“Addiction is a term used when someone is unable to control a particular habit or behaviour to the point of being it harmful. Some examples of addiction include alcoholism, gambling addiction, and smoking.”
Addiction counselling is the practice of helping people with addiction and their families and friends examine their addiction status and its effects, analyse attitudes and emotions, and consider alternative solutions and decisions. Addiction counselling makes use of specialized skills in order to assist in achieving a breakage of the addiction cycle.
As a Wellness Counsellor, I can provide you with two common counselling techniques and methods that will help you in identifying the problematic behaviours and changing them into positives. This is known as Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT). CBT also helps in addressing any underlying problems that often co-occur with an addiction(s).
This is important when helping the individual to understand the cause and to take the appropriate steps in overcoming and coping with the issues that they are experiencing. Essentially, by breaking the cycle of addiction, counselling essentially provides new ways for people with addiction to think, feel and act.
The second counselling technique and method that I can provide you with is Dialectical Behavioural Therapy, also known as DBT. DBT is a form of talking counselling treatment based on Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, that has been adapted to help people who experience emotions more intensely.
The goal of DBT is to help people learn to manage any difficult emotions that they may be experiencing, by allowing them to experience, recognise and accepting them.
Addiction can arise from what might be considered harmless, or at least from common social habits. Alcohol use, gambling, eating, sex, and internet usage can turn into darker and more destructive impulses.
Addiction can emerge from the way these activities and habits make people feel emotionally and physically. They can be compelling – a form of escapism for those going through difficult times. It can also cause a strong desire to continue over and over again.
People with addictions are often unaware of the problem and the impact that their addiction has on their lives and the lives of those around them. If your addiction is a result of a trauma (a past event, accident, mental health problems, etc.), you may not be able to get out of your addiction on your own and need more support.
Quitting a habit is not so easy for many people. Recovery from addiction takes time, patience, and a lot of support from loved ones. Not only do we need to understand what causes addiction and how to overcome it, but we also need to learn how to manage their feelings about the future.
Addiction counselling, such as counselling, is crucial for helping people recognise the problem and take the steps to recovery.
In some cases, the damage caused by addiction can only be recognized when those involved experience a crisis – because of grim life-effects or when the addictive substance or behaviour is suddenly inaccessible This usually motivates people to seek help, but some people are able to start recovery long before the problem reaches this critical point.
While some people can recover from addiction without help, many need support in the form of efficient addiction counselling that can be provided by a Wellness Counsellor. In general, the sooner you get counselling, the more successful the recovery process will be.
Usually, the first step in getting help for addiction is to tell someone how you feel. If you’re an addict, you may be hesitant to talk to friends and family but know that there are many other resources out there. As a Wellness Counsellor, I can provide you with the appropriate resources needed.
You can also talk to your doctor who can answer questions about your addiction and explain next steps. The doctor of your choosing and I can then work alongside one another to ensure that you receive the best counselling services as possible to ensure your recovery.
There are several counselling services that are said to help overcome addiction. But of course, each person is different, so the counselling sessions is tailored to the individual and their particular addiction. It is a combination of medication, provided by the appropriate medical health professional and talk counselling technique is aimed at helping you cope with both.
Addiction Counselling can take place in different forms, most often in one-on-one fashion but it is also available in a couple, family and group format. In whatever way it is taken, it provides the client with a confidential opportunity to discuss their relationship with the problem substance or behaviour and its impact on their life and the life of others they care about.
Addiction Counselling is a specialised form of counselling that views serious and problematic use of a substance or behaviour as far more serious as it being simply a symptom of underlying issues – although inevitably such underlying issues are present.
The problematic and addictive elements of one’s life are assessed first and foremost. It is only after an appropriate evaluation of what is underway, that a counselling intervention plan can be developed that is intended to assist the individual and to provide the individual with necessary and appropriate resources needed to achieve all the goals they want to achieve to live a better life.
Addiction Counselling is a facilitative process which helps individuals overcome any personal fears and anxiety which they may be experiencing.
The primary benefit is that it will help someone in difficulty in their efforts to address and act as to what needs to be done. It allows an intensive exploration of the sources of the addictive behaviour and enables the person to reach a level of self – understanding that’s essential to a good recovery. It aims to assist in the following ways:
The counsellor’s role is to facilitate the client’s growth in ways which respect the person’s values, personal resources and capacity for self-determination, leading to lifelong recovery.
People who will most likely benefit from the specialised skill of an addiction counsellor are likely to be those who are directly affected by the impact of a behaviour or substance that is causing or has caused them harm or distress irrespective of the amount, frequency or usage now or in the past.
Examples can include people who are currently chronically abusing alcohol, drugs or caught up in compulsive gambling, addiction to pornography, to people who are just concerned about their usage of certain substances such as prescription drugs or eating behaviours.
Some people may have stopped their alcohol or drug use for years but are still unhappy and carrying the effects of the past with them and are seeking to recover from earlier, problematic situations in their lives.
“Addiction is less about giving up something and more about gaining something, that something is a more meaningful, authentic and connected life. Addiction takes things, recovery gives them back, including; self-esteem, love for and from self and others, meaning, passion, ability to deal with life’s challenges, healing, and hope.”
Counsellor Andrew Harvey
Addiction is more than just using a substance. When using falls into one of these four categories, it can be deemed substance abuse and indicative of an addiction.
The 4 categories of substance abuse and addiction are:
Drug addiction is highly dependent on the individual’s physiology and predisposition to addiction.
Legal substances are just as or more addictive than illegal substances. For example, nicotine is highly addictive.
There are many signs that may point into the direction of an individual showcasing an addiction towards a substance of choice.
Here are 10 common signs of addiction:
To address any underlying psychosocial and contextual factors as well as personal difficulties pertaining to an addiction, seeking the help of a professional, such as a Wellness Counsellor is advised.
Wellness Counsellors can provide a way forward and able to provide the necessary tools to recovering addicts and their support structures to better enable long term sobriety.
The most important role of a wellness counsellor in the addiction counselling process is to establish trust and a rapport with the client to establish a trusting counselling relationship. Often clients come to sessions feeling judged, misunderstood and have been rejected by both family and society as a whole due to their addictions.
A wellness counsellor offers a way of helping the individual restore their dignity and self-respect, as well as address past and present difficulties within their lives.
Additionally, a wellness counsellor can assist in helping to restore relationships where possible and rebuilding a life that is addiction free.
Most importantly, a wellness counsellor provides a safe space for the recovering addict where they can address confidential issues without fear of judgment or ostracization.
A Wellness Counsellor will generally start with an assessment of the individual for group counselling, individual counselling, implementing intervention strategies and providing support, addictions, facilitation of support groups, psychoeducation and lecturing. They will then advise which options best suit the individuals’ needs and assist them to get the support and the necessary and appropriate counselling that they require.
Generally, those supporting the individual with an addiction, will at first tend to interact with the Wellness Counsellor, who will then advise them on what type of support is best suited to how they need to support the recovering individual and their own contextual dynamics. This could be in the form of group sessions, support groups or even individual counselling. A wellness counsellor, while maintaining the privacy of the recovering individual, could also provide support sessions and give insight into how to best help the recovering individual on each step or milestone of their journey.
