TMS for Process Addictions: in Phoenix, Arizona

Content Medically Reviewed By: Dr. Robbie Westerman, DNP-PMHNP – Chief Medical Officer

Process addictions can be difficult to explain and even harder to interrupt. You may find yourself repeating a behavior that once felt rewarding or manageable, only to realize it is now affecting your relationships, focus, finances, work, health, or emotional well-being. Gambling, compulsive internet use, gaming, shopping, pornography use, overeating, or other repetitive behaviors can become deeply ingrained when the brain’s reward and self-control systems get caught in the same cycle again and again.

At Camelback Integrated Health & Wellness, we offer transcranial magnetic stimulation, also known as TMS therapy in Phoenix, as part of a whole-person approach to mental health and compulsive behavior support. For some people, TMS may help support impulse control, emotional regulation, and recovery work when therapy or medication alone has not been enough.

Call 480-631-9623 to speak with our team and learn whether TMS may be appropriate for your treatment goals.

TMS is a non-invasive treatment that uses focused magnetic pulses to stimulate nerve cells in targeted areas of the brain. These areas may be involved in self-control, reward processing, decision-making, emotional regulation, and the urge to repeat certain behaviors.

For process addictions, TMS is best understood as a supportive treatment option, not a stand-alone cure. The goal is not to erase cravings or force behavior change overnight. Instead, TMS may help support the brain networks involved in impulse control so you can engage more effectively in therapy, recovery skills, and daily decision-making.

Who This Treatment May Be Appropriate For

TMS may be appropriate if you are struggling with compulsive behaviors that feel difficult to control, especially when those behaviors continue despite negative consequences. This may include gambling, internet or social media overuse, gaming, compulsive shopping, binge-related eating patterns, pornography use, sex-related compulsive behaviors, or other repetitive patterns that interfere with your quality of life.

TMS may also be considered when compulsive behaviors overlap with depression, TMS for anxiety, obsessive-compulsive disorder, trauma symptoms, or substance use disorders. We complete a comprehensive evaluation to determine whether TMS is appropriate for your needs, diagnosis, medical history, and safety profile.

How TMS Fits Into a Whole-Person Behavioral Health Plan

At Camelback Integrated Health & Wellness, we view TMS as one part of a broader behavioral health plan. Your plan may include therapy, psychiatry services in Phoenix, medication management when appropriate, outpatient mental health treatment in Phoenix, lifestyle strategies, and relapse-prevention planning.

Process addictions often involve more than the behavior itself. Stress, shame, anxiety, depression, unresolved trauma, sleep problems, and relationship strain can all reinforce the cycle. A whole-person plan helps us address the full picture, not just the surface behavior.

What Is Established vs. Still Emerging

TMS is FDA-cleared for certain mental health conditions, including major depressive disorder and obsessive-compulsive disorder, depending on the device and protocol. However, TMS is not broadly FDA-cleared for all process addictions as a category. The National Institute of Mental Health explains that brain stimulation therapies, including TMS, are used for specific mental health conditions such as depression and OCD, so process-addiction claims should be framed carefully.

Research on TMS for behavioral addictions is still developing. A systematic review of non-invasive brain stimulation for gambling disorder found that rTMS and related approaches have been studied for gambling disorder and problem gambling, but the evidence base remains emerging.

Process addictions, also called behavioral addictions, involve repeated behaviors that become difficult to control even when they cause harm. Unlike substance addiction, the focus is not alcohol or drugs. Instead, the rewarding behavior itself becomes the repeated pattern.

Substance addiction involves repeated use of alcohol, drugs, or other substances that affect the brain and body. Process addiction involves a behavior that activates reward pathways and creates a pattern of craving, reinforcement, loss of control, and continued use despite consequences.

The two can feel similar in daily life. You may experience urges, secrecy, shame, failed attempts to stop, emotional distress, or difficulty focusing on anything else. Some people also experience both substance use and behavioral addictions at the same time. When both are present, substance abuse treatment in Phoenix may be part of a broader care plan.

Common behavioral patterns may include gambling addiction, internet or gaming overuse, compulsive shopping, binge-related eating patterns, pornography use, sex-related compulsive behaviors, compulsive exercise, or work addiction. Not all of these are classified the same way in diagnostic manuals. The American Psychiatric Association notes that gambling disorder is the only addictive disorder included in DSM-5 as a diagnosable condition. In contrast, internet gaming disorder is included as a condition for further study.

A behavior may become concerning when it begins to feel automatic, difficult to resist, or necessary to relieve emotional discomfort. The issue is not simply a lack of discipline. Compulsive behaviors can become tied to reward, stress relief, emotional escape, and habit loops that are difficult to interrupt without structured support.

Process addictions can be frustrating because the behavior may seem voluntary from the outside. Internally, the urge can feel powerful, repetitive, and hard to slow down once it starts.

The brain’s reward system helps reinforce behaviors that feel pleasurable, relieving, or emotionally soothing. Over time, repeated exposure to a behavior can strengthen the connection between cues, cravings, and action. The National Institute on Drug Abuse explains that addiction involves functional changes to brain circuits involved in reward, stress, and self-control, which helps support the broader neuroscience framework behind compulsive patterns.

The prefrontal cortex plays an important role in planning, self-control, decision-making, and weighing consequences. When compulsive urges are strong, it can be harder to pause, reflect, and choose a different response. TMS therapy may support treatment by stimulating brain regions involved in executive functioning and self-regulation, including the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex.

Many people use compulsive behaviors to cope with emotional pain. Anxiety may drive avoidance. Depression may lead to escaping into screens, food, gambling, or sexual behavior. Trauma may increase the need for distraction or emotional numbing. When these underlying concerns are not addressed, the behavior may continue even after repeated attempts to stop.

Transcranial magnetic stimulation uses magnetic stimulation to influence brain activity in targeted regions. For process addictions, the goal is to support brain networks involved in self-control, reward processing, emotional balance, and decision-making.

During a TMS session, a magnetic coil is placed near the scalp. The device delivers focused magnetic pulses that pass through the skull and stimulate nerve cells in targeted brain regions. Treatment planning may involve the prefrontal cortex and related networks involved in self-regulation.

TMS does not make choices for you. Instead, it may help support the brain systems that allow you to use the tools you are learning in therapy and recovery. Because TMS is drug-free and does not require sedation, it may be especially meaningful if you are managing medications, substance use recovery, or concerns about adding another medication to your care plan.

TMS for process addictions is an emerging treatment area. It may help support care for several behavioral patterns, especially when those behaviors are connected to urges, cravings, low mood, anxiety, or difficulty with self-regulation.

Gambling addiction can involve intense urges, financial consequences, secrecy, and repeated attempts to stop. TMS may support treatment by targeting brain networks involved in craving, reward processing, and impulse control. A systematic review on non-invasive brain stimulation for gambling disorder reviewed studies using rTMS and related approaches for gambling disorder and problem gambling.

TMS may also be explored for internet, social media, or gaming overuse when these behaviors interfere with sleep, responsibilities, relationships, school, or work. It may also support care for compulsive shopping, binge-related eating patterns, pornography use, sex-related compulsive behaviors, or other patterns when urges and emotional distress remain difficult to manage.

Care should always be individualized and clinically supervised. Some concerns may require therapy, nutrition support, psychiatric care, medical evaluation, or TMS for addiction recovery as part of a broader plan.

Traditional process addiction treatment often includes therapy, behavioral interventions, psychiatric support, support groups, and lifestyle changes. TMS does not replace these approaches. It may complement them.

Therapy can help you understand triggers, build coping skills, interrupt compulsive patterns, repair relationships, and create relapse-prevention strategies. Some people also benefit from psychiatric evaluation or medication support, especially when anxiety, depression, OCD, trauma symptoms, ADHD, or mood instability are also present.

If urges remain intense despite therapy, support groups, or medication, TMS may offer another way to support self-control and emotional regulation. In many cases, combining TMS with therapy makes sense because TMS may support brain activity while therapy helps you practice new behaviors and build long-term recovery skills.

TMS treatment at Camelback Integrated Health & Wellness begins with a clinical evaluation. We take time to understand your symptoms, goals, medical history, mental health needs, and previous treatment experience.

Your first appointment includes a review of your compulsive behaviors, triggers, frequency, emotional patterns, and any co-occurring mental health conditions. We also complete a safety screening, including your medical history, medications, seizure history, implanted medical devices, metal near the head, and other factors that may affect whether TMS is appropriate.

Before treatment begins, your provider completes mapping and motor threshold calibration. During a session, you sit in a treatment chair while the magnetic coil is positioned near your head. You may hear clicking sounds or feel tapping on the scalp. You remain awake and can usually return to normal activities afterward.

A typical TMS treatment plan may involve multiple sessions per week over several weeks. Your provider will monitor changes in urges, mood, emotional regulation, focus, and daily functioning.

If you are considering treatment, visit our page to verify your insurance benefits and better understand possible coverage and next steps.

TMS may offer several potential benefits when used as part of a comprehensive treatment plan. Some patients may notice fewer urges or more space between the urge and the behavior. That pause can make it easier to use therapy skills, reach out for support, or choose a different response.

Because process addictions are often tied to stress, anxiety, depression, or avoidance, improved emotional regulation can support recovery. TMS may be especially relevant when compulsive behaviors occur alongside depression, anxiety, or OCD symptoms. For people whose symptoms overlap with obsessive-compulsive disorder, TMS for OCD may also be part of the treatment conversation.

When mood, urges, or emotional distress become more manageable, therapy may feel more productive. You may be better able to practice new coping strategies, follow through with goals, and stay engaged in your treatment plan.

TMS is generally well tolerated when provided by trained clinicians and when safety screening is completed beforehand. Mayo Clinic describes transcranial magnetic stimulation as a non-invasive treatment that uses magnetic fields to stimulate nerve cells in the brain, and the National Institute of Mental Health describes repetitive TMS as a noninvasive therapy using repeated low-intensity pulses.

Common side effects may include mild scalp discomfort, tapping sensations, temporary headache, or facial muscle movement during stimulation. These effects are usually short-lived. TMS does not require sedation and does not typically cause memory loss or systemic medication side effects.

TMS may not be appropriate if you have certain implanted medical devices, metal implants near the head, cochlear implants, magnetic implants, aneurysm clips, or an uncontrolled seizure disorder. We review these factors before treatment begins.

Response time can vary. Some patients may notice early changes within the first few weeks, while others experience gradual improvement across the full treatment series. Results depend on your symptoms, diagnosis, treatment consistency, co-occurring mental health conditions, sleep, stress, and engagement in therapy or recovery supports.

Early changes may include fewer urges, improved emotional balance, better focus, or a greater sense of control before acting on a compulsion. Some people may benefit from maintenance sessions or ongoing treatment planning after the initial course.

Insurance coverage for TMS depends entirely on your specific plan and documented medical necessity. While coverage is most frequently approved when treatment is tied to an FDA-cleared condition like major depressive disorder or OCD, benefits vary by provider.

To determine coverage, your insurance company will typically review:

• Your formal diagnosis and current symptom severity
• Your treatment history, including any previous medications or therapies tried
• The clinical rationale provided by our medical team

Because prior authorization is often required before your first session, our intake team is here to help you navigate the process. Reach out to verify your insurance today so we can review your benefits, outline any estimated out-of-pocket costs, and clarify your next steps.

Choosing a TMS provider is about more than finding a device. You need a team that understands mental health, addiction treatment, compulsive behaviors, safety screening, and whole-person care.

We offer TMS within an integrated care model that may include psychiatry, outpatient mental health treatment, therapy coordination, medication management, and TMS for addiction recovery. We personalize your treatment plan based on your behavior patterns, emotional triggers, mental health symptoms, treatment history, and goals.

Camelback Integrated Health & Wellness serves patients in Phoenix and nearby communities, including Scottsdale, Peoria, Mesa, Chandler, Glendale, Gilbert, Tempe, and surrounding areas.

You do not have to manage compulsive behaviors alone. If gambling, shopping, gaming, internet use, pornography use, overeating, or another behavioral pattern is affecting your life, support is available. TMS for process addictions may be one part of a compassionate, science-informed treatment plan designed to help you regain a greater sense of choice and control.

At Camelback Integrated Health & Wellness, we treat the whole person, not just the symptoms. If you or a family member are noticing changes in behavioral control, mood, or daily habits, our Phoenix team is here to help you review your treatment options and look into your coverage. Speak with a compassionate intake specialist right now at (480) 631-9623 to discuss your goals and verify your medical benefits over the phone. If you prefer to skip the call, you can securely submit your details through our Online Insurance Verification Form to easily start the process and check if your plan covers our integrated services.

• American Psychiatric Association. (n.d.). Internet gaming. https://www.psychiatry.org/patients-families/internet-gaming
• American Psychiatric Association. (2013). Substance-related and addictive disorders. https://www.psychiatry.org/File%20Library/Psychiatrists/Practice/DSM/APA_DSM-5-Substance-Use-Disorder.pdf
• Mayo Clinic. (2024). Transcranial magnetic stimulation. https://www.mayoclinic.org/tests-procedures/transcranial-magnetic-stimulation/about/pac-20384625
• National Institute on Drug Abuse. (n.d.). Drug misuse and addiction. https://nida.nih.gov/publications/drugs-brains-behavior-science-addiction/drug-misuse-addiction
• National Institute of Mental Health. (n.d.). Brain stimulation therapies. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/brain-stimulation-therapies/brain-stimulation-therapies
• Shin, H. W., Youn, H., Kim, J. S., Jeong, J., & Chung, S. J. (2020). Non-invasive brain stimulation for gambling disorder: A systematic review. Frontiers in Neuroscience, 14, 729. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7461832/