Addiction
An addiction does not just harm you physically but also emotionally. It often makes you cycle from isolation, to acting out, to guilt and shame. Your addiction can also cause tremendous financial and relationship problems.
Many people with addictions deny or refuse to acknowledge that they have a problem. If you feel you need more and more of the substance or behavior to feel extreme pleasure you might have an addiction. If you have a desire to quit, you will find online counseling very beneficial.
I specialize in alcohol addiction, sex addiction, love addiction, food addiction, shopping addiction as well as family members and partners of addicts. If you have been living in a rehab center and are looking for after care, I can connect with you anywhere.
What is Love Addiction
Love addiction is a result of unfulfilled childhood needs leading to obsessive, all-consuming feelings of fantasy and love for one’s partner in an effort to have those needs met, to be taken care of and protected.
Fears often overwhelm the love addict, some of which include:
- Fear of rejection
- Fear of pain
- Fear of unfamiliar experiences
Characteristics of love addiction include:
- A feeling of being all-consuming
- Inhibition
- Avoiding risk or change
- Fear of true intimacy
- Manipulation
- Demanding of the loved one’s devotion and attention
- Powerless feeling over thoughts, feelings and behaviors regarding love and relationship
- All-consuming and obsessive
Below is a set of characteristics that apply to many love addicts. Review them to determine whether you might have issues with love addiction that may be affecting your happiness, both personally and within your relationships.
- Needy in your relationships?
- Obsessive levels of fantasy about your relationships?
- Lower standards to alleviate feelings of loneliness?
- Tend to smother your partner?
- Are drawn to love avoidant people?
- Can’t let go?
- Ignore warning signs that someone may not be right for you?
- When you fall, you fall hard?
What is Sex Addiction
Sexual addiction is best described as a progressive intimacy disorder characterized by compulsive sexual thoughts and acts. The National Council on Sexual Addiction and Compulsivity has defined sexual addiction as “engaging in persistent and escalating patterns of sexual behavior acted out despite increasing negative consequences to self and others.” In other words, a sex addict will continue to engage in certain sexual behaviors despite facing potential health risks, financial problems, shattered relationships or even arrest. Sexual addiction is a devastating and destructive problem that affects addicts as well as their spouses/partners and families. I work with both addicts and partners/family members of addicts. I can provide you with the skills necessary to recover and live a healthy, fulfilled life. I am highly trained in sexual addiction recovery and I understand the pain and shame that compulsive sexual behaviour creates. I offer a non-judgmental, empathetic approach to addiction counseling that is state-of-the-art. Let me help you find your way out of the maze of addiction. You can break free and I’m ready to assist you.
Spouses and partners of addicts experience trauma and betrayal resulting from the discovery of the addict’s secretive behaviour; therefore I will work on a recovery program with you. I will help you work through the feelings of fear, anger, confusion, disbelief, and betrayal so you can get your life back.
When is fantasy unhealthy:
- Becomes an obsession
- Spends spare time planning
- Becomes a quest to satisfy sexual fantasies
- Disregarding partners needs
- Becomes uncomfortable for the partner
- Coercion
- Start to demand the fantasy sex from the partner
- Become aggressive with their partners
- Starts to spike negative consequences
- Obsession starts to affect other areas of life
- Effects professional, personal, spiritual aspects of life
- You can’t stop