Addiction & Recovery

Though there are many definitions, we would like to share how we define addiction. We see addiction as an attempt to regulate one's nervous system by filling the space of something that is missing. We see how the emptiness created by some life experiences can play out again and again in our relationship to ourselves or others and our addictions to people, things, behaviors or substances. 

Oftentimes, we are not conscious of what keeps us in the addiction loop. We firmly believe that the addiction, in whatever form it takes, is a symptom of an underlying process. What is it trying to tell us? How is it protecting us? At one point, the behavior developed as an adaptation to a life circumstance and now it has outgrown it's original purpose. Taking this approach allows us to begin in a place of compassion and curiosity thereby opening opportunity for you to safely explore and heal.

Addiction can present in many forms including the use of alcohol or drug use, pornography use, overuse of technology, workaholism, sugar, gambling to name a few.

Drug and behavioral addiction symptoms and behaviors include, among others:

• Feeling the need to engage in the behavior or use of the drug regularly, which can be daily or multiple times a day
• Experiencing intense urges to engage in the behavior or use the drug
• Over time, needing to engage more in the behavior or use more of the drug to get the same effect
• Not meeting obligations and work responsibilities
• Doing things you wouldn’t normally do to hide your behavior or get the drug, such as stealing or lying
• Focusing more and more time and energy on engaging in the behavior or getting and using the drug
• Experiencing withdrawal symptoms such as anxiety, anger, headaches, or body tension when attempting to discontinue the behavior or not use the drug
• Failed attempts to discontinue the behavior or quit using the drug

If you can relate to any of the above symptoms or behaviors, it may be time to consider addiction counseling.

We will address the symptoms of your addiction and the related areas of impaired functioning, and together we’ll structure the time and content of your ongoing recovery.

We believe that there are many paths to successful recovery that will work with your goals and desires, and ensure you can make the life changes you want to make. Contact us today for a free consultation.