Treatment for Addictions
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Addiction comes in many shapes and sizes and can't be classified specifically as use of a certain substance in a certain way. It's really anything that we depend on to solve problems or enhance our mood on a regular basis that ultimately results in negative consequences. In my 8+ years of professional experience treating addiction concerns I know that it is rarely the addiction that is the main issue, but rather the underlying feelings and thoughts that lead to the behavior. Addiction is the strategy that has been practiced again and again to get rid of the unwanted thoughts and feelings but in the long run this strategy can cause a number of problems.
Addictive behavior can be a way to seek relief from internal distress and discomfort that ultimately creates more distress and inability to live life in the ways we may wish to live. At the extreme points of addiction it can appear as if we've taken out loan after loan to temporarily feel better in the immediate moment and are facing a mountain of debt if we choose to stop the use. Since substances and other addictive behaviors work well in the short term to produce relief, it can be a tough thing to cut ties with unless we develop strategies to cope with stress, past hurts, and present fears or anxieties in other ways. The good news is these coping skills and strategies can be learned and practiced to put you back in the driver's seat of your life and on the road toward more personal freedom. If you'd like to explore your relationship with drugs, alcohol, or other addictive behaviors and create strategies to foster more independence and less reliance on substances or unwanted behaviors to feel better, I'd like to help. Contact me today. |
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