My technical description of Olivia’s out-of-control experience is “maladaptive behavior to manage negative affect”—which just means trying to cope with uncomfortable emotions (stress, depression, anxiety, loneliness, rage) by doing things that carry a high risk of unwanted consequences. Compulsive sexual behavior is one example. Other examples include: using alcohol or other drugs in a risky way dysfunctional relationships—for instance, trying to deal with your own feelings by dealing with someone else’s escaping into distractions, like movie binge-watching when you have other things you need
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