Addiction Therapy

Have you found yourself locked in a pattern of behavior or thought that isn’t working for you anymore? You might be experiencing addiction. 

We take a broad definition of addiction at Studio B. We work from the idea that addiction is doing something compulsively and obsessively to shift awareness from an unpleasant emotional experience. 

• • Don’t want to feel sad … I’ll eat then I will feel better. 

  • Stressed at work … I’ll have a drink to take the edge off. 

  • Don’t feel comfortable in my own skin … I’ll smoke, shop, binge TV, have sex, watch porn, gamble, do drugs, overwork, check the internet, exercise more … the list goes on for behaviors you might use to help you ignore the unpleasantness you are feeling. 

Whatever your addictive behavior we can help. Studio B has licensed and experienced counselors who have worked with many different types of addiction. They can help you learn new healthy coping skills so you can leave the addiction in the dust. 

Not all addiction biologically works the same. Different substances and behavior create different neurological patterns in the brain. Some patterns are harder to break and others not as hard. However, all addictive coping creates the trap of being stuck and dependent on the pattern to feel better. Eventually this leads to a narrow existence at the expense of our families, friends, work, health, and life. 

This is why at Studio B we look at addiction from a wide lens whether you are seeking substance abuse treatment or would like to end other behaviors that are no longer serving you. 

Drugs and alcohol hijack areas of the brain with artificially manufactured and exaggerated biological chemical responses in the brain. These create a “loop” due to the high levels of “feel good” chemicals coursing through the system. This “feel good” feeling drives us to do the behavior over and over and over, again and again and again no matter the cost. Studio B’s drug and alcohol counselors understand this “loop”, what drives it, and how to break it. Studio B is an outpatient treatment option, however we are able to refer you to programs that offer higher levels of care, like inpatient drug and alcohol detox or rehab services.  

Process addictions like gambling, sex, TV, shopping, technology / internet, exercise, work are about the behavior. The process of doing them. They too create the chemical response in the brain and drive us back to them again and again. Soon we crave the behavior because it soothes us. Again, we return to the behavior over and over and over regardless of the consequence and despite the rich life outside the process we might be missing. 

Food addiction can fit into both camps. As we consume foods they create a chemical response like a drug or alcohol (think sugar), and there is a process to procure and consume the foods. The gathering, preparing, and eating creates a process that may be soothing and calming. We get the same hits of dopamine, serotonin, and other feel good and contenting neurotransmitters after going through the process and consuming the food. 

Addiction is often a symptom. Many times the addictive behavior is about a different issue altogether. It was actually helpful before it became a stuck pattern. It may have been all you had to help yourself at the time it started, but now it has become a problem too. Maybe it has become more of a problem than the original issue. 

As addiction therapists we pay attention to this interface called dual diagnosis. Dual diagnosis means we are going to look for the mental health situation that created the need for addictive coping. We work on treating the dual diagnosis rather than just the addiction. 

We look beyond the addictive behavior to address the reasons for the drugs, alcohol, food, shopping, internet surfing, TV watching, fill in the blank ___ rut. We help you expand your options to address uncomfortable feelings, thoughts, and behaviors. 

Addiction treatments include: Individual and group therapy as well as family and couples to help the whole family heal from addiction. Everyone may not be addicted, but everyone in the family is affected by addiction patterns. 

Addiction treatment addresses the shame, anger, frustrations, and sadness that addiction creates. 

We address those behaviors you aren’t proud of and help you make amends in ways that feel safe and comfortable for you. 

Studio B differs from other clinics in that we also offer nutrition coaching and physical exercise prescriptions to help you heal your body as well as your mind.