addiction counseling
How Addictions Start
Too much drugs. Alcohol. Food. Work. Porn. Computer Time. Gambling. Shopping. Sex. Restrictive eating. Exercise. How did it happen, how did I get here?
Many behaviors that turn into addictions start out as something you do just for fun, out of curiosity or for real positive rewards, but over time they become a way to cope with life. Additionally, you might engage in an activity, eat food or use alcohol or drugs to feel calmer or more energetic, to create a needed distraction when you’re bored or agitated, or to feel a sense of achievement.
Not surprisingly, we humans can become overly attached to just about anything when there is an emotional or physical reward in it. Addiction happens when you become so overly attached that you no longer have the ability to control how much you do it or to stop. At this point, you have lost the freedom and power to choose.
The dependency of addiction traps you in a pattern of living that can be detrimental to your job, relationships, finances, health and your sense of self worth. While physical symptoms vary depending on the type of addiction, most addictive behaviors share similar emotional and behavioral symptoms.
Signs of Addiction
These are some typical signs of addiction:
- Increasing tolerance for food, alcohol, drugs or a behavior that requires greater and greater amounts to get the same effect
- Craving the substance or behavior and experiencing physical or mental withdrawal when deprived of the substance or behavior
- Relying on the substance or behavior just to feel “normal”
- Promising yourself and others that you can and will stop, only to find yourself breaking the promise over and over again
- Continuing to engage in the behavior or substance use even after experiencing increasingly negative consequences
- Feeling guilty or defensive when confronted about the possibility of addiction and avoiding people who express their concern
- Finding your life revolves around the substance or behavior to the point that you neglect relationships, work, school or your health
- Taking risks or putting yourself in dangerous circumstances you never thought you would, just to continue substance use or behavior
- Experiencing legal or financial trouble because of substance use or behavior
How Addiction Counseling Can Help
If you’re struggling with any type addiction, you most likely have a lot of shame or guilt about it. Or maybe you aren’t even sure you have a problem. Maybe you haven’t told anyone about your struggles and have tried to manage it on your own, but realized it’s not getting better.
As your counselor, I want to provide you with a safe, nonjudgmental atmosphere to explore your problem and work it out at your own pace. I can be a listening ear and help you develop a perspective and mindset that moves you in a healthy direction. In therapy you can learn more about the many dimensions of addiction and how it’s impacting you.
If you already know you have an addiction and have been struggling for awhile, therapy is a place to process your attempts to stop, increase your motivation to get healthy, go deeper into recovery concepts, acquire tools to manage cravings and urges, identify triggers and learn how your personality and personal history play into the problem.
Please note: For clients who are dealing with more severe addictions or eating disorders, you may be encouraged to enter a treatment program or recovery support group in conjunction with therapy.
