Some people use drugs or alcohol to help them forget about problems, including any traumatic experiences they may have had. They may also be used as a way to help people relax and deal with stress, or to help deal with anxiety, depression and other mental health problems. This is sometimes known as self-medicating and can also apply to misusing prescribed medication.
If you are experiencing addiction to drugs or alcohol, you may also need to get help from a specialised treatment service (for example for medication or detox), with psychotherapy forming part of an overall care package.
As someone who has worked in these services for over 20 years, I can help assess you for this and will always refer you (with your consent) when this might be more appropriate.
IMPORTANT: If you think you are physically dependent on alcohol or benzodiazepines (such as Diazepam/Valium) and you experience shakes and withdrawal symptoms if you haven’t drunk or taken any pills:
- It is really important that you DON’T just stop “cold turkey”.
- You need to have medical advice to help you reduce down safely or you risk seizures and other major complications.
- Please speak to your GP or I can help to refer you to the appropriate services.
Its not just about drugs and alcohol…
Addiction can be to many different things such as; drugs, alcohol, food, exercise, sex, pornography, gaming, social media, self-harm, gambling, shopping . In other words, anything that we do to make ourselves feel better, even if this is temporary and we feel worse off afterwards.
The 4 C’s
There are lots of different models and theories when it comes to addiction. One simple model is the 4 C’s – Compulsion, Craving, Consequences, and Control. The 4 C’s of addiction is a useful model as it applies to any type of addiction including (but not limited to) drugs, alcohol, food, gambling, video games, and sex.
Compulsion
Compulsion means that you may have an overpowering urge to feed your addiction. It may have started impulsively at first, but has now become a compulsive habit. Not giving in to this compulsion causes ANXIETY which affects all other behaviours.
Craving
The urge to feed the addiction becomes as demanding as hunger pain, and it can feel physical in your body. This urge often manifests as STRESS which again affects all other behaviours.
Consequences
You may have realised that you’re not in full control of your drug use and that it’s causing problems. These consequences might involve strained friendships, broken relationships, your job, money or even legal problems.
Control
Often in the early stages of addiction, an individual will try to cut down or eliminate the behaviour when they recognise the negative consequences. This is impossible when this stage of addiction is reached, and the addiction is fully in control of you.
If you are experiencing the 4 C’s, or if you are worried that you are heading this way, I’m here to help.