Addictions therapy treatment in Philadelphia and world wide
Addictions: Have you ever enjoyed something so much that you can’t live without it? Doing that particular behavior feels almost calming or relaxing, like you are in a trance. You have an incredible ability to focus. While engaging in that particular behavior, you mind feels centered. If so, you might have an addiction. Any behavior or thought process that becomes obsessive or compulsive can cause psychological or physical harm to oneself or to others. Common addictions are:
- Smoking Addiction
- Alcoholism
- Drug Addiction
- Internet Addiction
- Compulsive Eating
- Anorexia
- Bulimia
- Gambling Addiction
- Shopaholism
- Sex Addiction
- Love Addiction
To determine if you have an addiction, ask yourself the following general questions:
- Can you stop engaging in the behavior for 4 months?
- Do your cravings or desire prevent you from accomplishing other tasks?
- Are you spending more time on the thought process surrounding the issue than you have?
- Are you spending more money than you have? Or eating more food than is necessary? Or engaging in more sex than your body wants? etc
- Could you be fired for what you are doing?
- If your friends and family new what you were thinking or doing, would they be disappointed?
- Do you have periods of time that are unaccounted for? Or do you simply not want to tell others about what you are doing?
- Does engaging in the behavior or thought process in the moment calm you down?
- After engaging in the behavior or thought process do you feel shame, guilt or embarrassment?
- Do you wish you could stop? Or at least have a little bit more control over the situation?
- Who knows about what you are doing? Are you engaging in the behavior / thought process in secrecy?
- Do you feel weak or exhausted after engaging in the behavior / thought process?
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Addictions therapy treatment in Philadelphia and world wide
Addictions: Have you ever enjoyed something so much that you can’t live without it? Doing that particular behavior feels almost calming or relaxing, like you are in a trance. You have an incredible ability to focus. While engaging in that particular behavior, you mind feels centered. If so, you might have an addiction. Any behavior or thought process that becomes obsessive or compulsive can cause psychological or physical harm to oneself or to others. Common addictions are:
- Smoking Addiction
- Alcoholism
- Drug Addiction
- Internet Addiction
- Compulsive Eating
- Anorexia
- Bulimia
- Gambling Addiction
- Shopaholism
- Sex Addiction
- Love Addiction
To determine if you have an addiction, ask yourself the following general questions:
- Can you stop engaging in the behavior for 4 months?
- Do your cravings or desire prevent you from accomplishing other tasks?
- Are you spending more time on the thought process surrounding the issue than you have?
- Are you spending more money than you have? Or eating more food than is necessary? Or engaging in more sex than your body wants? etc
- Could you be fired for what you are doing?
- If your friends and family new what you were thinking or doing, would they be disappointed?
- Do you have periods of time that are unaccounted for? Or do you simply not want to tell others about what you are doing?
- Does engaging in the behavior or thought process in the moment calm you down?
- After engaging in the behavior or thought process do you feel shame, guilt or embarrassment?
- Do you wish you could stop? Or at least have a little bit more control over the situation?
- Who knows about what you are doing? Are you engaging in the behavior / thought process in secrecy?
- Do you feel weak or exhausted after engaging in the behavior / thought process?
Many people do not realize that they have an addiction because they believe their experiences are normal, routine. Over time, people habituate to almost any situation. One loses perspective. Typically, addictions build up strength over time. With the exception of drugs, it is difficult to become addicted to any thought or behavior after engaging in it once. The line between Type A personality, an ability to focus, being meticulous and being obsessive or compulsive can easily become blurred.
In general, if you think you might have a problem, you probably do. However, everyone is an individual, with their own unique story to tell, thus there is no such thing as one right answer. Thus, we at The Center for Growth, Inc encourage everyone who has questions to seek a consultation with a professional. A professional can help you differentiate between healthy and addictive behaviors.
What is recovery? While the recovery process is different for each addict, there are some themes. Recovery typically involves the following four categories: 1) Detoxing; 2) De-traumatizing; 3) Centering & Healing; and 4) Health. We define Detoxing as stopping the behavior and learning to tolerate the uncomfortable feelings: boredom, discomfort, anxiety, emptiness, pain, and sadness. De-traumatizing is best understood as identifying and exploring past events that have contributed to the uncomfortable feelings that the addiction masks. Centering and Healing refers to learning to be comfortable with self and identifying new coping mechanisms to reduce negative feelings. Health. Health is defined differently for each topic. For example, sexual health is defined as learning ways in which to express one’s own self. Full recovery is not the celibacy, but rather developing the skill set needed to be ally intimate with self and others.
When seeking therapy, it is always preferable to choose a therapist who has experience working with the issue that you would like to focus on in treatment. For instance, if you are having trouble with alcohol addiction, it is best to meet with a therapist who has specialized training in that particular area. |
