Addictions have power over people. For many, it leads to behaving and taking actions that they never would have without being engaged in that addiction. The power of addiction can convince some people to believe that they don’t have a problem, even as their life is consumed by it.
Addictions steal happiness and health away from you. They damage the most important relationships in your life.
You can regain control of your life through addiction counselling and create a supportive environment around you to make the changes you need in your life.
Through addiction treatment, you’ll learn to recognize how substance use or behavioural addictions affect your life and your relationships. You’ll confront the issue and discover ways to grow from it.
At One Life, we use evidence-based treatments to help you work through your addiction. Together, we’ll identify triggers, set goals, and move toward solutions in your recovery towards health.
Are you dealing with a physical or substance addiction? Addictions counselling is just one part of the solution. We recommend counselling in addition to other treatment services, including medication and 12-step programs.
Alter your addictive behaviours and substance use through our supportive counselling services. Even if you feel like you’ve lost control, you can take it back through addictions counselling as one piece of your strategy in recovery.
How is it that some people can drink or use the internet without issue, while others can’t control themselves around alcohol, a slot machine, or porn? What separates addictive behaviours from “normal” ones?
To answer this, we’ll start by explaining the difference between a hobby and an addiction:
Hobbies are activities or substances that someone enjoys doing but can easily be stopped at any time.
Addictions are marked by a lack of control. If you continue doing something despite negative consequences (like damage to your relationships or poor performance at work), you may have an addiction.
If you have a hobby, you can pick it up or put it down when you need to. But if you feel strong cravings to do something that are beyond your control, you may be dealing with addiction issues.
Many people who are engaged in an addiction will organize their life around their engagement with that substance or behaviour. This is another telltale sign that a hobby has turned into an addiction.
Addictions are influenced by your environment and your genetics. But to understand how they develop, let’s look at the brain:
When you consume an addictive substance or engage in addictive behaviour (like sex or gambling), your brain releases a surge of dopamine. This neurotransmitter makes you feel intense pleasure. Other activities also cause dopamine release, but addictive ones create the most.
After that, your brain remembers how good you felt from that substance or activity. You start to crave it and make plans to do more of it, even at the expense of your health or responsibilities.
There are so many theories about why people develop addictions. The human brain is incredibly complex, and no two people are the same.
Some believe that there is a genetic basis for addiction. If you have a family member with an addiction, you may be more likely to develop one yourself. And if you grew up in a household or with a friend group where that behaviour or substance abuse was normal, you’re also at risk.
Other times, stress is the main factor that leads someone to develop an addiction. Many people use drugs, gambling, and alcohol to cope with stress.
A traumatic life event can lead to an addiction, such as losing a loved one, being in a toxic relationship, or suffering abuse.
Those with mental health concerns are twice as likely to develop an addiction.
Even if you’re at risk for developing addiction issues, your fate is not set in stone. We offer addiction counselling to help you regain control and develop healthy habits.
Whether it’s your first time seeking treatment or you want to give it another shot after a relapse, give us a call. If you’re ready for change, we’re ready to help. With our counselling services, you can:
An addiction has far-reaching effects on a person’s life, including those they are closest to. At One Life, we also help those who live with or are in relationships with people who have addictions.
Whether that person is a friend, a parent, or a partner, we offer supportive counselling services to help you navigate a relationship with someone who has an addiction. You can learn how to support your loved one and still take care of yourself.
Through counselling, you can better understand the impacts of your loved one’s addiction. You’ll learn about compassion fatigue, how to set healthy boundaries, conflict resolution, co-dependency, and more.
Change rarely happens overnight. Learning to manage an addiction takes time, effort, and persistence. At One Life, we’re here to help with that.
When you visit our office, our intake coordinator will match you with the right practitioner for your circumstances. From there, we’ll educate you about addiction and coping strategies so you can maintain a healthier lifestyle. Together, we’ll develop a treatment plan that’s right for you.
It's easy for someone with an addiction to experience shame, a sense of helplessness, and a loss of control. This spiral can lead to an inner narrative that is very negative.
But that negative story is not you. At One Life, we want to help you break free of critical narratives and align with the healthy version of yourself that you want to attain.
At One Life, we help you leave behind the old cycles and habits of your addiction that imprison you. We believe in treating every person with compassion, respect, and understanding.
Once you contact us, we’ll set up your appointment right away. We’re open 7 days a week—and yes, that includes day, evening, and weekend appointments. With no waitlists and a team of qualified and friendly counsellors, you can trust you’ll be in good hands.
Ready to make a change in your life? Addiction treatment is the first step. To set up your appointment, contact us today!
If being able to use your insurance benefits is an important factor in your selection, our team would be happy to recommend one of our therapists who's services are covered by most insurance plans. Please be sure to confirm in advance if insurance coverage is preferred.
Our standard fees are aligned with the recommended fee schedule from the Psychologist’s Association of Alberta. However, we offer the added value of 60-minute sessions in contrast to the recommended 50-minute session for this fee.
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