Psychology

Addiction Counselling

Addiction may be defined as the continued use of a mood-altering substance or behaviour despite adverse consequence.

Classic hallmarks of addiction include:

Habits and patterns associated with addiction are typically characterized by immediate gratification coupled with long-term costs.

Physiological dependence occurs when the body has to adjust to the substance by incorporating the substance into its ‘normal’ functioning. This state creates the conditions of tolerance and withdrawal. Tolerance is the process by which the body continually adapts to the substance and requires increasingly larger amounts to achieve the original effects. 

Withdrawal refers to the physical and psychological symptoms people experience when reducing or discontinuing a substance the body had become dependent on. Symptoms of withdrawal can include anxiety, irritability, intense cravings for the substance, nausea, hallucinations, headaches, cold sweats, and tremors.

Counselling is one step in the process of recovery and our practitioners will coordinate your care with other health care providers. Call us today and let’s get started on the path to feeling great again.

manual osteopathic therapy
mental health and support. psychology and psychotherapy for human health
Anorexic woman, weight loss, anorexia

Exercise Anorexia

Though many of us worry about getting enough exercise, there is such a thing as too much exercise. Regular exercise is a good thing, but more is not always better and in some cases, compulsive exercise can be just as dangerous as eating disorders like anorexia and bulimia. 

Compulsive exercise is just another tool some people use to purge their body of calories, much like a bulimic who binges and purges.

Exercise Anorexia is hard to diagnose since everyone talks about how great it is to exercise. If you do more, isn’t that good? Not if you’re using exercise to purge or compensate for eating binges (or just regular eating). 

Of course, knowing how much exercise is too much is something you may end up learning the hard way, but if you pay attention to your body, there are warning signs that you’ve taken exercise to the max.

Attractive young sporty woman working out
Closeup of young African American woman standing on scales indoors, checking her weight, cropped

Compulsive exercising has to do with control, much the same way people with eating disorders use food as a way to take control of their lives. But, it can turn into an endless workout if you’re not careful since most folks never feel satisfied with their bodies or their fitness levels, no matter how much they exercise.

Exercising too much can cause all kinds of problems including:

Some of these symptoms also apply to overtraining, but if you’re obsessed with exercise and use it as a way to undo bad eating on a regular basis, it isn’t something you can tackle alone. 

Many compulsive exercisers find they need therapy to help them deal with exercise bulimia. 

To get started, call us and we’ll connect you with our counsellor who specializes in exercise anorexia.

portrait of young sportswoman suffering from pain in arm at gym
Sad frustrated man suffering from stress, depression relieving pain, drink water. family problems at
Closeup of young African American woman standing on scales indoors, checking her weight, cropped

Let Us Help You

What type of user are you?

Patient
Employer
Insurance Company