One of the most common questions I get asked when people are struggling to quit drinking is:
It can be really demoralising when you end up drinking yet again, after promising yourself repeatedly that you’re done –
and especially when it doesn’t even do much for you anymore except leave you with a banging headache, writhing in a swamp of anxiety and shame.
We welcome stories from people about how they have overcome
struggles with addiction and turned their lives around.
This is Trevor’s story
People become addicts for different reasons.
In my case, throughout childhood and my teenage years, I couldn’t handle the inevitability of circumstances out of my control, and I never wanted to confront the things that truly hurt me.
Therefore, I turned to external factors to suppress pain, stress, and most of all – sadness. Naturally, I welcomed whatever outlet took the pain away with open arms – especially drugs and alcohol. [Read more…]
Alcohol and drug addiction doesn’t discriminate. All around the world, there are people from all walks of life trying to get by while abusing drugs or alcohol. In the US alone, over 40 million people fit the criteria for clinical addiction, yet only 10 percent of them will seek treatment.
If you are starting to think you might have a problem, what is stopping you from reaching out for help?
You think your problem isn’t serious enough.
Maybe you just binge drink on occasional weekends. Or perhaps you just have a few beers or glasses of wine a night. You might be functioning well on the outside, going to work, looking after your children, exercising, etc, but on the inside, you feel unfulfilled. [Read more…]
Well let’s look at the options; you can do one of five things
So I assume if you are still reading you’ve probably tried options 1-4 numerous times before and perhaps they didn’t end so well? In that case, read on and look at what you need to do to get through this relapse. [Read more…]
What is your anger trying to tell you?“Anybody can become angry – that is easy, but to be angry with the right person and to the right degree and at the right time and for the right purpose, and in the right way – that is not within everybody’s power and is not easy.” – Aristotle
Anger is one of the most frequently cited reasons for why people relapse back to addictive behaviours. Anger can be such an intense emotion that when triggered, all rational thought is lost, the logical brain gets hijacked and the emotional brain takes over. In such a highly charged intense state it’s easy to press the F*** it button and throw recovery out of the window. It is very normal to experience anger in recovery as in the past you would likely have numbed or suppressed it through drugs and alcohol. Once the anaethetizing effects of substances are no longer an option, anger and all its variations, – frustration, irritability, annoyance, impatience and intolerance So how can you learn to manage your anger? Classic anger management techniques might tell you to beat a pillow with a baseball bat, scream and shout until you’ve worn yourself out or count to ten and breathe through the anger until it subsides. However, while these techniques may help to calm you down temporarily, they don’t do anything about the underlying cause of the anger. [Read more…]
Sheena has recently joined Recovery From Addiction as our trainee counsellor.
She is currently studying for a Masters in Counselling through Monash University, Australia, and aims to have completed her studies by early 2018.
Sheena’s interests lie in attachment theory and how early childhood experiences create vulnerabilities for addiction, anxiety and depression. Her own experience with anxiety and depression allows her to bring a deep non-judgmental understanding and empathy to her client work . She helps to empower clients by addressing the limiting beliefs and emotional difficulties that prevent them moving forward to a better life.
Sheena is currently based in Ottawa, Canada, where she lives with her husband and two children.
As part of her on-going training, Sheena is available to provide sessions at a reduced rate. Please contact us if you would like more information.
