Addiction
Addiction comes in several forms
Whether it be a substance like alcohol or pills, gambling, shopping, or porn, addiction can rob you of your time, energy, money, and relationships. It’s important to take an inventory of how this has changed things like your job, relationships, health, career growth, and other important life areas. Imagining what your life would look like without the addiction can help provide hope and motivation when addiction tells you otherwise.
Addiction is often an attempted solution to a problem. Clients of mine dealing with addiction usually report high levels of depression, anxiety, difficult childhoods, or big and little T trauma. In an attempt to deal with concerns, we often find some solace in our vices. The problem is that while your addiction might put out one fire, it starts two more elsewhere. With professional help, you can identify the core issue that’s driving the addiction and find healthier ways to address it.
What exactly is addiction?
Addiction is often defined as doing something that is harming you, but feeling like you can’t stop. It doesn’t make sense in hindsight but in the moment, it makes perfect sense. Whether is a process addiction like gambling, or a substance addiction like alcohol, these behaviors can damage almost every aspect of your life. One common occurrence is when the behaviors become so habitual, that we often don’t even consider the alternative. “What would happen if I didn’t have a drink? What would my day look like sober?” Exploring these possibilities can open up options that are often never considered when we are so used to problematic behaviors. Learning how to reduce/eliminate the behavior while also addressing the source of the addiction is a very doable and very worthwhile process.
