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Do you regularly drink alcohol or smoke cigarettes or eat too much? Even though you know it's not good for you, you can't stop? At the moment of consumption it feels really good, but when you try to do without it, you are missing something - you become restless and no longer feel well? These could be signs of addiction.
By consuming different substances, such as tobacco, alcohol, illegal drugs or medication, a positive effect is achieved in the short term and the initial situation, which is often perceived as unsatisfactory or stressful, appears to be improved. The disillusionment that follows sets a vicious circle in motion. The desire or need for a renewed feeling of exhilaration becomes the focus of the person's life.
Not only substances, but also various behaviors can lead to addiction: eating addiction, gambling addiction, shopping addiction, internet addiction, sex addiction and much more.
Addiction is not a character weakness, but a disease that can be detected in the brain. The basis of an addiction is a miscontrol of the reward system in the brain. Addictive substances activate different messenger substances that, for example, trigger feelings of well-being or euphoria. This means that the brain quickly perceives a certain addictive substance as a positive stimulus. If this stimulus is missing, then the brain also lacks the reward. The result of this is the uncontrollable desire for the addictive substance.
How can I help
I am here to help you identify the causes of your addiction and determine the underlying need. Together we will break the connection between the addictive substance and the positive feeling. For this I mainly use two proven treatment techniques: ImTT (Link) and EMDR (Link).
The ImTT approach: We identify the pleasant feeling that is linked to your addictive behavior and break this connection. As a result, the addictive behavior loses its appeal and the positive feeling disappears when you give in to the urge. In practice, you will find that alcohol or cigarettes no longer have the same appeal or that food is only perceived as exciting as a response to hunger, but not as a means of making you feel good.
Often the feelings associated with the addictive substance are so-called 'feelings that secure one's existence' such as security, togetherness or the feeling of being valuable. This becomes particularly attractive due to a deficit in this feeling that may have arisen in childhood. The next step is to resolve this over-need to avoid relapse or addiction postponement. For this we use the proven technology from ImTT. You can find out more about ImTT here (link) or in the video interview about ImTT (Youtube link).
The EMDR approach: If the ImTT approach does not achieve the desired results for you, treatment with EMDR is another option. We explore which normal, everyday behavior can evoke similar positive feelings. Why might your brain not produce the same positive feelings as other people in these 'normal' situations? There are often hurtful events behind it. EMDR allows us to 'process' these events after the fact, so that your feelings change in situations where you previously used addictive substances to 'endure' them. As a result, consumption no longer seems so necessary.
Additionally, I use a special EMDR treatment process in which you develop an intensive image of yourself without addiction and work on the 'triggers' (the triggers for addictive behavior). In such situations, such strong cravings no longer arise.
Book your appointment now and let’s work on your recovery together!
