Counseling for Addiction
When I hear the words counseling for addiction my mind automatically wants to gravitate to substance abuse, alcohol or some type of chemical addiction. What about the other addictions? The one that go less heard. Workaholism, addiction to chaos, codependency, relationship or love addiction, sex, gambling, shopping, etc? Are these not also by definition addictions?
The word addiction can be defined by “a behavior that someone continues to do despite the negative consequences. For many they find tremendous pain struggling with behaviors that do not align with their true selves. This leads to self hatred, shame, guilt and much more.
Counseling For Addiction
How is Therapy Helpful?
So what then is the role for counseling addicts? Where can a therapist be useful for someone struggling and battling with addiction? The following are some clear defined benefits received from counseling.
- You don’t feel alone and unable to speak about your addiction.
- There is no judgement in therapy. We are only going to look at a system and figure out together how to navigate you out.
- You will be able to work on the underlying issues that really are the root cause.
- Family and/or couples counseling is a big benefit. You learn to communicate and help to understand how all are affected.
- Once you bring an addiction to light, it no longer has as much power over you. You are looking at it instead of trying to hide it and deny it is there.
Counseling for Addiction
What is Underneath?
What stems underneath the addiction is the root cause. How would I or what would we talk about and resolve if I only wanted to discuss the consequences of ones addiction? Those are the symptoms like a sneeze is to a cold. The cold is the fear or sense of lack that lies below and is what I believe is at the core of all human suffering.
This belief that we are lacking in something, not good enough, smart enough, etc. This is a set of beliefs so heavily conditioned by society, parents, religion, culture, etc that we have actually forgotten how to create a thought of our own. We are none of the things this world tells us we are yet we agree with everything on the outside and refuse to ever allow our self to be its natural guidance system. This leave a hole inside of us that we then fill with anything on the outside. Addiction is created here. Addiction counseling and therapy or addiction are necessary.
Counseling for Addiction
Seek Help
Don’t sit around and wait while there is the time to be deprogrammed. You need to adopt a new set of beliefs and ideas. Counseling will allow you to go in and deconstruct the false self thus emerging with the realization of who you are and the greatness and strength of who you always have been. Pure Love unconditional. Let’s start this walk today. Addiction counseling sets you free.
Check out these other posts for more information.
Three Ways a Counselor Can Help You Recover From Your Addiction