Addiction Therapy

Do You Think You May Be Struggling With Addiction?

Has one of your activities started to take over your everyday life? Do you find it difficult to avoid this activity even when you have other important matters that need to be taken care of?

Perhaps you can maintain a successful lifestyle, but inside you are constantly preoccupied with spending time on this activity. Even at work, you may be invariably anticipating and planning for that time when you, for example, can finally go get a drink or jump on social media. All of your free time may be devoted to that activity, to the point where you’ve even started to brush off friends and family.

It’s likely that whenever something prevents you from engaging in this activity, you start to feel irritable or anxious. Do you find yourself snapping at others until you’ve finally managed to engage in the activity you crave? Is it more difficult to focus if you haven’t done so? Perhaps you make excuses or otherwise dodge around other obligations in order to make sure you have time for your addiction.

It’s entirely possible you’ve already realized you have a problem, especially if you spend hours on this behavior and find yourself unable to focus on anything else. You may have even already tried quitting on your own, but found you just can’t do it, no matter how badly you want to be free of its influence.

Addiction Is A Surprisingly Common Problem

Many people deal with addiction in some form; in fact, over 20 million Americans are addicted to something. While most people would immediately think of drug or alcohol abuse, people can actually be addicted to almost anything, including social media, dating apps, and even work.

Some addictive behaviors can be rewarded.  For example, in general, people are praised for working long hours, which encourages them to continue working far beyond the time that is healthy. Addictive behaviors aren’t always encouraged by society, but some at least seem to be accepted as the norm, meaning that it’s very easy for people to slip into an addictive behavior.

There is also a fine line between addiction and attachment. Addiction is where an attachment or hobby starts consuming your life. Because of this intense preoccupation, addiction can lead to deteriorating relationships and difficulty managing other important aspects of your life. You may even start experiencing withdrawal symptoms when you can’t engage in the activity, such as irritability and anxiety.

Thankfully, you don’t have to be dominated by addiction forever. With the help of therapy, you can start regaining balance and live a life free of its influence.

Addiction Treatment Can Help You Heal

When battling addiction, it helps to have a good support system to encourage you as you make this undertaking. For that very reason, therapy can be a great resource to help you identify the problem and discover strategies to combat it.

Admitting to an addiction can be frightening. That’s why I offer a warm, compassionate environment where you can talk about your addiction without fear of judgment. My main goals are to identify the problem, decide on the recovery process, and provide you with unwavering support and hope.

During sessions, we’ll usually start by talking about what brought you to therapy. From there, we will discuss your level of willingness to try new approaches so we can figure out a recovery plan. It’s important to be honest during this process—otherwise, we may not be able to identify the correct path to move forward.

One of the modalities I use is Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. This is a type of therapy that helps identify how behaviors and thought processes work and then sets out to change them in a positive way. When dealing with addiction, our first priority would be identifying what the triggers are that lead you to seek out your addiction. Then, we will work on breaking or changing these thought patterns. Because every person is different, the exact method will vary between individuals.

Sometimes, facing your addiction can be frightening, especially when other people are involved. As someone who has gone through the process, I understand those feelings very well. That’s part of why I began taking an interest in addiction treatment; I wanted to help others overcome it. By now, I have 20 years of experience as a therapist—as well as a Masters in Clinical Mental Health Counseling.  

I find there’s something incredibly empowering in knowing that others are able to live addiction-free lives. If they can do it, so can you—and I want to help you get there.

You may still have objections about addiction treatment…

I’m worried about being judged for my addiction.

My practice is non-judgmental. I will never criticize you for any addiction, regardless of what it is. Moreover, therapy is confidential. I won’t discuss anything we talk about outside the office. You can talk about whatever you need to with me without the worry that others will find out about your situation.

I’m scared of what life will be like without my addiction.

The important thing to remember is that we’ll be taking this one day at a time.  In fact, the recovery process works best when we stay in the ‘here and now’ and not worry about the future. We will take it one step at a time, one day at a time, moment by moment.

I can’t afford therapy.

Cost can understandably be a concern for many individuals. Because I want to make sure you get the help you need, I’m more than willing to work with you to try and find a way to fit therapy into your budget.

Learn More About Addiction Treatment

If you would like to discuss therapy further, I offer a free phone consultation which you can book online or by calling 929-269-2139. Addiction can feel all-consuming, but it doesn’t have to be so forever. By working together with me, you can recover and finally live that life of freedom you so desire.

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