over-coming addiction

Addiction management is never an easy undertaking, and some of the problems associated with it stem from a misunderstanding of what addiction is. The term was originally coined by the pharmaceutical industry as a tag for drug dependency. However, society has adopted the word in reference to many other scenarios from food addiction to smoking.

Addiction is really two things -

• physical dependence (resulting in withdrawal symptoms)
• psychological dependence (resulting in loss of reality or social order)

These two things must be treated as separate entities in order to fully re-associate an individual as free of their addiction. In the interests of the clients welfare in overcoming addiction it may be necessary to work alongside the clients GP to secure the best possible practice.

The term 'addiction' is interesting in that it is only used in its negative connotation, we forget that the stamp collector, train spotter and exercise junky are similarly addicts. It is this realisation that can help turn treatment around, the knowledge that not all addictions are perceived as socially undesirable or self destructive. The same psychology is involved but the outcome is different.

So if you believe you have an addictive personality, I may be able to help.