HOW DO I KNOW IF I’M SUFFERING FROM ADDICTION?

When life throws a lot at us all at once, it can be difficult to hold everything together. When we get angry, stressed out, and overwhelmed, it becomes challenging to cope with the situations that made us feel this way. For a lot of people, drugs and alcohol offer some relief.

The symptoms of addiction can vary considerably from one person to another. This can include using in secrecy, lying, stealing, irritability, cravings, and the inability to cope with stress. A lot of the time, people are unable to stop using despite their best efforts. The amount needed to achieve the same affect has also increased over time. An addiction develops to fulfill a need that is not being met. This may be to alleviate stress, to relax, to control anger, or to simply get enjoyment that is otherwise missing.

Whatever need the addiction is meeting, it is possible to replace these habits with healthier alternatives.

I DON’T THINK I HAVE AN ADDICTION. IT’S JUST SOMETHING THAT HELPS ME TO COPE WITH STRESS.

If your use of drugs or alcohol was just something helping you, you wouldn’t be lying, using in secrecy, or using more and more to cope with stress at the expense of your relationships, your work, and your health. You would likely just be able to stop altogether. I know that a part of you truly understands this, or you wouldn’t be here reading this right now.

Any motivation underlying the compulsion to continue using despite the consequences is a sign that your use of drugs or alcohol runs deeper than simply coping with stress. Working with an Addictions Therapist can help you to get to the bottom of this motivation, and help you to learn healthier coping skills for managing life stressors in the absence of harmful patterns.

WHAT IF I STOP USING AND IT’S TOO HARD TO MANAGE THINGS WITHOUT DRINKING OR USING?

I know that alcohol and/or drugs have been helping in one way or another for some time. So, learning to cope in other ways is going to be tough. The mechanisms at play have become familiar and automatic, so replacing them with healthier alternatives will feel unnatural at first. That’s normal and completely understandable!

An important thing to understand is that recovery isn’t linear, and at times significant stress can cause us to return to unhelpful ways of coping. Relapses happen, and Recovery sometimes means reflecting on our mistakes as opportunities for learning. Therapy can help you to navigate through the uncomfortable moments in this process, and how to get out from under the weight of addiction.

BEGIN THERAPY TO BREAK THE CYCLE OF ADDICTION

You don’t have to continue feeling like there is no way back from this. Online therapy can help you gain the tools necessary to combat the self-defeating thoughts that maintain your reliance on drugs and alcohol. Please contact me today so we can get on the road to helping you recover and getting your life back! Contact me here to schedule a 15-minute phone consultation or to schedule your first appointment with me.