Drug Abuse

Drug Abuse is becoming more and more prevalent in today’s highly stressed environment and may involve both illegal as well as legal drugs such as cocaine or alcohol.

You can read about alcohol abuse separately here.

Many people are able to use recreational drugs (Cannabis, Cocaine etc.) without developing major addiction problems or suffering any negative consequences, but for some users, it can become a significant problem that has a truly devastating impact on their life at home, work or socially.

Drug Abuse can lead to increasing isolation and withdrawal from everyday life and for a number of sufferers, can lead to the ultimate penalties of legal problems or even premature death.

In order to effectively deal with the problem of drug abuse, it is important to understand the nature of addiction and how this addiction manifests itself in symptoms and behaviours.

Drug Abuse woman lying next to drugs on table

Symptoms & Signs of Drug Abuse

The most common indicators of a drug abuse problem are:

Your drug abuse is starting to become more important than your home life, work or schooling and you are starting to neglect your responsibilities.
You are taking risks whilst using your drugs, for example driving whilst under the influence.
You are having problems with the law, for example being arrested for disorderly behaviour or convictions for theft through trying to obtain funds for buying your drugs.
Your relationships are falling apart due to fights or disagreements which may be frivolous.
You need larger quantities of drugs to get the hit that you used to get with smaller quantities.
You are starting to experience more severe withdrawal symptoms when you are without your drug such as nausea, depression or anxiety.
You feel “powerless” to keep the amount of drugs you’re using to a level you can control.
Your primary focus has shifted to drug abuse and you may have quit doing the things you used to enjoy such as socialising or keeping fit.

Once you’re ready to face the truth about your drug abuse problem then you have already taken the first important step towards solving the problem and can move towards seeking a solution.

Whichever recovery option you decide to take, being honest with yourself and obtaining the help and support of friends and family can undoubtedly help you to make the move to a drug free life.

Key Features of Drug Abuse

There are a multitude of reasons why people take drugs, often this can be due to peer pressure in adolescence and the need to feel like one belongs to the right social group.

Sometimes drug abuse offers a way to escape from some previous traumatic experience, often which occurred in earlier times but which still produce negative feelings in the present for example anxiety, depression or stress.

It does not necessarily follow that all drug abuse will lead automatically to a state of addiction as character and personality type can play an important role in determining susceptibility to addictive behaviours.

In some cases, drugs may only create a habitual behaviour and not actually be addictive lending weight to the theory that addiction is largely ‘person-centric’.

Drug abuse and addiction are not necessarily a problem unless it impacts upon your life or negativelt affects the lives of those around you and more importantly, the level of use at which addictive behaviour can said to occur is NOT directly related to the amount of drugs being used!

IF you ARE using drugs AND it IS having a negative effect on your life, then it is likely that you have a drug abuse problem.

Therapy & Counselling for Drug Abuse

We offer a number of different types of therapy and counselling for Drug Abuse and drug-related problems.

Choosing the most suitable therapy depends on a number of different considerations including factors such as:

How long you have had the problem.
Your personal preferences.
How your problem is affecting you today.

You can read more about the different types of therapy for Drug Abuse on the following links:

Although all therapies use slightly different approaches, the one thing they all have in common is the relationship that is formed between the client and therapist.

Furthermore, research also suggests that therapy relationship may be the most important factor in achieving a good therapy outcome.

Self-Help CBT Course for Drug Abuse problems only £149!

Our online self-help CBT course has been designed to teach you the fundamental tools and techniques of clinically proven Cognitive Behavioural Therapy without having to see a therapist.

Structured over TEN, in-depth modules, this course will provide you everything you need to know to change the way you think about and experience your drug-related problems from the comfort of your own home.

Click Self-Help CBT to find out more.

Free Initial Consultations for Drug Abuse

We offer all prospective clients an initial consultation to discuss your Drug Abuse problems prior to commencing any treatment plans.

The consultation is free and lasts around 50 minutes.

During this consultation we will discuss the various options that are available to you and make a considered recommendation based on your individual personal circumstances.

Initial consultations are also available as part of our online therapy service.

At TranceForm Psychology we recognise the importance of the therapeutic relationship in helping people to bring about effective change, so its important to be able to ‘meet’ to discuss our change programmes BEFORE proceeding.

Our policy is to help people make a fully balanced & considered decision about undertaking work with us, including both the financial and personal implications.