Addiction

There is a human cost behind ‘closed doors’ not just for the person who is developing an addiction but also for all those involved in that person’s life.  

Loss of mental wellbeing is linked to problematic behaviours. This includes using alcohol or drugs, gaming and gambling, food addictions and many others.

Over the last challenging year alcohol and substance misuse, excessive gambling and other addictions have increased throughout lockdown.

There can be a time delay in seeking help not just by those with the addiction but the people around them who are caught up in trying to cope with an ever-deteriorating situation.  The costs for all can be high.  

There is help available.

Alcohol

Lockdown is a time of risk for alcoholics. Often it is possible for an alcoholic to be dry through January to prove to themselves and those around them that there is no problem. It is when alcohol consumption starts again after a period of abstinence that people may run into difficulties. This will be more evident for people at risk of alcohol problems as lockdown eases.

There are psychotherapists who can help with one-to-one sessions both for people who are personally struggling and also for family members who may also be finding it very hard.

We are also incredibly lucky that in London there are meetings and support for people struggling with alcohol nearly every hour of the day across the city. This is Alcoholic Anonymous or AA.

There are also meeting groups for relatives of alcoholics called Alanon, which provides fantastic support for those struggling to understand their role in an addict’s life.

Gaming

Gaming is becoming a major issue and in December 2019 it became a recognised illness in the UK. There are now services to help with this, both NHS and private.  

Gaming is a real issue for children. This is because the brain isn’t fully developed until your early 20s.   

When you are gaming, every time you “win” there is a small dopamine release in the brain. This is different from watching TV or a film where there is no dopamine release, so gaming has a totally different effect on the brain.

In technical terms, children have immature frontal lobes. They are more drawn than an adult to the reward systems in the game that gives a dopamine release which is a feel-good hormone. As their brains are not fully developed, children are more affected by this and start seeking more dopamine release by continuing to play for hours. They have weaker decision-making skills and find it difficult to stop. They find these activates more compelling and harder to limit than adults do. Even adults are finding it hard to limit the time they are gaming 

Gambling

Gambling has also increased during Lockdown. Gambling can also stimulate the brain’s reward system as discussed above leading to an addiction.  Bets with losses, depleted savings and debt sometimes engaging in fraud can lead to negative social migration, as can happen with any addiction.

The term negative social migration means that when looking at who your parents are, the education you had access to and the friendship group you have been exposed to, you should obtain a certain level of achievement in society or if you have achieved it then you should continue to hold that success. With addictions you can start to lose everything, including your friends, your job, family and your home. This is negative social migration.

Eating disorders

Issues around food are difficult for the person involved and the family.  All other addiction treatments workaround abstaining from the activity. That is not possible with food. Eating addictions should always be managed by a specialist team who are able to provide ongoing care.

There are professionals who are able to give you the tools you need to manage your addition or to discuss your concerns. Every addiction has specialist services able to help.

We now have two psychotherapists at Sloane Square Medical who are able to offer one-to-one assessments and support.

Our practice has a large referral network built up over the last 15 years in central London for onward referral when required. We are able to advise and direct you to the most appropriate care for your needs.

Recognising there is a problem and reaching out for help is the beginning of a life-long journey.