What about Addictions? Are you ready to change your life?

Sugar is one of the most addictive substances known and its consumption can result in many health issues.

The nature of addiction is that it is compulsive and once started it is dificult if not impossible to stop the behaviour until sufficient negative consquences are reached.

Addiction can be to a substance, a behaviour, or a thought pattern, usually with harmful consequences to the addicted person and those close to them.

"People with an addiction do not have control over what they are doing, taking or using. Their addiction may reach a point at which it is harmful. Addictions do not only include physical things we consume, such as drugs or alcohol, but may include virtually anything, such abstract things as gambling to seemingly harmless products, such as chocolate - in other words, addiction may refer to a substance dependence (e.g. drug addiction) or behavioral addiction (e.g. gambling addiction)."

"A considerable number of psychologists, other health care professionals and lay people now insist that psychological dependency, as may be the case with gambling, sex, internet, work, exercise, etc. should also be counted as addictions, because they can also lead to feelings of guilt, shame, hopelessness, despair, failure, rejection, anxiety and/or humiliation.

When a person is addicted to something they cannot control how they use it, and become dependent on it to cope with daily life."

Source and further information:

Medical News Today

In essence an addiction eventually controls you rather than you being able to control it. This loss of control and choice is an essential factor in identifying addiction.

Some examples of addictive substances and behaviours include:

Recognising alcohol addiction or dependency

"Alcohol dependency covers alcoholism, excess drinking, alcohol abuse, alcohol addiction, drinking problems and binge drinking. Whatever name we prefer to call it isn’t the important thing. Recognising and responding to it is.

Because alcohol is legal in Australia and so firmly entrenched in our culture, many people whose drinking is getting out of hand have a hard time admitting they have a drinking problem or alcohol dependence.

For some of us, drinking will complicate our lives. It will evolve from being a purely social or relaxing activity into something that unbalances our lives, eroding our confidence, ambition and self-respect. Left untreated, an alcohol dependency can cost us our jobs, our family and friends, and ultimately our health."

South Pacific Private Rehabilitation Hospital offers residential programmes for alcohol addiction or dependency.

Self assessment for alcohol addiction or dependence

South Pacific Private Hospital offers an online assessment for alcohol addiction.

Recognizing drug addiction or dependency:

"Drug addiction is an issue that’s wider than the traditional stereotypes – anyone can become a drug addict. Whether it’s called drug dependency, drug addiction, speed addiction, heroin addiction, cocaine addiction or substance abuse, it involves not just illegal drugs, but prescription and non-prescription medications too.

Our relationship with drugs may start out simply enough. They may be just something to help us wind down, or a regular part of a big night out. Or they may be prescribed for us, to help us deal with pain or control our moods.

But for some of us, they’ll start to consume more and more of our lives. Eventually, we may become so dependent that living without them or detoxification seems unthinkable – and unbearable. Asking fior help with drug problems can seem embarrassing, attempts to cut back or detox may give some unpleasant or frightening side effects and drug intervention by families can be hard.

There are good reasons why many people fail to quit drugs and drug abuse or go through drug detox on their own. Addiction happens on two levels: physical and emotional."

South Pacific Private Rehabilitation Hospital offers residential programmes for drug addiction or dependency.

Self assessment for drug addiction or dependency

South Pacific Private Hospital offers an online assessment of drug use patterns.

Recognizing gambling addiction or dependency

"South Pacific (Private Rehab Hospital) regards gambling to be an addiction when a person continues to bet or gamble despite the mounting negative consequences of these behaviours. These consequences might include relationship or family breakdown, bankruptcy, criminal activity, potential imprisonment and serious mood and or anxiety difficulties.

Compulsive gambling is characterized as a disorder of impulse control.

The essential features of which are a progressive failure to stop gambling behaviours, leading to mounting compromise and disruption in the gambler’s life. Understandably, many problem gamblers list stress, anxiety and depression as major symptoms; often associating these symptoms with feelings of despair, dread and hopelessness.

Common forms of Gambling

Common forms of gambling include betting on the horses, dogs or events, poker machines, sports betting, repetitive high-risk business ventures and reckless stock market transactions. Despite the known risk of these activities, the gambler who loses large amounts of money often regards their losses to be the results of bad luck or poor advice/tipping. The result of this denial often forms the basis of larger risk taking behaviours and further losses."

South Pacific Private Rehabilitation Hospital offers residential programmes for gambling addiction or dependency.

Self assessment for gambling addiction or dependency

Self assessment for gambling addiction or dependency

Recognizing sex addiction or dependency

"Addictive sexual behaviours, like many compulsive behaviours, are a potentially destructive twist on a normal life-enhancing activity. Defining sex addiction depends less on the behaviour itself than on the person’s motivation. “Sex addicts” display a lack of the ability to control or postpone sexual feelings and actions – with the need for arousal often replacing the need for closeness and intimacy.

As sexual preoccupation increases in terms of energy and time, the individual follows a routine or ritual, leading to acting out on desires followed by feelings of denial then shame, despair and confusion. Ritualised behaviours may range from frequenting the same bars and clubs, using sex workers, pornography and/or Internet materials that build over time.

This addiction involves a particular cycle of behaviours and emotions and include:

• Preoccupation: continual fantasies about sexual prospects or situations. This can trigger an episode of sexual “acting-out”
• Ritualisation: a preferred sexual activity or situation is often stereotyped and repetitive
• Compulsion: continual engagement in sexual activity despite negative consequences and desire to stop
• Despair: guilt or shame over their inability to control behaviour or feel remorse
• Other behavioural problems, particularly chemical dependency, gambling and eating disorders

For individuals who suffer from sexual compulsivity, the sense of being “out-of-control” can lead to constriction of lifestyle, social withdrawal, mood difficulties and hopelessness. Frequently, individuals with this difficulty may also suffer from substance dependency, depression and anxiety, suicidal thoughts, difficulties managing the demands of work, and often-intense feelings of aloneness."

Self assessment for sex addiction or dependency

South Pacifc Private Hospital offers self assessment for sex addiction

How can counselling help you if you are suffering from any addiction or dependency?

Christine Bennett offers help through counselling and psychotherapy for people suffering from addictions or depensency. Christine finds that Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT), Cognitive Behaviour Therapy, Ericksonian Hypnosis and lifestyle education can make a significant difference.

If you would like to make an enquiry or appointment, please call 0418 226 961 or use the form provided below. We look forward to hearing from you.