other social media can also become an addiction (See Process Addictions).  If you like some behavior that changes your feelings, you could become addicted.  Individuals may switch from one addiction to another to cope with life's problems rather than working to gain the skills needed to live life on life's terms.  New living skills develop over time during abstinence, and numerous support systems, techniques, and recovery resources can assist the newly recovering person to prevent relapse while their skills develop.  Without new skills as a replacement for mood-altering drugs, there is a strong tendency to create a new addiction or replace one chemical for another.  Relapse can happen at any recovery point, even after decades of abstinence.

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Recovery is not just abstinence; it involves a return to health.  Recovery involves replacing the destructive use of chemicals and other compulsive behaviors with healthy living skills.  To accomplish this, many people require the assistance of formal treatment (in-patient or out-patient), 12-step and other support group participation, and continuing emotional, psychological, and spiritual growth and development.  Addiction treatment should address distress management and encourage skill development to promote full, long-term recovery.  See also Getting Help Articles.