Addictions - Including Substances, Autism and Developmental Disorders, Eating Disorders Counsellors
Addictions - Including Substances, Autism and Developmental Disorders, Eating Disorders
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.
Eating disorders comprise a range of attitudes and behaviors relating to food and body-image. The three main eating disorders are Anorexia Nervosa, Bulimia, and ED NOS (eating disorder not otherwise specified). These conditions manifest to different degrees in different people and can sometimes be mistakenly judged as poor eating habits, or a lack of willpower.
People with eating disorders don't eat in harmony with their bodies' needs, instead, people with Anorexia Nervosa eat much less than they need, while Bulimia sufferers binge and then induce vomiting. They may also do other things to compensate for overeating, including exercising or fasting. ED NOS combines any combination of the other two conditions.
Apart from the physical symptoms and behaviors above, someone with an eating disorder will generally also have poor self-esteem and obsessively research or talk about food, dieting or exercise. Poor body image will cause them to either wear clothes that cover up every inch of their bodies, or flaunt in order to attract attention. They will find it hard to accept criticism and compliments.
Therapy for eating disorders depend on the patient. While some people respond well to short term outpatient treatment, others respond better to long-term inpatient treatment. Cognitive behavioral therapy and family therapy are long term treatments that have been proven to be effective, while group therapy, psychodynamic psychotherapies and feminist therapies work for people who will respond well to short term therapy.
Family therapy is often advised for children and adolescents who are experiencing eating disorders. Research has also shown dialectical behavioral therapy to be effective.
If you are looking for a counsellor or psychologist who addresses eating disorders, you may want to search the directory to find a professional whose approach will suit you best.
Note: You may narrow your search by selecting more than one filter below.
- (-) Remove Addictions - Including Substances filterAddictions - Including Substances
- (-) Remove Autism and Developmental Disorders filterAutism and Developmental Disorders
- (-) Remove Eating Disorders filterEating Disorders
- Abuse - Emotional, Physical, Sexual (1)Apply Abuse - Emotional, Physical, Sexual filter
- Addiction - Social Media Addiction (1)Apply Addiction - Social Media Addiction filter
- Addictions - Online Gaming (1)Apply Addictions - Online Gaming filter
- Addictions - Sexual (1)Apply Addictions - Sexual filter
- Adolescent Issues (1)Apply Adolescent Issues filter
- Anger Management Issues (1)Apply Anger Management Issues filter
- Anxiety and/or Panic (2)Apply Anxiety and/or Panic filter
- Attention Deficit Disorder - ADHD (1)Apply Attention Deficit Disorder - ADHD filter
- Bullying - School (1)Apply Bullying - School filter
- Bullying - Workplace (1)Apply Bullying - Workplace filter
- Child Behaviour (1)Apply Child Behaviour filter
- Creativity (1)Apply Creativity filter
- Deaf and Hard of Hearing (1)Apply Deaf and Hard of Hearing filter
- Depression (2)Apply Depression filter
- Family Conflict (1)Apply Family Conflict filter
- Family Issues (1)Apply Family Issues filter
- Gender Identity Issues (1)Apply Gender Identity Issues filter
- Grief and Loss - General (2)Apply Grief and Loss - General filter
- LGBTQ Issues (2)Apply LGBTQ Issues filter
- Life Transitions (2)Apply Life Transitions filter
- Men's Issues (1)Apply Men's Issues filter
- Neurodiversity (1)Apply Neurodiversity filter
- Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (1)Apply Obsessive Compulsive Disorder filter
- Parent/Teen Conflict (1)Apply Parent/Teen Conflict filter
- Personal Growth (1)Apply Personal Growth filter
- Phobias (1)Apply Phobias filter
- Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (1)Apply Post Traumatic Stress Disorder filter
- Professional Burnout (1)Apply Professional Burnout filter
- Retirement (1)Apply Retirement filter
- Sexuality (1)Apply Sexuality filter
- Supervision (1)Apply Supervision filter
- Trauma Counselling (2)Apply Trauma Counselling filter
- 457 (1)Apply 457 filter
- ADD and ADHD Coping Strategies (1)Apply ADD and ADHD Coping Strategies filter
- Adolescent Therapy (1)Apply Adolescent Therapy filter
- Coaching (1)Apply Coaching filter
- Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) (1)Apply Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) filter
- EMDR (1)Apply EMDR filter
- Existential-Humanistic (1)Apply Existential-Humanistic filter
- Humanistic Therapy (1)Apply Humanistic Therapy filter
- In Person Counselling (1)Apply In Person Counselling filter
- Integrative Psychotherapy (1)Apply Integrative Psychotherapy filter
- Internal Family Systems (1)Apply Internal Family Systems filter
- Mindfulness approaches (1)Apply Mindfulness approaches filter
- Online / Virtual / Telehealth Counselling (2)Apply Online / Virtual / Telehealth Counselling filter
- Relational Psychotherapy (1)Apply Relational Psychotherapy filter
- Sensorimotor Psychotherapy (1)Apply Sensorimotor Psychotherapy filter
- Solution Focused Therapy (1)Apply Solution Focused Therapy filter
- Telephone Counselling (1)Apply Telephone Counselling filter
- Video Counselling (1)Apply Video Counselling filter