Has your addiction gotten out of hand?
Do you find yourself drinking too much ? Do you engage in sex as a means to forget your problems? When faced with a negative situation, do you find yourself online shopping or hitting the mall and spending your entire paycheck? Do you want to release addictive patterns in your life, but feel like it’s impossible? Do you want to make changes and no matter how hard you try, you always go back to your vice? Are your family and friends frustrated with you and ask you why you can’t just give up your habit?
Living with addiction can be emotionally and physically exhausting. Whether it’s drugs, alcohol, sex , gambling, shopping , eating or something else, it can take a huge toll on your life and of the ones you love. Addiction can cause your life to start spinning out of control and have you only focus on the next time you get the rush. You may feel like you have no control over your addiction and that it is impossible to get better. You may also be feeling guilt or shame and low self confidence.
Addiction is becoming extremely common in our culture and Pittsburgh.
If you suffer from addiction , you are absolutely not alone. Addiction is a growing problem here and no one is immune from this. With our instant gratification society, everyone seems to want a quick fix or quick relief. This does not mean that you have to participate in addiction if you don’t want to.
There are so many factors that lead to addiction. At it’s crux, addiction occurs when you are feeling some way and want to feel different, usually either numb or better. But when you consistently go to one thing to feel better, especially when it is something that may not be the best, you begin to form habits which can lead to addictions.
Everyone has experienced some exposure to stimuli that can be called addictive. In reality, anyone can become addicted to anything . If you are experiencing an addiction that is overwhelming your life, addiction treatment with a mindfulness aspect can be of great assistance.
You are more than your addiction
Even though you may have intrusive thoughts for one more drink or one more outfit, addiction does not have to take over your life. You do not have to listen to your addictive thoughts. This is where mindfulness can be beneficial since it helps you to identify your addictive thoughts and triggers. You will learn how to gain a new perspective on thinking and ignore the thoughts that no longer are serving you. You will learn new ways to respond to your old addictive triggers. When triggers do arise, you will have the tools and a plan in place to cope.
In our sessions, I can teach you mindfulness skills to make recovery and healing happen in your life. We will create a Wellness Recovery Action Plan so you will have concrete steps in place for yourself in case you end up in a risky or unsure situation. You can learn new ways to manage the addictive thoughts, you don’t have to feel trapped by them. You can re frame negative, illogical thoughts into positive and practical ones, which can lead to effective and lasting recovery.
With the support and guidance of an experienced and warm therapist, you can learn to manage, mitigate and even overcome addiction. You can learn skills to help you in the moment when your triggers levels rise, as well as regular practices you can use on a daily basis to keep yourself “clean”. You can develop increased personal resilience and self-confidence. It is possible to live a life outside of the prison of addiction.
Although you know that you could benefit from help, you still may have questions or concerns about anxiety treatment…
Sure, I might smoke too much, but everyone else has their vice too. How can I tell if I really have a problem?
If friends or family members have made comments about how much you use or you are concerned, I encourage you to track your usage for a couple of days. Although the experience may be uncomfortable, it can provide you with valuable insight .
Does addiction treatment mean I have to take medication?
Addiction treatment doesn’t mean you will need to take medication unless you are interested in seeing whether or not medication assisted treatment could be helpful. If that’s the case, I might recommend you set up a meeting with an addiction psychiatrist to discuss the possibility. That said, there are many highly effective, non-medication approaches to treating addiction– including mindfulness. Either way, the choice is up to you and I will support what you feel is best.
Are you ready to get addiction out of your way and get back on a path toward progress and recovery? I invite you to contact us today to discuss your specific needs and to answer any questions you have about addiction counseling.
