Fayetteville, NC Addiction Therapy and Counseling

Jeff heads a successful accounting firm. He is a father of four and a loving husband. The community knows Jeff because he is an active member—volunteering with youth sports leagues and sponsoring charity fundraisers. Jeff is a good man. He is also fighting an addiction. For years, Jeff has hidden how much and how often he drinks. Jeff keeps telling himself, next time… tomorrow… if only I did not have that beer… why did I pour that Scotch. Jeff sincerely wants to quit. He has tried to get sober. He knows that he is putting his career, his family, and his health on the line, but he also feels stuck. Jeff is trying to make better choices, but overcoming addiction is not about having more willpower. Addiction has altered Jeff’s brain, but recovery is possible. Like other diseases, addiction has treatment options, and often, treatment requires the supervision of a mental health professional.

“Addiction is a hugely complex and destructive disease, and its impact can be simply devastating. All too often, lives and families can be shattered by it.”
—Kate Middleton

Addiction does not discriminate. It affects about 21 million individuals in the United States—people of every race, religion, gender, socio-economic status, and age. The surface issues of addiction can vary greatly. Addiction can manifest as substance abuse (prescription drugs, marijuana, cocaine, alcohol, and more). Addiction can manifest as a compulsive action (sex, Internet, shopping, gambling, video games, and more). Regardless of when, where, and how addiction shows itself, the root issue is the same. Addiction alters how an individual’s brain functions. Treatment for an addiction focuses on rewiring the brain so that it functions normally. This is may require community support, lifestyle changes, medication, and therapy, but many people are ready for recovery. They are ready to seek treatment.

The staff at Thriveworks Counseling in Fayetteville offers therapy for addiction. We understand what it takes to treat this illness, and we have helped many people find the support they need.

Signs and Symptoms of Addiction

When addiction changes an individual’s brain, certain behaviors and moods are displayed. These observable signs are what more people think of when they think of addiction. As you read through these signs, think about your own life. Do you recognize anything?

• Failed Attempts to Quit: Many people who have an addiction want to stop the substance abuse or the activity. They have even tried—sometimes multiple times—to curb or quit their use. These attempts, however, usually end without any progress being made. In fact, they may add to an individual’s shame.
• Escalation: Over time, the addiction needs more of the activity and more of the substance for the same effect. Addiction escalates. In daily life, this looks like more alcohol or more smoking or a longer time with the video game console. It can be tempting to minimize an addiction, but minimization often delays treatment and allows escalation to occur. Early treatment is often paramount for healing and recovering from an addiction.
• Moodiness: Irritability, annoyance, and anger are often go-to emotions for an addict. The moodiness may surface with a direct connection to the addiction—like when an individual cannot get a fix. However, these emotions can also be less direct. Addicts often have poor coping skills, and this moodiness may signal a need to equip an addict with greater emotional skills.
• Captivated Thoughts: When addiction develops within an individual’s life, it becomes the center of their world. The addiction demands their thoughts and energy, even when they are not using. Addicts frequently report that they dream about or lust after the addiction.
• Deceit: Lying and addiction go hand-in-hand. When an addiction takes hold, deceit will also be present. The lies often hide and protect the addiction at the expense of an individual—lying to hide the addiction, to procure a substance, to minimize the disease, to avoid consequences are just a few examples of the way addiction functions with the help of deceit.

Sometimes, mental health professionals describe the net effects of these symptoms as the three C’s of addiction: cravings, control, and consequences. The changes in the brain cause individuals to crave a substance or activity. People lose control—the addiction becomes the controlling force in their lives. The addiction brings a host of undesirable consequences to people’s lives.

Scheduling Addiction Counseling at Thriveworks Fayetteville

When reading through some of addiction’s symptoms and signs, was anything recognizable from your own life? If you have tried to stop but cannot… if you want to stop… you are not alone. Support, treatment, and healing are possible. Admitting that something might be wrong takes courage, but seeking help early may also give you a better chance at healing. Thriveworks Fayetteville has counselors and therapists who are ready to walk with you. We have appointments available for addiction therapy.

If you are ready to meet with a therapist, here are a few things that may be helpful to know. When you call Thriveworks Fayetteville…

1. A scheduling specialist (that is, a person) will answer your call. We do not have a voicemail.
2. New clients frequently have their first appointment within 24 hours of their call.
3. Many forms of insurance are accepted.
4. Weekend and evening sessions are offered.
5. We do not keep a waitlist—so you won’t ever be put on one.

Thriveworks Fayetteville is ready to be an ally as you battle addiction. Call Thriveworks Fayetteville today.