What is Addiction Counseling?
If you are reading this, first I want to say that I am proud of you for taking this step. I don’t know you, I don’t know your situation. But what I do know is that seeking help for an addiction - whether it’s you or a loved one who is addicted - is hard.
Second, I think it’s important that you know my approach to working with addiction. Every addiction professional has a different approach, style, and belief system when it comes to this work. For me personally, I feel that shame, harshness, and an authoritarian approach is outdated, frustrating, and simply doesn’t work. I prefer to help you figure out what is going to work for you personally, and what will get you on track to having sustained recovery. It is a very collaborative approach that puts you in control.
Some people do prefer to take an abstinence-only approach. This can be very helpful for individuals who know that moderation just isn’t an option. Maybe you have legal problems as a result of your addiction. Maybe you know that once you have one drink, hit, pill, etc. you won’t be able to stop. Maybe someone in your life is tired and has given you an ultimatum. Whatever your reason, you have come to the conclusion that you need to fully stop and make sure that you never engage again. This is a perfectly valid conclusion for a lot of people, and my goal is to help you come up with a plan to understand the root of your addiction and figure out what will get you on the road to recovery.
For others, we work on harm reduction. Harm reduction is the view that any reduction in harm associated with use is a win. This is often great for individuals who were able to previously use at a recreational level, but along the way started using more and more and now want to find some moderation. This is also for individuals who may be okay with continuing use of substances such as nicotine or marijuana, but want to stop using other substances. This is also possible for individuals who aren’t interested in stopping their usage, but do want to discontinue some of the harmful and risky behaviors associated with their use.
Of course, not all addictions include substances. For some gambling, sex, social media or video games are the addiction. Although many of these are not currently recognized as diagnosable addictions, they are valid and often very hard to struggle with on your own. We will work together to identify ways for you to take back control.
Finally, I feel it’s important to recognize that you do not have to do addictions counseling solo. More and more research is showing that relationship relationship counseling can be highly effective and helpful in addiction recovery. If your loved one is dealing with addiction, suggesting relationship counseling can feel much more supportive and less threatening. If you are dealing with addiction yourself and know it has had a big impact on your relationship, asking your partner(s) to join can be a great first step.
