For many people, addictions are seen as something that belong to the far extremes of our behaviours. We can often say to ourselves, “I don’t drink everyday, so it’s not a problem” or “I don’t need to buy some new shoes but I want to.” And by themselves, these behaviours may not be particularly worrying. However, when they start to impact on the rest of our lives in negative ways, such as getting into debt to pay for gambling or credit card bills, isolating ourselves through secretive behaviours and depending on drugs and alcohol to manage our emotions, these could signal the need to seek professional help.

Many of these behaviours develop slowly and it can be hard for you to notice that your dependency is increasing. You may also deny to others that you have a problem out of a fear of being shamed or persecuted.

At Kennington Osteopaths, our psychotherapy team offer a non-judgemental space to explore the underlying issues around addiction and help to bring into awareness the unconscious motivations and triggers. Working empathically together, you will be able to understand what function the addiction is serving, identify healthier ways to manage your feelings and take back control over your life and your decisions.