Addiction Therapists in Pacific Palisades, CA.

Addiction is a chronic, relapsing, progressive brain disease. Addiction is an attempt at self-repair. Addition comes in forms of substances, chemical dependency or process addictions such as sex, internet, gambling, eating and more. Of the most talked about is alcohol and drug abuse, or substance abusers. Substance abusers are unable to use their feelings as signals and guides in managing or protecting themselves against the instability and chaos of their internal world. All treatment of addiction is a time dependent process. Effective addiction treatment is in treatment strategy. The first stage of treatment is abstinence to the later stage of treatment which is prevention from relapse. Currently most addition treatments are in three step...(view profile to read more)

My work at a residential drug treatment facility for three years complements my 25 years of experience as a psychotherapist. In addition to substance abuse and codependence issues, I support individuals with sexual compulsivity issues. I refrain from labeling this as an "addiction" per se, as does ASSECT (American Association of Sex Educators, Counselors and Therapists). Treatment may sometimes involve significant others and family, as all are affected.

Addictions and compulsive behaviors may provide a person with a sense of power, euphoria, confidence, validation or other feelings that may otherwise be lacking in their lives, and psychotherapy is designed to help people identify uncomfortable feelings and sources of distress in order to change and grow. People who struggle with compulsivity and addiction are unlikely to conquer those behaviors unless they work to address the underlying causes of their addictive and/or compulsive behaviors, such as trauma, stress, past abuse, and so on. Working with a psychotherapist is one of the most effective treatments for managing compulsive behaviors and addictions, and there are many types of therapy suited to addressing behaviors that a person wants to change. A...(view profile to read more)

Addiction and Anxiety are good friends. They feed off of each other. You use when you feel uncomfortable, sad, nervous, or stressed. Feelings of unease, low self-esteem and pressure add to addictions, but addiction are also their own animal. They are treated with behavioral methods which include lots of accountability. If you are serious about getting help, call me for a consultation so we can talk and plan your next move.

Addiction is a mental health condition and I treat addiction by a multi-pronged process predominately from a Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT) model. I help my clients understand the reasons they use a substance or engage in an addictive behavior, teach them skills regulate their emotions and tolerance distress that might otherwise lead them to engage in their addiction, and address any underlying issues that contribute to their addiction. I also help clients with with concerns about their substance use or compulsive behavior to avoid developing addictions.

Battling an addiction is one of the hardest hurdles to overcome because you basically have two enormous issues to work through. You have the addiction, which is an overpowering urge to engage in a particular activity despite it’s negative consequences and then you have the issue underneath that you’re attempting to cope with by means of the addiction. Therefore, my approach is to work with the client on reducing the addictive behaviors so we can explore the root cause of it. Obviously elimination of the addiction is the goal, but sometimes just slowly reducing it is enough to begin work on the underlying cause. Benefits of this would be gaining back your control over your life.

The transition to young adulthood can be an intense time where teens may become overwhelmed by new feelings. Self-medication through drugs or alcohol is often an attempt by sensitive young people to regulate or avoid uncomfortable feelings. Since individuals who are at high risk of becoming addicted often feel emotionally disconnected from the people in their life, my work focuses on helping my clients create more meaningful connections with their family. I also work with young adults who have completed rehab and are interested in finishing the emotional growth process that got derailed while they were using drugs as a teenager.

I have many times worked in therapy with clients who struggle with addictions, among other issues. I have studied Motivational Interviewing, which is remarkably helpful in addictions work. Clients feel supported and not judged, and are able to find their internal motivations for change. Therapy with me can complement work in separate addiction treatment as well.

Don't know if you're an "addict"? Are you SURE you are? Whether someone just accuses you of addiction or you've been around the recovery block a few times, you'll find qualified and understanding help at CCRG. But nobody REALLY understands you? Try us! You'll find real understanding and patience, skill and knowledge, motivation and support. Would all that help? Call us and let us help.

Any addiction is an attempt to deal with feelings that are unmanageable. The alcoholic turns to alcohol to escape problems at home or at work. The gambler turns to gambling to avoid uncomfortable feelings. The sex addict turns to sex to numb him or herself from other feelings. "Self-medicating" through addiction works in the short turn but always has a price attached to it. Together we can discover the underlying issues surrounding your addiction and work towards a life free of compelling urges you may find difficult to resist. Dr. Gary has been featured numerous times on the Dr. Phil show discussing addition. Type in "Dr. Phil and Dr. Gary Stollman" on youtube and watch his numerous videos.

While most treatment approaches to addiction include 12 step programs, rehabs, and now sober living houses, Grey Matters International, Inc. provides a wildly successful alternative to traditional models of addiction treatment----that keeps the brain in mind. That is, talking to the conscious brain while the primal brain is deciding things even before you are consciously aware? Well, that is the problem to solve in addiction. We have the solution utilizing a new cutting edge neuroscience-centered brain rebalancing system. Contact kevin@kevinflemingphd.com or call 877-606-6161.

The world of addiction treatment has a tendency to skew towards the identification of the client with his/her addiction. Just as other mental health concerns, I believe that addiction is a problem that does not define the person but rather reflects a segment of experience that has the tendency to take precedence over various aspect of life. Addiction is often co-conspiring with other dominant forces such as shame and blame, thereby pressuring clients to be silent and hide under it's control. I find that an important step to dealing with addiction is to find out how it operates on a person's life, to understand it's tactics and what it is trying to take away, what it has to gain.

I view addiction as the compulsive overuse of a self-prescribed stress management tool. The addiction may be to a person, activity, or substance. But regardless of how addiction manifests itself, the goal is to understand what the client gets out of it, and find healthier, sustainable ways to manage their stress. But regardless, but in addiction counseling is to assess the compulsive behavior, so I can understand where it comes from and what keeps .