Addiction
What is Addiction?
Addiction is a complex disease that impacts millions of individuals worldwide. When most people think of addiction, they think of substances like opioids, alcohol, cocaine, or methamphetamines. However, in addition to being addicted to substances, it’s also possible to be addicted to different behaviors and activities. For example, some people are addicted to shopping and may whip out their credit cards whenever they feel sad or anxious about something. Similarly, gambling addiction affects roughly 1 percent of Americans. Another commonly recognized behavioral addiction is Internet gaming. Given this information, you may ask yourself, am I dealing with addiction, and is therapy in San Diego something I should consider?
How Does Addiction Work?
Addiction interferes with our brain chemistry by changing how the brain responds to pleasure. When we do something pleasurable, our brain releases dopamine, which is our feel-good hormone. As a result, we associate that activity with this dopamine and the related feelings of pleasure. Over time, we start to crave this dopamine high, so we keep repeating the activity that gives us this sensation, and we decrease other activities that don’t give us this same dopamine hit. In addition, we end up needing more and more of the substance or the activity to get the same dopamine release because we produce less dopamine with each interaction. As you might imagine, this begins the downward spiral toward addiction.
Is There Anything You Can Do About Addiction?
The good news is that treatment, such as therapy in San Diego, is available for people suffering from addiction. Addiction does not have to be permanent. The bad news, though, is that most people are not receiving the treatment they need. Some studies suggest that only one in 10 people are receiving appropriate treatment for their condition.
Consider Therapy for Addiction
These numbers can be shocking and disheartening for many people, but they don’t need to be. Therapy in San Diego is available at Perlman Wellness and is provided by a team of highly qualified professionals with decades of experience in addiction and addiction services. This therapy in San Diego can take many forms, including individual therapy and group sessions with other people facing addictions. Both of these therapy approaches, utilizing CBT, DBT, and narrative therapy, are designed to give you the tools needed to successfully address your addiction.
It is important to remember that addiction looks different for everybody. People battling addiction use substances for various reasons, and they may be triggered by different experiences. Our team of professionals at Perlman Wellness offering therapy in San Diego recognizes this and offers highly tailored therapy and solutions. Our team also understands that sometimes therapy alone will not be enough to successfully tackle all addictions, and therefore, we offer other treatment options. Each option is carefully planned out in consultation with our medical team and our patients.
Get Therapy in San Diego for Addiction
At Perlman Wellness, we understand that acknowledging that you are battling an addiction issue can be challenging, and reaching out for help can be intimidating. When you are ready to take this step and try out therapy in San Diego, schedule an appointment with our highly skilled professionals here. We will guide you through the ups and downs of this process with compassion and professionalism, tailoring our program to your unique needs.