Addictions take hold gradually, and can have catastrophic consequences on our health, social life, and work. It installs itself through what is known as the Cycle of Addiction, a vicious cycle that uses our uncomfortable emotions (that by the way, are impossible to avoid) and tries to alleviate that suffering in a maladaptive way, undoubtedly causing more uncomfortable emotions to surface.
While addiction can be hard to combat, if you truly wish to change, the good news is, you can! How can a Special Care Counsellor help you through this?
First and foremost, it’s important to underline the severity of addiction. In some cases, withdrawing from a substance in one fell swoop can have even fatal consequences. Therefore, this subject must be approached delicately. The best way to get clean is to solicit the help of trained medical and psychosocial professionals. Therefore, if you are getting serious about quitting, a Special Care Counsellor can help you take that difficult step to reaching out to an in or out-patient therapy depending on the substance and the risk of withdrawal. I can accompany you to make that all so difficult call.
When in doubt, if you’re thinking about making a quick change in your life, it is also important to talk it over with your family doctor. They might be able to inform you whether the substance you are trying to quit poses any risks to your health during the withdrawal process.
What if you’re not sure? I implement Motivational Interviewing techniques within my interventions to assess your motivation for change, and to tap into that motivation if it exists. Healthy alternatives are also often explored along with coping mechanisms to ease out of a destructive behaviour and into a productive one. Therefore, if you’re hesitant about taking that big step, I am here to support you with regular follow-up sessions. Quitting doesn’t always happen overnight. Change is a process that can have many steps forward and back before the destination is finally reached. And even when you reach your goal of getting clean, maintaining sobriety is a beast all on its own. The key take-away from all of this is that you DO have the power to make a change. You are more than your addiction, and there is a whole other side to life that could have you achieving your goals day in and day out. You can do this!
Alexandre G. McGovern 