Addictions come in all shapes and sizes any behaviour that has a pleasurable aspect to it can lead to addiction.

For example the obvious ones drinking, drugs, sex, food, gambling. The less obvious shopping, going to the gym, running and so on. The problem is that the more we repeat the experience the less pleasure we get from it, so the more we repeat the process in the hope of getting the pleasure (buss) back. Some activities or substances can generate a feeling that is so powerful that it may seem that life without that feeling may never be worthwhile again.

Am I Addicted?

Do you:

Who needs help for Addiction – Addiction Counselling?

If you can identify with any 3 of the above statements you may benefit from addiction counselling. Some addictions cause more damage to our health, our life, our work, our relationships,our finances than others. Whether you need help with an addiction depends on what you are addicted to and how damaging it is to your life and those around you. To put it another way, addiction to running is less damaging than to alcohol.

Why do Addictions seem so hard to beat?

So what is it that makes addictions so easy to acquire and so difficult for most people to shake off? The answer lies in the chemical reward mechanisms that the human brain uses to motivate itself to act and learn. The excitement we get when we are keen to do something is produced by dopamine; a natural brain chemical, very like cocaine in its effect it raises our emotional level so we want to take action.

And the warm feelings of satisfaction we get after doing something — eating, laughing, having sex or achieving some new understanding or skill — are produced by endorphin, another natural substance (which is similar to heroin). Working together these chemicals keep us interested in doing the biological functions that preserve the species, and stretch each one of us to learn and achieve.

In a well-balanced life, a reasonable amount of natural reward is felt every day, but in a life where essential emotional needs are not met and abilities are not stretched, the rewards do not come and life feels flat and meaningless. This kind of life is rich territory for addictions to target, as every addictive substance or behaviour either stimulates a reward mechanism or provides a chemical reward directly.

Dangerous activities stimulate production of dopamine, generating a feeling of exhilaration; injecting heroin gives a warm, cosy feeling like the natural feelings of satisfaction you might get after fulfilling any biologically necessary function.

Addiction can be beaten!

To get away from addictive behaviour it helps to understand the way these reward mechanisms work, how they drive addictive behaviour and how to take back control. Addiction counselling can help you to understand these mechanisms and also help you to find ways to create new, more satisfying ways to get our healthier needs met in line with how nature intended. When it is understood how the brain can “trick you”, you can use that same knowledge to STOP the addictive behaviours and replace them with more constructive behaviours and activities.

Addiction Counselling – Professional Help

We can help you to: