Photo: Contributed
By Annette Adkin
Though living in Kelowna has many opportunities to connect and enjoy outdoor activities, it also has many people who are feeling distressed and disconnected.
Being distressed and not coping with life’s challenges can lead to addiction. People are trying to soothe their uneasiness and feel better. One of the biggest reasons people are prone to addiction is the presence of childhood trauma. It is great to have a few drinks by the lake or at an event in the Okanagan, but what if this leads to too many drinks, a disconnect in a relationship or consequences that people don’t feel great about afterwards?
There are seven main addictions—food, sex, drugs, alcohol, technology, money and unhealthy relationship patterns—but for today we will focus on alcohol.
When someone struggles with an addiction, they need to learn more about coping strategies and skills to help them. I also talk about recovery, meaning recovering the parts of people that were missing from their childhood. In my practice I talk about being “addicted to turning away” from themselves and things that are important in their life.
I describe addiction like someone else is driving my car and I am in the back seat saying I don’t think this is a good idea but I continue to do this behaviour with negative consequences.
If you are ready to make some changes or you just want to gain more knowledge to get to your next better step, contact Annette Adkin through her website below. She has more than 25 years of experience in helping people grow and develop successful practices.
Annette Adkin is the owner of Pure Insights Counselling in Kelowna.
This column was submitted as part of BWB Wednesdays
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