Appointments 8 AM - 8 PM
1601 116th Ave NE | Ste 102 & 111 | Bellevue, WA | 98004
Is life overwhelming you?
Let’s be honest, life is hard. Do these keep you up at night? Responsibilities at work, bills to pay, a partner who is angry and distant, you feel alone like no one gets you, your parents don’t respect your boundaries, and maybe your kids are mad at you too. These are only a fraction of stressful things life tosses your way to manage and fix. Any one of them is difficult. Together, they are overwhelming.
What about the anxiety you’re fighting? Depression? To have to struggle with outside things is hard enough. Add to that having to fight your own thoughts, feelings and your body? It makes sense you would need something to help you get through each day.
When the painful feelings arise (or never go away), and then on top of all this your own thoughts are dark, how do you cope and get through the day? One drink. Three? Some weed? Does an hour of gaming turn into five, leaving you little time to sleep? Just a few hands of poker? Does what you do to cope, cause more problems and stress, that you then need more coping?
Have you ever tried to stop, yet found yourself returning to the same things you do to cope? Do you move from one substance to another, searching for relief. When you give in do you feel discouraged or that your actions are out of your control?
While ‘the problem’ you face is most likely a difficult issue, typically it is the feelings you have about that problem that are the most difficult part. If you are willing to accept you might be using a substance or vice to cope with those feelings, you’ve taken the first step! With that openness, you can start to explore new ways to look at those old problems. That can and often will create better feelings.
If you are struggling with a relapse, the frustration of not feeling in control can become it’s own stressor. Take relief in knowing that this is often part of the recovery process.
If you sit and think about your stress all by yourself, you will stay stuck in the same thinking that got you there in the first place. If you are struggling to find ways to cope with life’s stressors, if you you find yourself unable to let go of your addiction and gain control of your life, maybe counseling is the next step.
Another person, with a different vantage point, trained to help you get unstuck, can and often does make a difference. A supportive counselor is someone who will accept where you are at and understand you are separate from your addiction. In counseling not only will you can learn tools to help break the cycle of addiction, we can also help you understand how you arrived at this place in life. It is possible to heal from the past and learn to accept and forgive yourself and others. This can be a way to free yourself from the things you do to cope in the first place.
If you are ready to talk to someone trained and experienced to help, reach out and let’s get you started on creating your best self.
If you are concerned, yet unsure if you actually have substance problem. We do offer a formal assessment process along with treatment. For more information about this, please email Brendan Seibert.
Visit the appointment page to request an appointment. Let’s get you on a path to creating your best self!
We offer in-office or teletherapy sessions to anyone in Washington State. Online counseling is conducted using HIPAA compliant software for your confidentiality.
