Substance Use Counselling in Vancouver
We welcome anyone struggling with addiction to reach out for counselling with one of our substance use counsellors in Vancouver. Our addiction counsellors have years of experience in walking alongside people who have come to desire a change in their substance use pattern whether that is reducing substance use or giving up a substance altogether.
An addiction involves 3 stages according to Dr. Gabor Maté
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Craving an addictive substance or behaviour
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Engaging in the addictive substance or behaviour to experience pleasure or relief from pain
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The inability to give a substance or behaviour up, despite multiple attempts to try to do so.
Admitting the need for help with addiction is one of the first steps that leads to seeking out counselling.
An addiction can be described as a person’s trying to solve a problem, over and over again using the same tool. Over time the coping strategy evolves to become the problem itself as we become habituated to the relief it provides and find it very hard to give it up.
Most people who have experienced addiction are holding some pain or emotion that they do not feel safe or supported to share or express.
Behind the Addiction is Often Pain
Most people who have experienced addiction are holding some pain or emotion that they do not feel safe or supported to share or express.
Behind the coping mechanism of Addiction often lies adverse childhood experiences such as emotional, verbal and physical abuse or neglect. Often people with substance use issues as children did not get their needs for attachment met and they are lacking the emotional building blocks to be able to cope with adverse life experiences and painful emotions. Sometimes instead of being emotionally supported or cared for they were the caregiver for other children or a parent.
A substance use addiction steps in to solve the problem of overwhelming pain or distress to provide temporary relief. It often provides short term relief in the form of drinking alcohol or using substances which can evoke feelings of pleasure, social connectedness and relief of stress and anxiety.
How we help with Addiction and Substance Use
At Emotion Wise Counselling We Use a variety of Approaches to Help you find your way out of substance use addiction:
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Building practical tools such as mindfulness and challenging thoughts for handling emotions and cravings for substance use
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Setting practical goals for reducing or abstaining from substance use
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Exploring existing strengths and support systems
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Teaching you to identify emotions and finding healthy ways to express them
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Learning how to communicate your needs and wants to others in healthy ways
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Exploring childhood trauma and recent life experiences and working through the healing with EMDR therapy
We help people with all kind of addictions to substances including:
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Alcohol Use Issues
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Marijuana/Cannabis
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Cigarette smoking and vaping
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Recreational drugs including ecstasy and ketamine
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Opoid Addiction: Heroin and Fentanyl Addictions
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Prescriptions Medication addictions including: oxytocin, benzodiazepines (xanax, Ativan)
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Cocaine, crack, amphetamines, crystal meth, and more
Reach out today to find Addiction and Substance Use Counselling in Vancouver BC at Emotion Wise Counselling.
