Is Alcohol Abuse Or Addiction Impacting Work, Relationships Or Your Sense Of Self-Worth?

Is your alcohol abuse or addiction harming your emotional, physical and/or spiritual well-being? Do you continue to drink to excess or too often despite negative consequences? Are you worried you may lose your family or career if you can’t quit drinking? You may constantly lie to your loved ones and co-workers to try and conceal your addiction. Or perhaps you have depleted your personal and marital assets to support your alcohol dependency. Has a lack of honesty and accountability around your alcohol consumption with your partner led to a loss of intimacy and an increase in tension or distance? Do you often feel ashamed or guilty about how much you drink and/or how you’ve behaved while under the influence? Do you wish you could find a way to cut back on your alcohol use or quit drinking all together?

Millions of Individuals Struggle with Alcohol Abuse Or Addiction

30 percent of adults in the United States have abused alcohol or developed an alcohol addiction. Alcohol is readily available and often used in social settings or informal work functions. It’s also socially acceptable to drink – even heavily – in our society, causing fewer individuals to seek help in overcoming alcoholism. But, when alcohol use turns into abuse and then addiction, many people lose control and suffer negative consequences to their work, family, relationships, marriage and finances.

When you consume alcohol, the chemicals in your brain are altered. When you are addicted to alcohol, however, the careful balance of chemicals in your brain can be thrown off as you form a dependency. As a result, overcoming an addiction often creates withdrawal symptoms like nausea, headaches, irritability, anger or depression. This can make quitting feel impossible. You know you don’t want to drink anymore, but you can’t find a way to stop.

The good news is that there is hope and help. Alcohol treatment can help you regain control of your life and break free from your addiction.

Alcohol Treatment Can Help You Take Control of Your Life

The first step in learning to manage and overcome alcoholism is to admit that you are powerless over your addiction. Alcohol has created a physical, mental and emotional need that can be difficult to overcome without support. But, with support, resources and healthy coping skills in place, you can free yourself from the pain and destructive cycle that your heavy drinking has created. In alcohol treatment sessions, I can guide and support you along your path to recovery, helping you obtain the necessary skills and resources to address your addiction. Our work together may be hard at times, but with patience, willingness, openness and honesty, your life can become more meaningful and fulfilling.

In our sessions, I’ll work with you to identify the challenges you are facing. We can address how your alcohol addiction has impacted your personal life, career and relationships and explore ways for you to make amends. Addictive behavior often stems from defense mechanisms we form as children, and is used as a response to difficulties you may now be dealing with. When you learn to recognize the issues behind your addictive behavior, you can begin treating the root cause rather than the symptoms. With help, you can understand the reason you choose to drink – like loneliness, sadness or to cope with a loss – and find healthier alternatives to manage stress and pain.

Addiction often leads to broken trust in a relationship, and part of your alcohol treatment may involve healing the wounds caused by your addictive behavior. Love and support can be powerful tools in helping you overcome alcoholism, but it can take time to recover from the pain an addiction can introduce into a relationship. I understand how alcoholism and addiction can impact your relationship, and I am a couples counselor as well as an alcohol treatment therapist.

12-step programs and group meetings like Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) have proven particularly helpful in addressing alcohol addiction. Many individuals find comfort and strength in knowing they are not alone, either in their past mistakes or their current struggle to overcome addiction. In many groups you do not have to speak unless you wish to, and many people find great support just in listening to the stories told by others. While groups and meeting offer many benefits, so much can also be gained from one-on-one support in place of or in addition to a 12-step program. With an experienced alcohol treatment therapist, you can find the safe, confidential ally you need to accept and recover from your alcohol addiction.

I have helped countless individuals overcome and heal from alcohol addiction for nearly 15 years. In that time, I have seen how powerful effective alcohol treatment can be. Alcohol treatment can be a difficult and painful process as you explore your emotions and the impact your actions have had on your loved ones. But, with the help of a professional therapist with experience in alcohol treatment, you can learn to overcome your addiction, repair relationships, increase productivity at work and find a meaningful and healthy path forward.

But, you may still have questions or concerns about alcohol treatment…

I’m not sure I’m ready to quit drinking…

Because of how alcohol impacts the chemicals in your brain, a physical, mental and even emotional dependency can be formed. For this reason, to manage and overcome your alcohol addiction you will need to be willing to commit to sobriety or a reduction in how much you consume. I know how difficult this decision can be, and I encourage you to call my office if you aren’t quite sure about seeking alcohol treatment.

My partner also has an alcohol addiction…

Overcoming an alcohol addiction can be a difficult, even painful experience. And trying to overcome your addiction while your partner continues to use introduces significant challenges – both to your relationship and to your recovery. If this is the case, we can use our initial sessions to discuss how you can best support your own recovery. And, if your partner is willing to join you on the path to recovery, it can be a powerful growth and healing experience.

I could stop drinking on my own if I wanted. Why would I need your help?

Our society encourages us to recognize and overcome our challenges on our own. But real problems often require guidance and support, and challenges can become easier to navigate when you know you aren’t alone in your struggles. My goal is to serve as an ally in your recovery, offering encouragement and accountability as you work toward recovery.

You Can Beat Your Alcohol Addiction

If you are ready to commit to alcohol treatment and recovery, or if you still have questions about addiction therapy, please call (847) 274-8423 to schedule an appointment.