Corsham Counselling

Addiction is a dependency on a substance or activity where unlike a habit, the individual feels they cannot cope with everyday life without it. Addictions are likely to impact the individual both physically and emotionally and will also impact the lives of those around them.

A habit is generally something people can choose to stop over time, and something people do to have fun, relax or something they do socially, an addiction is an overwhelming need or absolute compulsion to do something regularly in order to achieve the desired hit. The outcome will be a high, or a low, but whichever, it is something that becomes so overwhelmingly rewarding that it cannot be ignored or controlled.

You control the habit; the addiction controls you.

Addictions can develop from innocent habits and activities such as drinking alcohol, eating, gambling and having sex. Drug dependency can develop from pain management or prescribed medication to support an individual’s mental health.

The tipping point from habit to addiction, from medication to dependency is often reached without the individual realising it. It can be a family member or GP who is recognising the symptoms which may be physical, emotional or behavioural. Although we recognise everyone is different, there are some common signs such as:

Missing work, school or social events

Mood swings

Low self-esteem and confidence

Borrowing money

Hiding or lying about a habit

Losing interest in activities that had been previously enjoyed

Reasons for addiction
The cycle becomes hard to get out of, but you don’t need to do it on your own.
Often using a substance or activity can give you almost instant relief by making you feel more relaxed when uptight or positive when feeling low. It makes sense that if there is an instant way of achieving what you want, why wouldn’t you? You may have suffered trauma and you have found that using a substance or taking part in an activity provides the escape you need. Facing that trauma without the support of drugs, alcohol or gambling can feel unimaginable. The problem is that addiction brings with it low self-esteem, shame and guilt, you can become isolated from friends and family and impacted financially. The judgement attached to substance use and the compulsion to do certain activities can lead to isolation and deception, where the only companion you have is the substance or activity you are dependent on.

Addiction counselling
We will support you to achieve the target set by you.
At Corsham Counselling we would encourage you to get treatment for the physical dependency and we are able to recommend agencies who can help with this. Alongside other professionals we will support you to achieve the target set by you, whether that be reduction or sustaining abstinence.

It may be that you do not feel you have an addiction, but family are friends are concerned about your behaviour and your health and you would like to consider different, maybe healthier ways of managing stress or low mood.

Help with Anxiety
Anxiety can strike during the most normal, non-threatening situations.
Anxiety is used to describe feelings of worry, nervousness or apprehension. In most cases it is experienced as a mixture of both physical and emotional sensations. Anxiety is associated with our natural ‘fight or flight’ response which occurs when our bodies feel under threat. Considering this, it can be a healthy reaction developed in order to protect ourselves.

Feeling anxious, unsure or tense about a stressful situation such as a driving test, an exam or moving home is very common. However, some of us are more greatly affected than others, and despite there being a level which can be considered normal, if these feelings are particularly strong and last for a long period of time, it can be all consuming.

When the anxiety no longer feels like a tool that’s there to protect you, but a state of being that threatens your health, it’s time to act.

Anxiety counselling
Explore cause and manage symptoms.
At Corsham Counselling we will explore what may be causing your anxiety and help with coping techniques. We will also look at different tools that will enable you to reduce your anxiety from breathing techniques to mindfulness.

What is anxiety?
When under stress our ‘fight or flight’ response will switch on.
Anxiety can make you feel like things are a lot worse than they are and even stop you from doing everyday things such as seeing your friends, using public transport or even leaving the house. Anxiety can strike during the most normal, non-threatening situations and can be completely disarming. Unlike stress, it can sometimes be difficult to determine the cause of anxiety.

When under stress our fight or flight’ response will switch on and the butterflies in our stomach will begin to flutter, when we feel nervous. Anxiety may cause this response to be activated without any obvious threat. This lack of apparent cause and therefore obvious solution can extremely feel scary.

Anxiety symptoms
How does it feel?
Although anxiety will affect each of us differently, there are some common symptoms:

Rapid and irregular heartbeat

Sweating

Fast breathing

Dizziness

Nausea

Difficulty sleeping

Irritability

Difficulty concentration

Panic attacks

Types of Anxiety
Generalised anxiety disorder
You may be diagnosed with GAD if you often feel worried or fearful but cannot put these feelings down to a particular experience or event.

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
You may experience nightmares or flashbacks after experiencing or witnessing a traumatic event.

Phobias
You have an intense fear of something, no matter how non-threatening or dangerous it may be.

Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)
You may experience reoccurring urges, images or thoughts that cause you to feel anxious. The compulsions are the actions or thoughts you feel you need to do or repeat in order to feel better or to counter the anxiety.