Am I An Addict ?
Here’s a conversation we often hear. A couple come to see me. The wife says “My husband drinks too much. He is an addict.” The husband replies “My wife’s a nag. I can hold my drink. I function perfectly.” The wife replies “He lies. He is in denial.” On it goes.
We offer individuals who are worried they might be behaving compulsively (gambling, shopping, sex/porn etc) or using a substance compulsively (alcohol, drugs etc) an assessment and professional opinion as to whether there may be the presence of an addiction.
An initial assessment and diagnosis are made in a 90-minute consultation which involves a combination of some short questionnaires filled out in advance and a one to one session to review and discuss the results.
There is no obligation to develop a treatment plan or attend counselling if an addiction is present. However we have an opportunity to explore an individual’s relationship with a behaviour or substance to determine whether there is a compulsive element and whether there are negative consequences.