Addiction
Addiction often leads to cognitions that encourage the substance or behavior at hand to continue. Additionally, addiction often leads to avoidance of withdrawal symptoms that in turn lead to a vicious cycle of use despite knowledge that continued use will lead to conflict, guilt, and shame. Unfortunately, with prolonged use, conflict, guilt, and shame could lead to serious medical issues and in extreme circumstances...death.
My approach to treating addiction:
Addictions is complicated, and often is accompanied with many external variables outside of the control of whomever is addicted. I like to use an approach to addictions that is client centered and at the same time collaborative. I work with clients in generating an effective and useful empirical based intervention that is tailored in addressing thought and behavioral patterns fueling addiction. I have found that Cognitive and Behavioral Treatments along side Solution Focused Treatments can be powerful, especially when the interventions are direct, intentional, and aggressive to strive towards healing and success.
