If you are struggling with an addiction, you are not alone. It is estimated that over three million people in the UK are too.

Addiction is defined as not having control over doing, taking or using something, to the point where it could be harmful to you. Addiction is most commonly associated with gambling, sex, drugs, alcohol and nicotine, but it is possible to be addicted to anything. Whatever a person is addicted to, they can’t control how they use it, they may become dependent on it to get through daily life and it starts to cost more than money.

There are many reasons as to why addictions begin. In the case of drugs, alcohol and nicotine, these substances affect the way you feel, both physically and mentally. These feelings can be enjoyable and create a powerful urge to use the substances again. Gambling may result in a similar mental ‘high’ after a win, followed by a strong urge to try again and recreate that feeling which can develop into a habit that becomes very hard to stop. Being addicted to something means that not having it causes withdrawal symptoms or a ‘come down’. Because this can be unpleasant, it is easier to carry on having or doing what you crave, and so the cycle continues. Often, an addiction gets out of control because you need more and more to satisfy a craving and achieve the ‘high’.

The strain of managing an addiction can seriously damage a person’s work and relationships. In the case of substance abuse (drugs, alcohol, etc), an addiction can have serious psychological and physical effects.

Whatever your addiction, Mark is highly qualified to help you and your family overcome your illness and has been specialising in this field since 1992.