Harm Reduction for High Risk Behaviors
I’m embarrassed to even tell you this….
I keep trying to stop, and then starting again. I’m not even sure if I want to stop, or if I can– I don’t know what else to do. When I feel stressed or anxious, it’s the first thing that pops into my head. I know it’s not the healthiest thing, but I need it to help me get through.
People in my life are telling me I need help– it’s starting to really impact my life in negative ways– but I don’t know how to stop. I started hiding it from everyone I know, even the people closest to me. I feel alone in this and embarrassed to even ask for help. I feel like I should be able to handle this on my own. I don’t know how I let it get this far.
Many people learn to cope with stress or difficulty with risky behaviors–self-harm/cutting, drinking excessively, using extra substances, just to name a few. It made a lot of sense when you started doing it–your brain and body couldn’t cope, so they found a way to get by. Now, you’re still repeating this same behavior, but finding that it just doesn’t work for you anymore. There are negative consequences–to your health, to your relationships, to your goals…
But how can I stop?
If you’ve tried to stop, or are thinking about it, and don’t know how to get there, therapy can help.
Traditional therapy approaches this type of behavior by telling you to stop completely–abstinence is the only way, from that perspective. Stopping may even be what you want (or what part of you wants). But every time you try, you feel like you fail, again. You’ve probably even lost faith in your ability to do so…
So what now?
You need to build the motivation and skill set to be successful in your attempt to reduce or restrict this behavior. It makes sense, right? You need to really want to change and know what to do when you feel the urge.
The way we approach working with this type of behavior is to support you from a harm-reduction perspective, which is different from the abstinence approach. We look at what you’re doing and start to track the behavior (so we know if you wind up doing more, or less, or stay the same– we need a baseline). You don’t even have to try to change what you’re doing, to start, just to become observant of what is happening.
We will look at what need is being filled by the behavior–is there a certain emotion that always comes up or situations that tend to precede it? Is it only when you feel lonely, or are you more likely to when hungry?
Then we use all sorts of great tools to help you learn to cope in healthier ways–teaching you what to do in those moments of wanting a second (or third, or fourth) glass of wine at the company party to manage your anxiety or wanting to cut your arm because you feel so bad about your mess up of the day.
What kinds of things will we do in therapy?
We can use: drama therapy to role play new behaviors; expressive arts therapy to process shame, fear, and anxiety; mindfulness and somatics to develop better self-awareness so you know when you’re heading toward the unhealthy behavior, and you can try to reduce or resist the harmful impact that it’s causing in your life. Tools like DBT and CBT (dialectical and cognitive behavioral therapies) can inform your treatment, as well.
We believe in your ability to change. We will help you hold onto hope and stay on track to meet your goals. If you’re tired of feeling crummy the next morning because you messed up again, if you’re ready to try again, to try a new approach, with the extra support you need, schedule a time to speak with us now.
It’s not your fault that you don’t have the tools you need, and there is no shame in getting professional help.
We promise to hold your information confidentially, and with care, and keep a non-judgmental space for you to process these struggles.
You are not alone. Book a free consultation now, and let’s get started on making those big, impactful changes.