Addiction is a complex disorder. This brain disease has a serious and harmful consequences which are manifested by compulsive addiction behaviours. For example drug/alcohol use, gambling, food and even video gaming.
Factors contributing to addiction include:
- Family history
- Peer pressure
- Taking highly addictive type drugs
- Mental health
Signs that there may be a concern with addiction:
- Your body feels different as the drug wears off (shaking, nausea, vomiting, headache, sweating, tired, possible seizure)
- Feel like you need more to get the same effect. (tolerance)
- Find yourself using even though it is disrupting your social, work and family life
- You spend a lot of time thinking about doing drugs, or how to get the drugs.
- Can’t prevent yourself from using the drug, even if you want to.
- Continue taking a prescribed medication long after it’s no longer needed.
- Loss of interest in things that were previously enjoyable.
- Borrow or steal money to get substance.
- You drive or do other dangerous things
- You hide the use or the effect it is having.
- Friends and loved ones are talking about how you have “changed”.
- You have a change in your appearance.
- You are spending less time with your family and old friends.
Why Kari Walton Counselling:
- We aid in helping to keep the individual clean, by helping with physical and psychological withdrawal.
- We help to treat the underlying mental health condition that often plays a role in substance abuse.
- We help to recognize and deal with possible psychological and social factors that can trigger drug use. Some examples are stress, trauma, environmental cues, the urge to use again.
- Kari Walton Counselling can help you to combat your triggers and escape the cravings by learning to manage triggers.
- We want to encourage and help in repairing healthy relationships.