While some people can use prescription or recreational drugs with no negative effects, many others become addicted and face dramatic health and lifestyle problems as a result. Substance addictions negatively affect relationships, home, school or work, leaving the person feeling ashamed, helpless and isolated.

Physical symptoms of substance abuse and addiction are varied depending on the drug of choice, but the symptoms of the addiction itself are similar. People who are addicted to substances may neglect their responsibilities, take potentially dangerous risks and get into trouble with the law. As their drug use spirals out of control, they will lose interest in activities that used to be enjoyable and continue to take drugs despite knowing the harm it causes.

Substance addicts tend to build up a tolerance to their drug of choice, and get angry when they can't get more of it. Withdrawal symptoms are highly probable when an addict goes without it for too long. Depression, nausea, insomnia, sweating, restlessness, anxiety and shaking are all common withdrawal symptoms.

Psychotherapy can help you to overcome substance addiction by focusing on correcting maladaptive behaviors. Substance abuse is usually a coping mechanism against emotionally overwhelming past events or memories. Substances are often used to provide instant gratification instead of facing certain issues.

Therapists are equipped to help clients deal with addiction recovery through empowerment and helping them set simple short term targets. The first target is sobriety, followed by empowering the client with adaptive skills and finding new coping strategies that deal with the issues that caused the addiction. Substance addiction can be ended, allowing the person to live a healthy, productive life.

If you need a counsellor or psychologist to help you address the effects of substance addiction, you can search the directory below to find a professional with the approach best suited to your situation.

Adoption issues can affect adopted children and their adoptive parents alike. Parenting biological children can be hard, but adopted children need extra special care to deal with issues of rejection, abandonment and adjustment.

Communication is often one of the most difficult of adoption issues, where families are unable to express their emotions. Adoption can also impact on biological children and other family members, causing friction.

Adoptive parents may face adoption issues that relate to secrecy and reunion issues, sensitive parenting skills and talking to their children about adoption. More complicated issues could include special needs adoption, family rejection, genetic sexual attraction and adoption breakdown.

A therapist who has specialized training  in adoption issues will be able to help you navigate the way right from making the decision to adopt to building a successful blended family. He or she will help you decide whether an international adoption or a local adoption is better for your family, and help to prepare any biological kids for the impending adoption. Adoption issues therapy can be immensely helpful in helping a family to learn how to communicate openly with one another, and express emotions in a thoughtful manner.

If your family is experiencing adoption issues, or if you want to help your adopted child to transition smoothly from childhood into adolescence, it is a good idea to consider counselling. A counsellor who is experienced in adoption issues will help everyone understand how adoption affects the adoptive family, the biological family and, most importantly, the children involved. Counselling can help you learn vital parenting skills to help your adopted child deal with low self-esteem and abandonment, two common adoption issues.

If you are looking for a counsellor or psychologist who works with adoption issues  you may want to search the directory to find a professional whose approach will suit you best.

Grief is a natural part of dealing with the loss of a loved one, or a situation, or a way in which we see ourselves. Loss requires that we change the way things used to be and find a new way to restructure our lives accordingly. It's common for people to fear change, particularly if a part of us, or a person we loved deeply, is no longer there. It leaves a gap that has to be filled, but nothing can replace the person who has left us behind.

People deal with loss in many different ways, but the desired end result is the same - trying to piece together the puzzle to the best of our ability, without the missing piece. We also go through the various stages of grief at varying speeds and intensities. Dealing with all the emotions that form part of grief is what makes support so very important.

Time is of the essence during the grieving period, and something we sometimes tend to rush. That's why it's so useful to speak to a therapist who does grief counselling during this time.

A therapist will help you understand that what you are feeling is completely normal and even expected. Medical professionals are aware of the wide range of natural responses to grief and loss and are generally reluctant to diagnose mental illness while a person is in a period of bereavement. However, if depression is present, medication is likely to be prescribed.

Grief therapy will help you to accept the loss and be able to talk about it without breaking down. You will learn to identify and express your emotions regarding the loss and learn to make decisions without your loved one.

If you are looking for a counsellor or psychologist does grief counselling to address your grief and loss you may want to search the directory to find a professional whose approach will suit you best.