Substance Use

Maybe you’re not positive that you want to quit, but you know that you want to reduce the amount of substances you use.

Perhaps you feel like you need to drink or use drugs in order to socialize, function at work, or parent effectively. You might not be using 24/7, but you still feel dependent on substances—you feel like you can’t regulate your emotions without them. As a result, you may be thinking it’s time to moderate your habit and be more self-reliant. For the first time, you may be considering counseling for substance abuse.

Over time, your substance use could take a toll on your mental health.

Although you probably drink or smoke weed to deal with your emotional issues, perhaps your habit has started to negatively impact your mental health. Maybe you find yourself pulling away from your loved ones and becoming more disconnected and isolated. Part of you wants to reach out, but another part of you feels too ashamed. You might be worried about what other people will think of you if you admit you have a drinking or drug problem.

At the Therapy for Women Center in Philadelphia, we provide a safe, shame-free space where you can share your struggles with substance abuse without any fear of judgment. Our therapists are trained and equipped to help you manage your triggers and cravings, create healthier outlets for stress relief, and live a life that’s free from dependency.

We live in a culture where it’s hard to escape substances.

In many ways, substance use is intertwined with everyday life in our society. This is especially the case with drinking, since alcohol is so widely accepted as a social lubricant, although it’s quickly becoming the case with marijuana, too. So much of everyday socializing is synonymous with drinking and smoking. For many, the idea of hanging out with friends isn’t complete with weed or booze.

Because of how ubiquitous drinking and drug use are, it’s very hard to quit. Doing so can be very isolating. Since many people are simply expected to engage in substances with their friends, they often get asked “why?” or receive strange looks if they don’t. This creates a culture of pressure that’s hard to escape. As a result, many people are beginning to turn to therapy, since it provides a safe space to work through their habit away from the pressures of the outside world.

You don’t need to have a serious problem to quit using substances.

Many people feel conflicted about addressing their drug and alcohol use. They might think, “Well, I’m not addicted, so do I really need to stop?” The truth is that you don’t need to be using 24/7 to seek support. You might not crave drugs or alcohol every hour of every day, but perhaps you’ve become dependent on them in certain circumstances—you use substances to calm your nerves in social situations or cope with the stress of parenting. As a result, maybe you’re looking to reduce your dependency.

At our practice, we’ve seen more and more women question their drinking and using habits. Many of them have realized that you don’t need to call yourself an “alcoholic” or “addict” in order to cut back on your substance use. They’ve simply recognized that substances no longer serve them and they’ve decided to become less reliant on them.