Addictions and Recovery Services
We offer therapy for addiction issues related to alcohol, cigarettes, vaping, and medication abuse. Additionally, we address behavioural addictions, including those related to sexual activities, pornography, gaming, gambling, social media, food, shopping, etc.
Recovery is a comprehensive process involving both the individual and their loved ones. We create long-term plans for sobriety or harm reduction and relapse prevention. This often includes therapy for loved ones to help them recover from the emotional impact of addiction, ensuring everyone affected receives the support they need.
What is Addiction?
Addiction or addictive behaviors are mental health conditions that affect the way our brains function. It manifests in the way a person compulsively engages in the use of a chemical or behavior, despite experiencing negative consequences, distress, harm, or impaired functioning in their lives.”
Addictive Behavior Cycles:
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- Salience: The chemical or behavior becomes central to the person’s life.
- Mood Modification: the chemical or behaviour that is being used to alter mood experiences.
- Tolerance: Needing more of the chemical or behaviour or an increased range of chemicals and behaviours to feel the same desired effect.
- Withdrawal: The person suffers unpleasant physical or psychological effects upon ceasing to experience effects derived from the chemical use or behaviour.
- Conflict: Experiencing discord within oneself or with others due to their addictive use or behaviour.
- Relapse: Returning to the addictive use or behaviour after a period of abstinence.
(Source: Griffiths, 2019)
If you perceive that your patterns of gaming, gambling, shopping, viewing pornography, engaging in sexual activities, consuming alcohol, vaping, smoking, or taking medications exhibit the above six indications, it is advisable to arrange an assessment session to ascertain the possible presence of an addiction.
During the assessment, your circumstances will be assessed against the 11 criteria outlined in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (5), a standard mental health resource for diagnostic purposes.
♦ Click here for Self-Screening Questionnaires that help one to screen for symptoms of problematic behaviours relating to Gambling, Internet Gaming and Alcohol Consumption. Further discussion with a professional therapist will be needed for a formal diagnosis to be made.
How does one develop an addiction?
Common pathways to addiction:
- Genetics and Early Exposure: The American Addiction Center has reported that individuals who have a parent struggling with addiction or who have been exposed to addiction within their family may face an increased likelihood of developing addiction themselves. The heightened risk factor, which can be as much as four times higher, is influenced by genetic predisposition and family dynamics. Moreover, even minimal exposure to adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), as few as two, can substantially elevate the susceptibility to addiction compared to those without such experiences.
- Dealing with underlying trauma or a mental health condition can make it more challenging to regulate emotions. Using substances or stimulating behaviours to self-soothe may provide initial relief but can become a primary issue over time.
- Extended exposure to supernormal stimuli, such as chemicals or activities that generate excessive stimulation of the brain’s reward system, has become a hallmark of modern society. These activities often involve endless novelty and multi-sensory stimulations.
Becoming addicted usually starts gradually, and the individual can control it initially. However, the situation can quickly escalate due to changes in the brain’s response to stimuli, leading to increased tolerance and a cycle of craving.
If you’re at risk of developing dependence, early intervention is crucial. Book a session with our therapist for an assessment and intervention before it becomes a full-blown addiction.
Helping a Loved One Seek Recovery
It is tough to get a loved one to seek help for addiction when they haven’t accepted their condition. Addiction changes brain function, affecting self-control, emotional regulation, memory, and decision making (Source: Goldstein and Volkow, 2011).
If you are struggling to speak with a loved one about getting help, schedule a session with our therapist to work out a plan and strategy to engage with your loved one.
Betrayal Trauma from Sex and Pornography Addiction
Betrayal trauma from sex and pornography addiction can devastate close relationships due to its deep personal impact and the ripple effects on finances, behaviours, and responsibilities. It is recognized that a person affected by a spouse’s sex or pornography addiction goes through the same devastating effects as a person with post-traumatic stress disorder. Recovery is crucial for both the sufferer and their loved ones. If you’re affected, consider booking a therapy session to start your journey towards healing.
We offer therapy for addiction issues related to alcohol, cigarettes, vaping, and medications abuse. Additionally, we address behavioral addictions, including those related to sexual activities, pornography, gaming, gambling, social media, food, shopping, etc.
Recovery is a comprehensive process involving both the individual and their loved ones. We create long-term plans for sobriety or harm reduction and relapse prevention. This will often include therapy for loved ones to help them recover from the emotional impact of addiction, ensuring everyone affected receives the support they need to lead fulfilling lives.
“Life is a journey, not a race,”
Anthony Yeo, Counsellor and Singapore’s Father of Counselling