The tendency of an addict to move from one substance, or process (‘process addiction’)to another when unable to indulge in the primary addiction. This can be someone already in a full blown addiction, but also in those attempting to gain recovery.
This pattern comes from an attempt to ‘medicate’ any negative feelings being experienced. Addicts are usually seeking to medicate their mood in an attempt to dull down or avoid emotional pain, even when they’re not aware of it
Whatever substance or process you are addicted to, the process involved is usually the same. There’s an underlying problem or issue that’s causing anxiety, and you are trying to alleviate it through an addiction. We may not consciously think about this anxiety; in fact, we may not even be aware of it.
These hidden feelings of discomfort can be the result of deep-rooted emotional issues that aren’t always obvious, but the background anxiety they cause is always there, eating away at you.
At Serenity Healthcare every addict we have ever met seems to struggle from oversensitivity to emotional distress. Often, they’re not even aware of this or to scared or shamed to admit it – but when we talk to them and lead them through our treatment programme, in order to get beneath the surface of their problems, we commonly find that this is the case.
Co-dependency is closely linked to addiction, and it usually develops due to the experiences we have during childhood. Most addicts have experienced childhood issues that provide clues about their behaviour in later life. It is a further process that addicts use to fix themselves through relationships. If left untreated a healthy ‘interdependency’ becomes co-dependency, becoming completely reliant on others for a sense of self-worth.
At Serenity Healthcare we work on the complete person, we will help you face historical events that you feel have triggered your negative patterns; we will hold you as you unravel your complex relationship with yourself and others.