THERAPY for ADDICTION



As a therapist I am more than happy to see clients with absolute confidentiality to talk about counselling to resolve addictive behaviour - which comes in many forms.
I remember sitting in a tutorial listening to the tutor unravel addiction with such kindness and compassion, yet factual without frills and nonsense - that it completely changed my view of addictive behaviour.
The media portrays addicts as weak selfish almost soulless individuals.
I suppose if you are a friend or family member, or a support worker, you will have experienced the dark side of trying to help an addict - and it is exhausting!
But what if you are the addict?
My tutor taught me to ask 'What is it you seek'
What is the emptiness you need to fill?
Hating, loathing and berating does not help; not the carer or the user.
For some it says "I'm struggling, I don't know what to do, and I'm scared".
For others it may say " I'm lost, alone, scared, a fraud, a failure, and if you stay i know you still love me" I have often found that drinking alcohol pushes down unpleasant feelings as if to drown them or anaesthetise them. Drug users tended to want to escape their existence as a way of 'feeling better' or feeling strong, capable, interesting and extrovert.
Addiction can materialise in many forms; washing, cleaning, drinking coffee, fizzy drinks, chocolate, sugar, cigarettes, e-cigarettes, working, studying, excersizing, hair pulling, etc.
As mysterious as it is to many - the behaviour offers a little relief or freedom or comfort from a different feeling or thought process that is unwanted.
As a therapist I understand the emotional process and how easy it is to slip into addictive behaviour - but this does not have to define you.
This is your experience for now - but you CAN change it.
It does not have to always be this way.