Addiction
Some types of behaviors that may have
started as habits or recreational and social use, can easily become
addictive. Sometimes destructive habits began as a way to help ease
depression or anxiety and, while working at first, no longer have
any positive results. Instead, the self- medication becomes
its own problem. Often, more and more of a substance or activity is
needed to achieve the same level of relief.
Some common examples are the use of drugs and alcohol, issues around food intake, sexual activities, gambling, and continuous shopping.
Some of the indications that a habit is
out of control and may now be an addiction are: constant thinking
about the behavior, wondering when one will be able to engage in the
behavior, or the behavior begins to interfere with other things in
life, such as job, family, friends, happiness, and even the ability
to sleep.
A person may make promises to stop or
reduce the habit and tell others that they will stop. Stopping
an addiction can be very hard and attempts without professional help
are often not successful. The difficulties encountered in stopping
these behaviors can result in feelings of frustration and anger.
For some, family and friends may have
urged them to “just quit” not realizing and understanding how
difficult that may be. A person may perceive his or her self
as a failure or as weak if they cannot live up to their own
expectations for success. It can be so difficult to exercise the
needed control over an activity which has been a part of one’s life
and routine, especially if going through it alone.
Many people have stopped their addictive
habits for a while only to then relapse, time after time. These
relapses can also produce feelings of helplessness and hopelessness,
especially if the person then tries to keep their habits hidden from
others. The secrets and cover-ups often cause more guilt as well as
take time trying to hide, taking time and energy away from other
activities which might produce more pleasure.
How Therapy Can Help
We understand addictions. We can help you develop an individualized, supportive treatment plan which will meet your needs. We will work at a pace that will be comfortable for you.
Whether you are thinking about quitting for the first time or struggling to maintain your recovery, we develop an approach that is right for you and that you can succeed with.
Therapy provides emotional and empathetic
understanding which is needed to begin healing. The therapist
can provide a safe, nonjudgmental, confidential relationship which
promotes honesty and support during the recovery work.
A therapist will help the addicted person learn how to deal with negative feelings instead of medicating them with drugs, alcohol or negative and harmful behaviors. We will help you learn new coping skills and learn new techniques which will be more effective in dealing with problems in life.
An individual program will
allow you to discover ways to alleviate what originally caused your
addiction. An individualized program will teach the addicted and/or
recovering person how to respond to the emotions that contribute to
and fuel addictions.
This relapse program will help the person better respond to disturbing emotions rather than gravitating to self destructive behavior.Our relapse prevention programs are individually designed for each person to identify those specific emotions that trigger relapse.
Therapy will address the vicious cycle of
addiction that contributes to low self-esteem, guilt, and shame
along with the actual physical component of chemical dependency that
triggers the actual cravings.
You will learn the tools of recovery and
be supported and encouraged to understand that you are worthy of
being helped and capable of finding relief from the struggles of
addiction.
Families and friends are often impacted by the behaviors we have described. Individual counseling and/or support groups are available to those who seek guidance and a better understanding of addictions.
