Addiction Counselling
Addiction Counselling: Helpful for Psychological AddictionsAddiction counseling understands people can have a psychological addiction to drugs or alcohol, but also to pornography and video games. A psychological addiction occurs when an individual finds a drug, alcohol, or activity so desirable that a craving develops without a physiological addiction. Addiction counselling understands a psychological dependence can be reinforced when a person uses the substance or activity to relieve emotional distress or cope with daily stressors.
Addiction counselling understands that, despite the addiction being physiological or psychological, a person becomes focused on attaining the substance or participating in the activity. The addiction can start interfering with daily functioning or damaging relationships. Addiction Counselling: Helpful for Physiological AddictionsAddiction counseling understands that a physiological addiction starts when a substance blocks or stimulates certain brain synapses, thereby changing perception, memory, mood, and behavior. A physiological addiction develops when a person builds a tolerance and needs greater amounts of drugs or alcohol to achieve the same effect. Addiction counselling can identify a physiological addiction and support access to all necessary forms of treatment. For instance, addiction counselling will help determine if a person needs medical attention to manage withdrawal symptoms from a physiological addiction.
Addiction Counselling: Involves Motivational Interviewing and Stages of ChangeA common form of addiction counseling involves motivational interviewing and stages of change. If you are seeking addiction counseling for yourself, then you are likely a higher level of readiness for change. If you are seeking addiction counseling for someone else, that person may likely be at a lower level of readiness for change. Addiction counseling can help people no matter their stage of change, because addiction counselling helps increase motivation to change.
Addiction Counselling: Helpful for a Low Motivation to ChangeIf a person has low motivation to change, addiction counseling usually involves a discussion about what the person wants to be different or better about his or her life. This inevitably results in the person identifying that the addiction is a barrier to accomplishing her or her own goals.
Addiction Counselling: Helpful for a Higher Motivation to ChangeIf a person has a higher motivation to change, addiction counseling usually involves helping them identify and implement strategies. Addiction counseling uses strategies such as avoiding people or places that trigger use, building healthy living habits, building a social and activity network that supports sobriety, and maintaining motivation for sobriety through helpful thinking. For instance, research indicates that in the first period of change a helpful strategy is to think about the negative outcomes of using, while it’s helpful to think about the positive outcomes of sobriety in the later period of change. Overall, addiction counseling is a very effective means of managing an addiction and preventing relapse.
You can also read more about my Counselling Skills and background as a Child and Youth Counsellor which allow me to provide these counselling services. |
Ryan is also an Anti-Bullying Motivational Speaker - presentations to inspire students to stand up against bullying in schools, as well as a Guest Speaker for a variety of other topics. He travels any distance but will speak in Kitchener, Guelph, Hamilton, London, Toronto, Mississauga, Barrie, Markham, St. Catharines, Milton, Oakville, Burlington, Stratford, Owen Sound, Oshawa, Ottawa, Windsor, Kingston, New Market.
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