Therapy for Addiction Issues
- Do you worry that you may be overindulging in substance use or other behaviors?
- Do you use drugs and/or alcohol as a way to try to forget about your problems?
- Have you suffered physical, relationship, occupational, or legal problems as a result of your substance use or excessive engagement in other behaviors?
- Do you tend to numb your feelings by using substances or engaging in other behaviors, sometimes to excess?
We all occasionally struggle with stress. When we have difficulty managing our stress and unpleasant emotions or do not feel a sense of control in our lives, we sometimes try “quick fixes” to numb our feelings and help us forget our problems. Drinking alcohol, using illicit drugs, smoking, and gambling are behaviors that may provide such temporary escapes but can produce significantly negative physical, relational, financial, and legal problems. Other behaviors that are often parts of our daily lives can become problematic when taken to excess. Eating, sex/pornography, playing video games, exercising, watching television, shopping, and working can all become unhealthy obsessions. Even our desire for and pursuit of love can cause us to feel overwhelmed with a sense of not being in control. Getting help with recognizing when these behaviors become maladaptive and learning alternate ways to cope can assist us in creating greater balance in our lives.
What is therapy for addiction like?
Therapy for addiction can help you take the challenging step of confronting your behaviors and honestly assessing if they may be contributing to problems in your life. In helping you recognize the difficulties related to your addiction, therapy can also assist you in gaining a better understanding of the contributors to your addiction and what you gain from your addictive behaviors (why you might be engaging in behavior that is causing you so much suffering). Therapy can help you learn healthier ways to meet your needs.
Benefits of therapy for addiction
- Understand the root causes of and contributors to your addiction
- Gain awareness of your physical, emotional, and mental experiences with addiction
- Identify triggers to your addictive behaviors
- Develop coping skills to manage your addiction
- Learn healthier ways to meet your needs
- Experience a fuller, more balanced life
Some of the addiction areas in which I specialize include:
- Alcohol/Drugs/Substance Abuse
- Compulsive Eating
- Compulsive Exercise
- Compulsive Shopping
- Gambling Addiction
- Gaming/Online/TV Addiction
- Love Addiction
- Sex/Pornography Addiction
- Smoking Cessation
- Workaholism