Do I Have an Addiction – and Where Can I Get Help?

My name is Peter J Davies, and I am an addiction specialist and therapist based at Addiction Care in Guildford, Surrey. For more than 20 years, I have worked one-to-one with people experiencing problems with alcohol, drugs, gambling and other addictive behaviours, as well as with their partners and families.

One of the most common questions I hear is surprisingly simple:

“Do I actually have an addiction?”

People rarely arrive at my consulting room with everything neatly worked out. More often, they know that something isn’t right. Drinking may have increased. Cocaine use that started occasionally has become more frequent. Gambling may be creating financial problems. A partner may have become concerned. Or somebody may simply have reached the point where they are tired of repeatedly promising themselves that things will change.

If you are asking yourself whether you have a problem, talking confidentially to an experienced addiction therapist can be a useful first step.

Private Addiction Counselling in Guildford

At Addiction Care, I provide private, confidential, one-to-one addiction counselling in Guildford, working with clients from across Surrey and further afield.

I believe addiction treatment should be personal. Two people may be using exactly the same substance but have completely different histories, circumstances and reasons for using it. Treatment therefore needs to understand the individual rather than simply focusing on the substance.

Over the course of my career, I have accumulated more than 30,000 clinical hours working with addiction and related problems.

I also understand recovery from another perspective. I have been in continuous recovery myself since February 2002. That personal experience does not replace professional training or clinical experience, but it does mean that I understand something about addiction and recovery from both sides of the therapeutic relationship.

Do I Need to Go Into Rehab?

Another question I am frequently asked is:

“Do I need residential rehabilitation?”

For some people, residential treatment is absolutely appropriate. However, not everybody with an addiction problem needs to enter rehab.

Depending upon the substance involved, the severity of the problem, physical dependence, medical considerations and the person’s circumstances, private outpatient addiction therapy may be an alternative.

This allows somebody to continue living at home and, where appropriate, continue working and maintaining family responsibilities while receiving structured one-to-one therapeutic support.

Where there is physical dependence, however, stopping certain substances suddenly can be dangerous. Appropriate medical advice or a medically supervised detoxification may be necessary before or alongside therapy.

Alcohol, Cocaine, Drugs and Gambling

People contact Addiction Care for many different reasons.

Some are looking for an alcohol therapist in Guildford because drinking has gradually become difficult to control. Others are seeking help with cocaine addiction, recreational drug use that has escalated, prescription or other drug problems, or gambling addiction.

I also work with people who have achieved periods of abstinence but are concerned about relapse.

The objective isn’t simply to tell somebody to stop.

Effective addiction therapy involves understanding what maintains the addictive behaviour, recognising triggers and patterns, developing strategies for dealing with cravings and difficult situations, and building a life in which alcohol, drugs or gambling no longer have the same function.

Help for Families and Partners

Addiction rarely affects only one person.

Partners, parents and other family members can find themselves living with secrecy, arguments, broken promises, financial difficulties and considerable uncertainty about what they should do.

I therefore also provide support for families affected by addiction in Guildford and Surrey.

Sometimes the person with the addiction is not ready to seek help, but their family is. Supporting the family can be valuable in its own right and can help them understand the difference between genuinely supporting somebody and unintentionally enabling addictive behaviour.

A Confidential First Conversation

If you are searching for a private addiction therapist in Guildford, one-to-one addiction counselling in Surrey, or simply trying to work out whether your alcohol, drug or gambling behaviour has become a problem, you do not need to have all the answers before making contact.

The first conversation can simply be about what is happening.

We can look at your circumstances, the extent of the problem and what form of help may be appropriate. If I believe another form of treatment or medical support would be more suitable, I will say so.

I offer appointments through Addiction Care in Guildford, Surrey, with both face-to-face and online consultations available.

Peter J Davies
Addiction Specialist
Addiction Care – Guildford, Surrey

Private one-to-one help for alcohol addiction, drug and cocaine problems, gambling addiction, relapse prevention, and families affected by addiction.