Addictions

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 and also are very difficult to overcome. Addictions are one of the most common mental health problems that face individuals. Addictions come in all different forms. Some of the most common ones include:

• alcohol
• drugs
• cigarettes
• shopping
• gambling
• sex
• emotional eating

The most essential factor for success in abstaining is to acknowledge that there is an addiction problem. The next step is to get help.

Treatment for these problems begins with prevention. If a behavior, however, becomes uncontrollable and becomes an addiction, there are several treatment options. Typically, treatment includes a combination of inpatient and outpatient programs, psychotherapy – the client gets help with coping with cravings, avoiding the substance, and dealing with possible relapses are key to effective addiction programs, self-help groups such as AA or NA, pairing with individual sponsors, and medication.