HOW DO I KNOW IF IT’S BECOME AN ADDICTION?
Surprisingly, the tell-tale sign of alcohol dependency isn’t how much alcohol you are consuming. Instead, it largely centres on the mental implications, and how alcohol impacts your daily life. For example, suppose you find yourself experiencing moderate to severe withdrawal symptoms. If you’re unable to control the quantity and frequency of your drinking, or you’re beginning to prioritise alcohol over your health, responsibilities, or finances, we’d encourage you to seek support.
WHAT ARE THE TREATMENT OPTIONS?
To achieve long-term sobriety, we recommend mid-term to long-term tailor-made programs. At Safe Places, we offer programs ranging from 30 days to 180 days of in-patient care that combine medical Detox with intensive psycho-therapy, alongside family and peer support systems and continued aftercare to help you recover. While therapy and counselling will help you build coping strategies, introduce positive behaviours, and reignite your self-worth, medications can target the physical symptoms, combatting cravings and even blocking the ‘feel-good sensation that alcohol brings.
SEX ADDICTION
It may be a daunting prospect, filled with guilt, shame, and an overwhelming sense of loss of control, but you deserve to take your life back. Creating a judgement-free zone, we’ll hit the brakes on destructive behaviours, take time to untangle risky actions, and get to the bottom of your dopamine search, led by our open-minded professional team.
WHAT ARE THE SIGNS TO LOOK OUT FOR?
Unlike many addictions that reveal themselves in flashing lights, sex addiction remains notoriously difficult to self-identify. If you begin to experience excessive masturbation compulsions, feelings of intense guilt associated with sex, an increase in risky sexual acts, or obsessive sexual thoughts – often entailing fantasies – we’d encourage you to seek out the expert opinion of an addiction specialist, who can get to know your behaviours, and if necessary put you on the road to recovery.
CAN SEX ADDICTIONS INCLUDE PORNOGRAPHY?
It isn’t just sexual intercourse that can present itself as an addiction. From masturbation, pornography, and voyeurism, to seeking out the affection of a sex worker, any act that involves a sexual thrill can become an addiction.
WHAT ARE THE TREATMENT OPTIONS FOR SEX ADDICTIONS?
There is a multitude of therapies designed to support those struggling with sex addiction, depending on your triggers, dependency causes, and potential past trauma. Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), designed to correct destructive thought patterns, remains the leading treatment, alongside eye movement desensitisation and reprocessing (EMDR), group therapy, and marriage counselling. Medication may be introduced if your addiction stems from a psychiatric diagnosis, such as anxiety.
GAMBLING
It’s a vicious cycle, where despite knowing the odds are stacked against you, you can’t seem to escape its grasp. Exchanging stable relationships with social isolation, and well-managed responsibilities with an unbreakable focus on your next bet, you deserve more than the stress, guilt, and anxiety associated with your gambling addiction. It is not uncommon to encounter a student who has gambled away their university tuition, a boda boda (Motorbike cyclists) gambling away their meagre assets, and persons in business their entire life savings.
WHAT ARE THE SIGNS OF A GAMBLING ADDICTION?
Addiction looks slightly different to everybody, but if you are experiencing a loss of control, intense urges, a loss of interest in hobbies, neglected responsibilities, an increase in the amount of money spent, and a knock-on effect on relationships and your career, we’re inviting you to come for a non-obligatory consultation.
WHAT ARE THE TREATMENT OPTIONS FOR GAMBLING?
For most people, gambling addictions stem from the brain’s reward system, putting you on the hunt for higher amounts of dopamine. For that reason, therapy and counselling remain the most suitable treatment options, designed to shape your patterns of behaviour, introduce sustainable coping mechanisms, and help you access dopamine through healthier means.