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Are you having a hard time giving up drugs or alcohol? Are there times when you feel you can control it and other times where you can’t? Maybe you’ve started on the path to recovery already. Or you’ve tried to stop using drugs or alcohol before, but haven’t been successful. Perhaps you’re already part of a 12 step program and are looking for something more. No matter where you are, or how far you have left to go, therapy can begin to help you end your struggle with addiction.
Are you having a hard time giving up drugs or alcohol? Are there times when you feel you can control it and other times where you can’t? Maybe you’ve started on the path to recovery already. Or you’ve tried to stop using drugs or alcohol before, but haven’t been successful. Perhaps you’re already part of a 12 step program and are looking for something more. No matter where you are, or how far you have left to go, therapy can begin to help you end your struggle with addiction.
It can be a scary thought to think that you may have a problem with drinking or drug use. Most people begin to notice signs of losing control but feel embarrassed or uncomfortable talking about it. Other people avoid taking a closer look at their consumption and thus end up “pretending” that it’s not really there. I’ve worked in addiction treatment for over ten years and know that admitting you have a problem is one of the hardest things for people to do. Why is this? Well, admitting you have a problem means that you might have to stop. That can be terrifying. No more parties? No more wine at nice restaurants? No more pills to get me through the day? Scary.
It can be a scary thought to think that you may have a problem with drinking or drug use. Most people begin to notice signs of losing control but feel embarrassed or uncomfortable talking about it. Other people avoid taking a closer look at their consumption and thus end up “pretending” that it’s not really there. I’ve worked in addiction treatment for over ten years and know that admitting you have a problem is one of the hardest things for people to do. Why is this? Well, admitting you have a problem means that you might have to stop. That can be terrifying. No more parties? No more wine at nice restaurants? No more pills to get me through the day? Scary.
Chances are your life wasn’t so great if your drinking or using was out of control. It probably became less and less enjoyable and you ended up spending more time trying to control it than actually enjoying it.
It’s normal and expected to think that life without your drug of choice will be lonely, boring and maybe unmanageable. That is rarely the case. It’s interesting. Often times people get sober and realize just how many other people are as well. When we’re actively using and drinking, we think everyone else is too. Like attracts like, right?
Like other chronic diseases, addiction can be managed successfully. You may hear the common analogy that addiction is like diabetes, you will always have it, but it can be treated. It is entirely possible (and likely) that you will live a normal everyday life. Many in recovery end up living better lives than they could have ever imagined as a direct result of sobriety.
If you’re not quite ready to give total abstinence a shot, why not try to cut back, or abstain temporarily? If you find this too difficult, it may be time to get help with learning how to manage it, or quit for good. If you’re truly struggling with a problem, stopping on your own may prove to be very difficult. Maybe you can quit for a week or a month, but then what?
The road to recovery is never the same for two people and therapy will look a little different for everyone. You may discover that you have unresolved pain that led you to substance use. It’s possible that there wasn’t really anything leading up to this, that using “socially” turned into something more. Maybe you inherited the disease? Whatever the case, therapy can help you get you back on track and take a closer look at what you can do to get better.
Chances are your life wasn’t so great if your drinking or using was out of control. It probably became less and less enjoyable and you ended up spending more time trying to control it than actually enjoying it.
It’s normal and expected to think that life without your drug of choice will be lonely, boring and maybe unmanageable. That is rarely the case. It’s interesting. Often times people get sober and realize just how many other people are as well. When we’re actively using and drinking, we think everyone else is too. Like attracts like, right?
Like other chronic diseases, addiction can be managed successfully. You may hear the common analogy that addiction is like diabetes, you will always have it, but it can be treated. It is entirely possible (and likely) that you will live a normal everyday life. Many in recovery end up living better lives than they could have ever imagined as a direct result of sobriety.
If you’re not quite ready to give total abstinence a shot, why not try to cut back, or abstain temporarily? If you find this too difficult, it may be time to get help with learning how to manage it, or quit for good. If you’re truly struggling with a problem, stopping on your own may prove to be very difficult. Maybe you can quit for a week or a month, but then what?
The road to recovery is never the same for two people and therapy will look a little different for everyone. You may discover that you have unresolved pain that led you to substance use. It’s possible that there wasn’t really anything leading up to this, that using “socially” turned into something more. Maybe you inherited the disease? Whatever the case, therapy can help you get you back on track and take a closer look at what you can do to get better.
Don’t let yourself continue to struggle. Lets talk about creating the better life you deserve.
Don’t let yourself continue to struggle. Lets talk about creating the better life you deserve.