It is important to lift the shame of addiction. We live in a culture that encourages many of us to be addicted to some substance, whether it is food, alcohol, shopping, or inappropriate sexual behavior. Underneath addiction is a chronic feeling of emptiness that we are desperately trying to fill up. None of these behaviors, which initially feel soothing, but are ultimately self-destructive, meet that need. The goal is to learn how to fill that emptiness through more satisfying means.

The solution may incorporate a number of techniques. Therapy in combination with 12-Step or other support programs for addiction can help to manage the stress that often leads us back to the same old unsuccessful behaviors. People who have recently identified an addictive nature, as well as those who have struggled for years, jumping from addiction to addiction, can find a way out of this damaging cycle.

Contact Therapist Joanne Gerr, LCSW today for a free consultation.