| |
Lois
Leder
LCSW Psychotherapist
Andrea V. Hamilton
LPC, NCC
 
|
 |
| |
Addiction Treatment
Do you have reason to believe you may be addicted to
drugs or alcohol? Have you ever considered getting help
for your problem with substances? My approach to treatment
is to focus on the whole person, not just the addiction.
I believe that recovery is a choice, a decision that
requires a commitment to a greater awareness. According
to Nathaniel Brandon, the avoidance of consciousness
or awareness is clearly evident in problems of addiction.
When we become addicted to alcohol or drugs the intention
is to ameliorate anxiety and pain to escape awareness
of one's core feelings of powerlessness and suffering.
These unpleasant feelings are still present, but we become
less aware. To the addict, consciousness is the enemy.
|
| |
Maslov's Hierarchy of Needs
lists common human needs from the most basic to the most
complex.
- survival
- safety
- touching
- attention
- mirroring
- guidance
- listening
- being real
- participating
- acceptance
- opportunity to grieve losses and to grow
- support
- loyalty and trust
- accomplishment, mastery
- transcending the ordinary
- sexuality
- enjoyment, fun
- freedom
- nurturing
- unconditional love
How many of these needs did you get met as a child? How many are being
met now?
|
| |
The goal in recovery
is serenity, or peace of mind. This is the opposite of chaos.
In order to achieve serenity we must learn to accept the
things we cannot change, change the things we can, and have
the wisdom to know the difference. This is a minimum requirement.
Additionally, we make choices every day that either bring
us closer to serenity or closer to chaos and self-destruction.
We need to bring greater awareness to our choices, and in
doing so we will experience higher self-esteem and feelings
of empowerment.
The goals in therapy are not just to address issues
of addiction, but to increase
self awareness, self-esteem, identify core issues, understand needs,
and
develop coping tools so that you may live purposefully, experience and
handle
painful feelings in a healthy way, and to begin to accept and love yourself
unconditionally.
|
|
|