Substance Abuse

Do You Or A Love One Have an Addiction Problem?

Addiction is horrible to live with, whether it is in you, a loved one, or within your family.  It is also something that is very difficult to overcome on one’s own. People’s perception of addiction varies greatly– Alcoholism, Drug Addiction, “Workaholics” and “Shopaholics” all come to mind. Compulsive behaviors such as over spending, gambling, video games and over/under eating can all be categorized as addiction. Some people may find themselves addicted to love or sex. Regardless of which of these you may be struggling with, the bottom line is addiction/compulsive behaviors usually lead to self-destruction and devastating results.

Many people are not sure if they are struggling with an addiction(s) or compulsive behavior.  Here are a few of the signs and symptoms

Symptoms include:

•   Difficulty cutting down or controlling a behavior

•   Preoccupation with behavior or substance, spending most of time planning, engaging in and recovering from the addictive behavior

•   Social, occupational and recreational activities become more focused around the addiction/compulsive behavior and important social and occupational roles and relationships become jeopardized

Signs include:

▪   Extreme mood changes (happy, sad, excited, anxious, etc)

▪   Sleeping a lot more or less than usual or at different times of the day or night

▪   Secretiveness, lying and the behavior and/or substance becomes a persons main way of coping with stress

If you are struggling with any of these signs/symptoms listed or possible other behaviors that concern you,  I can provide you with an assessment to help you determine what is the next step for you to take.  I work with people in recovery who are involved in 12 step programs, but require more support or insight with their addictive behavior.