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.

Bullying in the workplace can cause social, psychological and physical injuries to the victims, the bystanders and the respective families.  While many people seek out legal help for workplace bullying, the court can't heal emotional scars.

Bullies prey on dysfunctional corporate systems to exert their perceived power over the victims. They can physically or emotionally harm the victim, causing several injuries and psychological trauma that ranges from PTSD to personality changes, social issues, panic attacks, anxiety disorders and depression. In some cases, physical symptoms can also be the result of workplace bullying.

It is important to seek help as soon as bullying starts, to help you manage the effects of workplace bullying effectively. An experienced therapist will help you find strategies to block the bullying attempts and to assess your legal options and discuss the best ways to handle work-related issues.

A psychologist with workplace bullying therapy experience will also be the best person to speak to if you have been seriously injured as a result of workplace bullying. In some cases the treatment can be ongoing, depending on the severity of the emotional effects of the bullying. Therapy will help you recover from the emotional impact of the bullying and the ongoing legal and medical issues.

Therapists that have training in workplace bullying use a range of therapies, depending on the needs and symptoms of their individual clients. Treatment might include EMDR (rapid eye movement therapy) and cognitive behavioural therapy. Working with a therapist you like and trust will help you find better coping strategies and restore your self-esteem.

If you are looking for a counsellor or psychologist who offers therapy or counselling to address your workplace bullying issues you may want to search the directory to find a professional whose approach will suit you best.

While stress is a normal part of our modern, everyday lives, it can also have dramatic side effects. Chronic stress can lead to behavioral issues, such as drug abuse that can harm relationships. However, most commonly, chronic stress can affect a person's physical health in a number of ways. Many people avoid asking for help in coping with stress management, accepting it as a common hazard of today's fast-paced life.

Yes, at some point everyone suffers from challenges with stress management, but if at any point in time you feel like you have trouble handling it, it is time to get help. Signs that you are not coping with stress management includes a change in your sleeping or eating habits, feeling physically unwell (headaches, ulcers, frequent colds and flu), reduced productivity and decreased pleasure in activities you enjoyed before.

Stress is common when dealing with life changes or situations such as job losses, getting married, breakups or divorces, discrimination, parenting, moving house, death of a pet or loved one, being diagnosed with a serious medical condition.  

Therapy can help you to better deal with stress management issues. Negative moods reduce the quality of several aspects of our lives, including productivity and interpersonal relationships. Through cognitive restructuring, negative thoughts can be challenged and rescripted to help you create a more positive mindset.

Stress can often cloud the validity of our interpretations of certain events and circumstances, and cognitive restructuring challenges those assumptions. In the case of invalid interpretations, the way we think about situations naturally changes, which has a positive effect on our moods and ability to handle stress better.

If you are looking for a counsellor or psychologist who will help you manage stress more effectively you may want to search the directory to find a professional whose approach will suit you best.