Dealing with Addictions

One issue you will repeatedly find on this site is my belief that what we face in many counselling situations is not that something is inherently wrong for us; instead, when we lose control, things become unhealthy.

For example, most of us like to drink alcohol; as it is a legal activity, there is not a lot wrong with having a beer or glass of wine. However, when we begin to feel the need for alcohol and the alcohol takes control of us, problems start.

Some symptoms of addiction

Physical signs of addiction:

• • concern for your appearance may go out of the window
  • a general decline in your health
  • problems remembering things
  • tolerance to ever-increasing quantities of the substance or action (not just alcohol or drugs, but violent or age-related levels of porn or lack of concern to increasingly heavy losses when gambling, for example)
  • sleep problems

Emotional signs of addiction

• • relationship problems not just at home but at work and in social circles
  • increasing levels of anxiety and paranoia
  • mood swings

How counselling can help

By working with a counsellor, we can understand what drives our addiction, stop it hurting us, and begin reengaging with the people and world around us.

When we become addicted, the chemistry of our brain actually changes, and our ability to control what we do is diminished; instead of buying food at the supermarket, we buy our next bottle. If we are hooked on gambling, we are convinced the next bet will make us a millionaire. The next hit of our drug of choice will give us that same sensation we had the first time we tried it.

Grounded counselling helps us regain the control we are missing, allowing us to cut back or even quit the addiction altogether. In an honest appraisal, looking at how our habits affect us and those around us might help us recognise the drivers of our addiction and help us escape its clutches. This might mean identifying lifestyle changes and coping mechanisms that help rebuild self-control.