“We understand how, at times, problems can appear overwhelming and solutions hard to find. Talking about your difficulties is the first step to improving the quality of your life.”

Counselling in Belfast & NI

Addiction

Addiction/Family Support.

Alcohol/Drugs/Gambling etc…..  

Addiction is when someone continues to do something, like drinking or using drugs despite the harm to their physical health, mental health, relationships etc.

A person with an addiction does not have control over what they are doing, taking or using. Addictions do not only include physical things we consume, such as drugs or alcohol, but may include virtually anything from gambling to what seems harmless such as chocolate – in other words, addiction may refer to a substance dependence (e.g. drug addiction) or behavioural addiction (e.g. gambling addiction).

Counselling can be an effective and successful way of treating addictions by helping you to, firstly, recognise whether you have an addiction and secondly, to help you understand your addiction.  Resilience is the ability to bounce back from adversity; research into resilience has looked at what helps people to survive or even to thrive in the face of difficult circumstances.  Counselling will look at your personality, skills that you have learned and with the right kind of support will enable you to overcome and recover.

“You may be left with habits routines and needs in your life which will require thought and planning in order to change”

As addiction counsellors we can help you to examine the underlying causes that started the vicious cycle and identify any possible triggers that can lead to relapse.

Counselling will:–

  • Help you understand the root causes of your addiction
  • Examine the thoughts, feelings and behaviours that contribute to addiction.
  • Help you gain self-understanding and insight, including identifying triggers.
  • Devise tailor-made way of handling withdrawal symptoms
  • Develop strategies to cope with trigger situations.

Counselling will also help you to come to terms with the truth of your addiction, as denial is an elaborate mental system which focus on the immediate positive effects of drink or drugs and ignores the long term negative effect of addiction.

‘learn coping skills to deal with these problems’

Regain self-esteem

“Knowledge is power, healing can begin with understanding and coming to terms to what the addiction is doing to your life and the lives of those around you”

Family Support

Excessive drinking or drug use can cause problems for both the individual and their family.  The extreme problems that comes with addiction can increase the challenges for families. At H & N Counselling we can provide support for family members who are trying to cope with a loved one’s  addition, helping them come to terms and understand what they themselves are going through.  

The most damaging element in addiction is the complete destruction of the family unit.  Like an iceberg, others see how the family appears to be coping on the surface, yet the turmoil and trauma is unseen below the surface.

Things that families may be trying to cope with:

  • There is an undercurrent of tension and anxiety.
  • There is constant uncertainty of what will happen next.
  • Living with someone abusing alcohol or other drugs addictively is like living with Jekyll and Hyde.
  • you never know who will appear.
  • Even while extreme things keep happening, family members are not really prepared from them.

Contact Us

By Telephone :

Mobile: 0754 3071 396

Mobile: 0754 3071 394

 

By Email:

Email: nicky@counsellingservicesni.co.uk

Email: Helen@counsellingservicesni.co.uk

 

By Post:


H&N Counselling & Psychotherapy
Upper Floor
336 Lisburn Road
Belfast
BT9 6GH