The other group of people with substance abuse problems do not do it as a lifestyle but instead use the substance as a way of self-medicating to deal with anger, sadness, anxiety or quilt. People who self-medicate may do well in traditional treatment at first only to relapse over and over again when something triggers the emotions that have never been dealt with. At Russell Associates we offer specialized assessment and counseling to address the roots of these emotional reactions so that they can no longer trigger relapses.

Compulsive and addictive behaviors including obsessive/compulsive disorder, gambling, sexual addictions, eating disorders, etc. often work very much like alcohol and substance abuse. The behaviors are ways of controlling strong emotional reactions of anxiety, anger, sadness, loneliness or guilt. At Russell Associates we identify and resolve these emotional roots.