Alcohol and Drug Abuse
I tend to view alcohol and drug abuse as a way to avoid things that are too difficult to face. I tend not to treat many people who are actively abusing alcohol or drugs. However, when they quit or at least cut down on their use, they often seek therapy. When they quit abusing alcohol or drugs, they can no longer avoid what they’ve been avoiding and so they seek therapy to deal with their issues. The goal of therapy at this point is to deal with the issues that caused them to drink in the first place. Sometimes, however, people are actively abusing alcohol or drugs and this requires a much different approach than if they are no longer abusing. If this is the case, the goal of therapy needs to change. The goal in this case is to stop abusing the alcohol or drugs.