Addiction Therapy

Everyone who enters addiction treatment is different, and no one solution can address everyone’s struggles. Therapists will collaborate with you to provide care specifically tailored to your needs. That way, you can expect a more effective treatment plan that addresses all aspects of your addiction. In therapy, you’ll identify your specific addiction triggers and work with your therapist to devise a plan to manage them. For instance, you might recognize particular people, places or challenging emotions that might cause you to turn to substances and follow a customized therapy plan to manage triggers and avoid relapse.

While therapy can help you reduce uncomfortable symptoms or feelings associated with addiction, it most importantly addresses why you experience these symptoms. You’ll better understand the underlying causes of your addiction, including any emotional or psychological issues that might have contributed to it. 

For instance, some people struggle to deal with or process their emotions appropriately. Others struggle with past trauma. Understanding underlying issues can help you better manage your addiction and prevent relapse. Focusing on all aspects of addiction, rather than just treating symptoms, is critical for real and lasting wellness. 

Addiction therapy can help individuals develop new coping skills and strategies to deal with cravings, triggers, and other challenges associated with addiction. This can help them to manage their addiction better and maintain sobriety over the long term. Examples of coping skills you might learn in therapy include:

• Mindfulness and relaxation techniques: Stress can often cause young adults to turn to substances or alcohol. But when you can work on easing tension on your own, you will no longer feel the need to rely on substances. Mindfulness is an evidence-based practice that can help you address problems more helpfully as it aims to keep you grounded in the present. Over time, these strategies can lead to less anxiety, stress, and depression.
• Exercise and nutrition: Substances can immensely impact your physical health. Getting active through exercise and eating nutritious meals can help nourish the body in recovery. It can also be an excellent coping skill for addiction triggers. Exercise can reduce stress, release dopamine and help you sleep better to prevent triggering feelings.
• Journal and find gratitude: Another tip you might learn in addiction therapy is journaling and practicing gratitude. These coping skills can help you find peace within yourself and appreciate all the good things in life. Therapists might encourage you to write down everything you’re grateful for or journal to relieve stress, release challenging emotions, and improve moods.
• Connect with others: Being around people who uplift us can help with addiction triggers and improve overall wellness. Therapists are your support system, as are the people you meet in group therapy. These people might be there for you in times of stress or to celebrate your successes. Many people find that the friends they make in treatment eventually become part of a long-term support system. 

Addiction therapy can help individuals improve their relationships with family members, friends, and others as they learn new communication skills and develop healthier ways of interacting with others. This can also help reduce feelings of isolation and loneliness, which are common among those struggling with addiction. 

You can also opt for family counseling services, leading to a healthier family dynamic and better communication. Family members can learn more about addiction and ways to support you while healing from its impact on your lives. 

Addiction therapy aims to alleviate symptoms and support recovery. This includes your overall health and wellness. While you’ll establish healthy coping mechanisms to handle urges and cravings, these coping skills can also translate into less overall stress, anxiety, anger, or depression. In therapy, you can improve your emotional regulation or awareness of your feelings and how to process or respond to them healthily.

Addiction therapy might also support your physical health by encouraging exercise and other forms of wellness as a way to handle symptoms. For instance, many people turn to nature or daily walks to help with symptoms of stress and anxiety. These healthy habits can improve your mental and physical wellness while helping you achieve your recovery goals.

Whether in individual addiction therapy or group counseling, you’ll find people willing to listen to you and provide support through every step of your recovery journey. Sometimes just talking to a professional can alleviate stress or sadness, as you know someone understands what you’re going through and can provide the validation and encouragement you need in tough times. At the same time, your support network can offer tips and strategies for specific issues you’re struggling with.

In group therapy, you’ll gain multiple perspectives from those going through similar experiences, which can help you feel less alone. This nonjudgmental environment provides a space to discuss struggles and receive encouragement and accountability to stay committed to recovery. You can also extend your empathy and help others, immensely benefiting your mental health. 

Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT) is an addiction therapy focused on helping individuals develop skills to manage their emotions, improve their relationships and tolerate distress without resorting to substance use. 

Here are some aspects of DBT that can help treat addiction:

• Mindfulness: Mindfulness techniques can help you better understand your thoughts, feelings, and urges to use substances and develop more effective coping strategies.
• Distress tolerance: DBT can teach you the skills to tolerate distress without turning to substances, such as distraction, self-soothing, and grounding. 
• Emotion regulation: You’ll also learn how to identify and label feelings, problem-solve, and manage intense emotions without turning to substances. 
• Interpersonal effectiveness: DBT can help you improve your relationships and communicate effectively through assertiveness training, active listening, and conflict resolution training. 
• Relapse prevention: Managing triggers for substance use, developing a relapse prevention plan, and improving abilities to cope with high-risk situations.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is a widely used form of psychotherapy effective in treating addiction. CBT focuses on first identifying and then working to change negative thought patterns and behaviors contributing to addiction.

CBT can help you:

• Identify triggers: You’ll gain insight into the motivations that might lead to your substance use, such as stress, negative emotions, or certain social situations. That way, you can come up with a plan to manage them.
• Challenge negative thoughts: CBT can help you challenge negative thoughts to develop a more positive outlook and improve coping mechanisms for stress and challenges.
• Establish coping skills: One of the most crucial components of CBT for addiction is building coping skills to manage addiction, such as relaxation techniques, problem-solving skills, and healthy communication.
• Build self-esteem: CBT helps individuals build self-esteem and confidence by focusing on their strengths and accomplishments rather than their weaknesses and mistakes.
• Setting goals: CBT helps individuals set realistic and achievable goals for their recovery, such as staying sober for a certain period, attending support group meetings, or practicing self-care activities.

Medication-Assisted Treatment (MAT) is an addiction treatment that uses medication combined with therapy and support services to manage substance use disorders. Overall, MAT can be an effective tool in managing addiction by reducing withdrawal symptoms, cravings, and the risk of relapse. MAT can help individuals achieve and maintain long-term recovery when combined with therapy and support services.

For example, medications like methadone, buprenorphine, or naltrexone can help individuals manage opioid addiction and reduce the risk of relapse. Other medications can help manage alcohol or nicotine addiction. MAT can also be used to treat people with co-occurring mental health issues like depression, anxiety, or bipolar disorder.

Motivational Interviewing (MI) is an effective counseling approach to treating addiction. MI is a patient-centered approach that focuses on helping individuals resolve ambivalence and build motivation for change.

Here are some ways in which MI can be used to treat addiction:

• Resolving ambivalence: MI helps individuals explore their ambivalence about changing their substance use. By identifying and exploring both the advantages and disadvantages of substance use, individuals can better understand their motivation for change.
• Building motivation: MI helps individuals build motivation for change by highlighting the positive aspects of change, such as improved health, relationships, and quality of life. By assisting individuals to connect their goals to their personal values and beliefs, MI can help individuals build intrinsic motivation for change.
• Strengthening self-efficacy: MI helps individuals develop a sense of self-efficacy or confidence in their ability to change their substance use. By highlighting past successes and strengths, individuals can build confidence in their ability to overcome obstacles and achieve their goals.

Many people in recovery also struggle with mental health issues like depression, PTSD, and anxiety, which is referred to as a dual diagnosis. Dual diagnosis takes an integrated approach that addresses both conditions simultaneously. For example, integrated group therapy provides addiction treatment and mental health care in a group setting. It focuses on both addiction and mental health issues, providing a supportive environment for individuals to share their experiences, learn from each other and maintain long-term recovery.