Addictions tend to allow people a temporary escape from problems despite the harmful consequences. It is often used to deal with depression or anxiety. For most, the long term consequences bring extra guilt and shame which can continue progressively to an even more destructive cycle.

Motivation and recompense are often the key element of addiction: drugs, eating, gambling, drinking and sex all produce highs, unfortunately with the highs, the lows that follow lows increase the feelings of despair.

It takes a skilled therapist or counsellor can help an addict to start to understand their emotional needs by addressing the underlying problems related to their addiction. Addiction counselling consists of a number of approaches that may be helpful for people with addictive behaviour. For example, Behavioural Therapy places emphasis on changing negative behaviour patterns.

The focus of counselling is to help people deal with addiction issues as early as possible, through therapy sessions, education and support and also addressing the life issues, which may have contributed to the addiction in the first place. Counselling works primarily through the ability to listen, rephrase, highlight and add precision to an addictive situation. Many areas of life may be explored with the aim of helping the individual to be able to recall certain information.