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An article in the New York Times reflects that heroin abuse is an ongoing problem in the New England states of Maine, Vermont, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and Rhode Island. It’s an issue not only in the urban areas but also in many of the smaller towns.
The Clinical Services of Rhode Island reports that there are a high number of deaths because of overdoses in this region. According to this treatment provider, last year there were 272 deaths in Maine, 108 in Vermont, 420 in New Hampshire, and 723 in Connecticut. The year before there were 1,099 confirmed in Massachusetts and 232 in Rhode Island.
Whether or not you live in the New England region and regardless of the nature of your substance abuse, these fatalities might make it quite clear that you need to quit if you also have a deadly addiction. Although heroin may not be your drug of choice even overdosing on prescription medications for their euphoric side effects could be just as deadly.
Instead of wrestling with questions about how to quit, how others will perceive you, and how to go for treatment, speak to a psychotherapist to help you figure all these things out.
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However, despite some very good reasons why you should quit, you may be reluctant to ask for help. On one hand, you’re ready to quit because things aren’t going well for you at school or work because your significant other is threatening to leave you, or because you feel sick and tired most of the time. On the other hand, you just aren’t sure how others will react. What will your family and friends think when they find out about this hidden side of your life? How will you overcome the stigma of coming out in the open and admit to being an addict?
Instead of wrestling with questions about how to quit, how others will perceive you, and how to go for treatment, speak to a psychotherapist to help you figure all these things out. This is the single and most direct course of action you can take to quit procrastinating on getting the help you need. Seeing a psychotherapist will not only resolve your indecision and dissolve your feelings of guilt and shame, but it will also give you a clear and practical idea of where to go for rehab.
A Dozen Ways A Psychotherapist Can Help You
Psychotherapy can help you cope with behavior patterns that are ruining your life. Since they may work on a sliding scale or do pro bono work, saying you can’t afford to see one is not an excuse.
Although it’s often referred to as talk therapy, there is no shame in talking about your problems because you are working with someone to find the best possible solutions.
Moreover, even if a psychotherapist is not a drug counselor, they can help you understand what to do and then refer you to the right person or place to get the help you need.
Here are a dozen ways a psychotherapist can help you if you are not sure how to get help for an addiction:
- 1. A psychotherapist can help you understand your thoughts, feelings, and experiences about your difficult situation better.
- 2. A psychotherapist can help you define how you would like things to be.
- 3. A psychotherapist can help you overcome your doubts and inhibitions.
- 4. A psychotherapist can help you cope with fear and stress.
- 5. A psychotherapist can help you relieve your emotional charges around past traumas.
- 6. A psychotherapist can help you cope with fear and stress.
- 7. A psychotherapist can help you make a distinction between your real personality and your mood swings.
- 8. A psychotherapist can help you identify those triggers that make you do things that you know you’ll regret later on.
- 9. A psychotherapist can help you cope with all sort of relationship problems, ranging from family to friends and from bosses to colleagues at work.
- 10. A psychotherapist can help you build a stable, predictable life and reduce the incidents of chaotic circumstances.
- 11. A psychotherapist can help you make plans on how to deal with a crisis.
- 12. A psychotherapist can help you figure out how to put an end to all destructive behavior like an addiction to drugs, alcohol, cigarettes, or spending more than you earn.
How to get started?
You can find a psychotherapist by asking other people who are seeing one, by going through professional directories and Internet resources, or by asking a professional in another field, like a family doctor or your church pastor, who might be able to refer you to one.
Once you’ve found someone and arranged a session, you should prepare by making a list of all the things that you need help with solving. Don’t be shy about taking it with you during your first session. By preparing ahead of time, your first session will cover a lot more ground than if you just go in there without a clear idea of what you want to discuss.
Here is how Shereen Soliman described her experience after seeing a psychotherapist after an accumulation of traumatic experiences forced her to admit that she needed help: “Had I seen a therapist at that time I probably would have found my solution a lot quicker because what a therapist does is give you the tools to explore those negative emotions and question why they’re there, which ultimately guides you towards your own solution.”
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