It might surprise you, but it’s not uncommon for people to suffer with more than one addiction. When you can understand treatment approaches for multiple addictions, it’s easy to see how it can be possible to actually treat those addictions at the same time. Let’s talk in more detail about how that works, and what you can expect if you’re someone who is dealing with more than one addiction.
Multiple Addictions
To those who don’t have any type of an addiction, it doesn’t make sense that addiction is not solely about the drug of choice or the behavior. They assume that people who struggle with a sex addiction must have an obsessive love of sex, or that those who have an alcohol addiction really just like alcohol. This just isn’t the case. As a matter of fact, for those with multiple addictions, or even for those with only one addiction, the issue is in the consistently unattainable craving for the drug or behavior of choice, and it usually begins with abuse and progresses to addiction.
In cases when an individual is presenting more than one addiction – whether that’s an addiction to sex, an addiction to drugs or an addiction to alcohol – all of these addictions usually stem from the same source. For example, drug addiction begins with substance abuse, which occurs when an individual uses an illegal or prescription drug in inappropriate ways. That abuse eventually leads to addiction, but the addiction was formed because of a specific reason pertaining to the individual’s life.
Perhaps you can relate to this, and you’re someone who is struggling with an addiction to more than one substance or behavior. You might think that you need a specialized type of addiction counselling in order to break your addiction, but that’s not the case. What you do need is a professional addiction therapist who understands all types of addictions and knows how to combine methods to achieve a positive result for you.
Counselling for Multiple Addictions
In many ways, the methods that are used in addiction counselling are the same, across the board. However, there are some differences here and there. Recovery from any addiction looks like this:
- Learning about Addiction – Most addicts really don’t understand how powerful their addictions are. In fact, many people believe that they can overcome them on their own as long as they have enough willpower. While this sounds good, and it even seems heroic in a way, it’s simply not realistic. Addiction is a powerful force, and once you gain understanding into how it works, you can begin to see how it has manipulated your mind for a very long time.
- Embracing Your Healing – Whether you are addicted to one substance or to ten substances, the key is to get to the root of the addiction. Finding out what caused the addiction to form in the first place is crucial to your sobriety.
- Maintaining Your Recovery – Staying quit is very important in terms of long-term recovery. For sex addicts, this might mean participating in a support group for those struggling with sex addiction. For alcoholics, it might mean individual counselling on a regular basis. For those who are recovering from more than one addiction, it might mean multiple forms of treatment to reach the desired goal.
As a Toronto addiction counsellor, I work with people who have all kinds of addictions. I can put together a personalized treatment plan for you to help you recover. Contact me to make an appointment.
