Counselling Directory
Addiction: Illness or Indulgence?
A look beyond the tired binary of "disease" versus "choice", and why the more useful question is not "Why the addiction?" but "Why the pain?"
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Counselling & Addiction Recovery Blog
Notes on addiction, recovery & the journey back to yourself. Thoughts on the ideas that shape my work, including articles written for the Counselling Directory. Returning the past to the past, one understanding at a time.
Articles
Articles written for the Counselling Directory
Counselling Directory
Living with Addiction: Practice Makes Permanent
Why gentle, repeated practice, under the right conditions of relaxation and permission, is what makes lasting change stick, far more than willpower ever could.
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The Four R's for Addictions
A simple, memorable framework for understanding and working through addictive patterns, and reclaiming the authentic self beneath them.
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Reflections on addiction, recovery & the mind
Reflections
The Cycle of Addiction
Understanding the cycle of addiction is crucial to the recovery process for many.
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Once an Addict, Always an Addict?
This was said to me by a client I was seeing who used alcohol to the point where he’d been admitted to rehab so many times he was being told if he…
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The Miracle Question
If there is then your healing journey is all poised and ready to go.
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Hypercapitalism: The Growth Hormone in Addiction
As an ‘addiction specialist’ – and I put that in inverted commas not through any pompous pretence to claim to be what the tag describes, but rather…
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The Ten Pillars for Sex & Porn Addiction
This exercise is essentially one of repetitious practice to effect long lasting and automatic, instinctual change in our usual responses; which in…
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Imago Dialogue: Couples Counselling in a Nutshell
Couples counselling is for relationships that aren’t accomplishing what they once upon a time used to and both parties are feeling the strain of…
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Three Strategies to Manage and Overcome Cravings
This is not you, this is your addiction, ie: it is characterised by automatic thoughts/automatic thinking, and when I say thinking I mean your…
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Tempering a Craving: Calming the Storm
If ever you feel in the grip of a compulsive, obsessional urge & want to resist it but can’t seem to find a way here’s a technique you might want to…
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Addiction help library
Plain, sourced answers to the questions people ask about drinking, drugs, gambling and other addictions, and about helping someone you love.
Alcohol
Alcohol withdrawal symptoms: how long they last and when to call 999
The symptoms of alcohol withdrawal, how long they last, which danger signs mean calling 999, and how to get safe help from your GP or local alcohol service.
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How to stop drinking alcohol: safe first steps and a plan that lasts
How to stop drinking or cut down on alcohol safely: when to see a GP first, practical steps, coping with triggers and slip-ups, and where to find support.
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Codependency: the signs, and how to stop being codependent
What codependency means, the common signs of a codependent relationship, how it differs from abuse, and practical ways to stop being codependent.
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How to help an alcoholic when you can't make them stop drinking
You can't make someone stop drinking, but you can help. How to talk about it, why stopping suddenly can be dangerous, and where families get support.
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Signs of alcoholism: how to tell if your drinking has become a problem
The signs of alcoholism the NHS lists, five questions to ask yourself, the AUDIT drinking check, and when to see your GP or call 999.
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Functioning alcoholic: the quiet signs and when to get help
What a functioning alcoholic is, the quiet signs of alcohol dependence, whether drinking every night is a problem, and how to get safe help in the UK.
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Gambling addiction: the signs, and where to get help in the UK
What gambling addiction is, the NHS questions that show whether gambling is harming you, and the free UK help open to you and your family.
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Porn addiction: the signs, how to stop, and where to find help in the UK
What porn addiction is, the signs that your use has slipped out of your control, practical ways to stop watching porn, and where to find help in the UK.
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How rehab works in the UK: getting a place, what happens and the cost
How rehab works in the UK: who needs residential rehab, how to get a funded place through your local service, what happens there and what to ask about cost.
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Relapse: what to do after a relapse, and how to start again safely
What a relapse is, what to do in the first hours and days, when stopping again needs medical help, and how NHS and peer support can help you start again.
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Reading is one thing, but a conversation can tell you far more. Book a free 15‑minute call and ask me anything about my approach and these ideas.