Addiction Therapy

There's no compulsive behavior that cannot be converted. If you can understand that your addiction & behaviors are an energy that can be altered, than recovery can be yours. Having dealt with addiction personally and with friends & family, I understand addiction and co-dependency and my purpose is to help my clients to understand their own by teaching them the secrets of psychology and how to change their compulsive thoughts, behaviors, and energy into positive addiction free behaviors and lifestyles.

The Addictive Personality

For most people with an addiction, their over use of alcohol or drugs has come from too many unpleasant emotions in their lives. As a result of these unpleasant emotions and insecurities they understandably crave the good feelings usually associated with positive life experiences. These feelings can become available through alcohol or drugs, so excessive use can take hold. As many addicts or alcoholics have been heard to say; "I just wanted to feel normal..." The important thing here is that most of the time addicts or alcoholics do not feel normal, they feel like something is wrong. Sometimes it's because they are suppressing a part of themselves which may have been buried for years, for so long they have most likely forgotten that it was a part of them. What often happens though is that when high, or drunk, these suppressed or forgotten parts of us come out to play - sometimes this is enjoyable, and sometimes not.

People who have become addicted have a hard time controlling their needs for substances or physical wants such as alcohol, drugs, or behaviors. (e.g... compulsive or sexual addictions) even when faced with negative health, social or legal consequences. The lack of control can result from alcohol, drugs, or even chemical imbalances in the body which can cause changes in the brain leading to changes in behavior. The brain of an addicted individual has been altered by their in such a way that the absence of the drug or habit creates a signal to the brain that is similar to the signals sent when you are starving. It is as if the person was in a state of deprivation, where requiring a specific chemical or acting out of habit is crucial for their survival. It is that controlling, and eventually the illness will become harder to treat and any related health problems, or issues with family and loved ones will deteriorate beyond repair.

What is Relapse

Relapse is the return to drug use after a drug-free period. It is a prime characteristic of addiction, and one of the most painful. Most people who struggle with addiction will have one or more relapses during their ongoing attempts to recover. This can be incredibly frustrating and painful for patients and families.

There are often multiple and interactive factors that can increase the likelihood of relapse. Some of the commonly known factors are drug related "reminder "cues such as; sights, sounds, smells, drug thoughts or dreams. Negative and positive mood states or even a very small sampling of the drug itself can also lead to relapse.

Part of Addiction as a Chronic Disease

Even with the availability of many forms of effective treatment for addiction, the problem of relapse remains a major challenge to achieving sustained recovery. People who are trying to recover from drug abuse and addiction are often doing so with powerful drug-related memories, diminished impulse control and altered brains. Combined with intense drug cravings, these brain changes can leave people vulnerable to relapse even after years of being abstinent.

In order to achieve long-term recovery, treatment must address specific, individual patient needs and must take the whole person into account. It is not enough to simply get a person off drugs as the many changes that have occurred such as physical, social, psychological changes, must also be addressed to help people stay off drugs, for good.