Revenge addiction
Revenge addiction is a psychological disorder in which a person becomes addicted to thinking about grievances and retaliation against their enemies. This pattern of thought activates the brain in much the same way as narcotics.[1][2]
Grievances and revenge are common plot devices in many television shows, movies, video games, and popular books. Many people grow up immersed in this culture that elevates interpersonal conflict, leaving them vulnerable to thinking in terms of grievance and retaliation.
This pattern of thinking can also spread as a social contagion between individuals.[3] It can lead to outbreaks of retaliatory aggression in communities.
Revenge addiction can be a problem similar to drug addiction or gambling addiction.
Neuroscience[edit]
Functional MRI imaging studies have helped to explain how the brain functions during revenge.
Vengeful thinking activates the nucleus accumbens, a part of the brain involved with pleasure and craving. Suppressing the urge for revenge involves intervention from the prefrontal cortex.
Grievances cue the brain in much the same way that drug addicts feel when presented with stress, anxiety, or pictures of drug paraphernalia.[4]