Addiction

We are trained to offer support to help you adjust to life after addiction

Addiction, whether to alcohol, drugs, gambling, or another activity, changes your brain over time – a big reason why ‘breaking free’ requires more than willpower.

We can support you through the change process with life after addition. Introduce strategies and techniques that can help you cope with:

Cravings
Committing to staying away from tempting situations
Maintenance – dangers of complacency
Monitoring the warning signs of a lapse/relapse
Changing behaviour
Life balance
Common Thinking Distortions

At some point, we’ve all said the words, “I’m bored”. Occasional boredom is common – it happens when we lose interest in our everyday activities or surroundings. Sometimes the things that used to excite us, no longer do – and that’s okay. But, perpetual boredom, or boredom that seems to persist no matter how often you change your day-to-day, puts recovering addicts in danger of a relapse.

The truth is, many people fall into addiction because of boredom. It’s something to do. It’s different. It’s exciting. Even though you’re on the road to recovery now, it’s possible that you could find yourself right back in the same predicament.

If you were in residential addiction rehab, for example, you probably didn’t have time to be bored. But, now you’re on your own again, you might find yourself with a lot of spare time on your hands, especially after you’ve distanced yourself from the toxic relationships and behaviours that defined your old way of life. After all, life is far less erratic now.

That’s why it’s so important for recovering addicts to be mindful of boredom and how it feels when it starts to set in. Our strategies can give you a chance to use healthy coping skills to squash your boredom before it leads to a relapse. We know that recovering from a drug, alcohol or gambling addiction may be one of the hardest things you will do in your lifetime.

Therapies such as Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) and mind-body relaxation, are the main tools of relapse prevention, which change negative thinking and develop healthy coping skills.

Please note that Take A Step Counselling Service is not an emergency service.

Emergency Contacts:

If you are feeling distressed or suicidal, there are services available to help you immediately. If you feel at risk of harm to yourself, or if you are concerned about someone else, please go to your nearest hospital or call the emergency services on 999.

Other contacts:

General Practitioner: Request an emergency appointment. If you are not registered with a doctor in your area, you can attend your nearest NHS Walk-in Centre or contact the NHS Out of Hours Medical Service on 111, available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Calls are free from landlines and mobile phones.

Samaritans: Help for suicidal thoughts –

If you’re feeling like you want to die, it’s important to tell someone.

Help and support is available right now if you need it. You don’t have to struggle with difficult feelings alone.

Phone a helpline.

These FREE helplines are there to help when you’re feeling down or desperate. Call 116 123.