Addictions Counselling

 Addictions Counselling

Therapy for addiction can help you if you are struggling with addictive behaviour as it will support you to get your life back on track. Addiction therapy seeks to explore the origin of the behaviour and discover the underlying issue or triggers.

Addictions and drugs are rampant in our society. And, it’s not just alcohol addiction or gambling addiction but you can find yourself addicted to sex, eating, exercise, drugs, shopping, pornography or the internet.

With 2.9 million drug users in the UK in 2023 somewhere between 3.1% (UK data 2014) to 16.7% (2023 US data) will have had a substance use disorder in the past year.

Do I have a Problem with Addiction?

Fortunately, most people do not get addicted but where you do, you can measure that there are problems because the balance of your life changes:

Too much of something isn’t a problem – until the day you realise that your life, your relationships or your work are suffering. Or it may be you find that you are consuming too much of your time or money feeding your addictive behaviour. Even the fitness addict can suffer, and instead of all of the benefits of exercise, they can end up with recurrent injuries, inability to train, and even low mood or depression.

Other negatives associated with addictions and dependence are such things as panic attacks, obsessive-compulsive behaviour and poor sleep.

Addictions and substance use disorders are treatable and remission achievable. Success is always challenging and the journey often arduous with setbacks. We can support you in this journey.

Key Symptoms of Addictions, Drug and Alcohol Abuse

 

There are many misconceptions about addiction and it is often associated with actions like: drinking; gambling; smoking and drug use – in fact it is possible to become dependant upon almost any activity: the web, shopping, gadgets, or even healthy eating. You may identify with some of these problem behaviours:

• Secretiveness – around the use of alcohol or your addiction
• Difficulty in stopping (I’ll just have/do one more….)
• Obsessing about the next time that you are going to get your fix/cravings
• For drink issues you may have poor concentration, shaky hands or blackouts
• Denying that you have a real problem.
• Needing to do “your thing” to relax or feel that you belong (For example you need to have a drink in-hand to feel relaxed, be with a group).
• You may be irritable, or with drugs, may get extreme mood swings
• You have to spend excessively to support your addiction.
• Your relationships are suffering.

If you recognise any of these symptoms, you may benefit from addiction counselling or psychotherapy.

How can Therapy Help with My Addiction?

Counselling for addiction treats the underlying symptoms that give rise to your addictive behaviour. Therapy will help you to get to the root of the problem and that creates the opportunity for you to behave differently.

Recovering from addictions is often a hard and difficult road with frequent set-backs.

“You can come out of the furnace of trouble two ways: if you let if consume you, you come out a cinder; but there is a kind of metal which refuses to be consumed, and comes out a star.”
Jean Church

What is the Process of Recovery from Addiction?

It is possible to change and many people do this and have recovered, or are recovering, from substance abuse and addictive behaviours. It is always challenging. You must choose to either stay the same, or do the hard work necessary to become the creative, productive, loving or caring person that you were meant to be.

If you have managed to abstain (the first goal) you may benefit from working with a counsellor or psychotherapist to support your recovery:

• Exploring your thoughts, feelings and behaviours which contribute to your addiction.
• Learning plans that you can use to combat your addictive behaviour in the long term.
• Devising ways to handle withdrawal symptoms.
• Working with you to develop effective strategies to deal with trigger situations.

Some Thoughts

“Life is very interesting… in the end, some of your greatest pains, become your greatest strengths.”
Drew Barrymore

Addictive behaviour is for many of us a way to escape or distract oneself from pain. No-one likes to suffer, yet whilst trying to avoid painful feelings may seem an attractive solution, it is superficial and does nothing to resolve the underlying issues. These remain, acting corrosively and often making the root cause worse. Pain and upset, whilst certainly unpleasant, are normal emotions that humans have been designed to tolerate, and like any others, we can learn the skills to deal with more effectively.

Detox is Often Best Achieved Medically Controlled

If you want a drugs or alcohol Detox then this may be better undertaken in a medically-controlled environment as the body can go into shock. You may wish to look into a residential centre as the better option for you and return to therapy to sort the underlying issues that caused your addictive behaviour.

What about Relapse?

With most addictions, relapse is a constant, with follow-up required to keep going. The various Anonymous (e.g. Alcoholics Anonymous) 12 Step and other mutual aid groups can be most beneficial. However, the 12-step program is not a good fit for everyone. That said, mutual support sessions are of great help alongside therapy. This can be discussed during treatment sessions.

What is the Next Step for Addiction Therapy?

At Reflexions Counselling and Psychotherapy we will work with you to help you to manage your addiction and we will help you work things through. If you are struggling with addiction or dependence, contact us and arrange to talk to one of our therapists about addiction counselling in Newcastle /online – Phone 01915805080 or email.

 

Resources & Self Help for Addiction

Freedom from Addiction Griffin, J. & Tyrell, I, (2005)
Enough Already: a guide to recovery from alcohol and drug addiction, Tyler, B.
Research tends to indicate that being in a supportive group helps. There are a number of different options. You need to go along with an open mind. Two of the many include:

Alcoholics Anonymous
The UK site for this well known 12-step Christian themed group.

Smart Recovery UK
The UK site for this self-help charitable organisation which promotes a rational recovery with a more contemporary approach.