The treatment options for alcohol and substance abuse are numerous, and one of these is therapy. While you might start with taking medications that help manage withdrawal symptoms and help you stay away from alcohol and substance, therapy is needed for ongoing treatment. Therapy and counseling help you stay away from alcohol and substance, and since these help to treat other conditions that contribute to alcohol and substance abuse, they are highly effective.
Moreover, no matter how mentally strong you are at times, stressful situations and environment might make you want to use substances and drink alcohol again.
1. Outpatient or residential treatment
You can get outpatient treatment or residential treatment. In residential therapy, you will be sent to a facility up to a certain period. When you stay in that facility, you will be able to inculcate new habits that will enable you to kick your habits of addiction. This is different from outpatient therapy. In this, you will go to the program for hours per day although you will live somewhere else. Residential therapy is more expensive compared to outpatient programs which is why doctors usually advise people to opt for outpatient programs. However, you will need to discuss with your doctor about which type of therapy is best for you.
2. Group therapy
Group therapy is the better option of all the therapy treatment options for alcohol and substance abuse. This is because you get to interact and learn from other people who are going through the same problems as you. Hence, you will feel like you are a part of a group. Individual therapy is great as it focuses on your individual needs. If you have a mental health condition that requires separate treatment then individual therapy will be recommended by your doctor. Alcoholics Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous are support groups that can help but since there isn’t a trained psychotherapist involved, it doesn’t come under group therapy.
3. Family or couple therapy
Since addiction affects your family, you can benefit from family therapy or couple therapy. When you have a strong relationship with your loved ones, then it makes the recovery process much easier and smoother. Research has found that family therapy works well and people tend to relapse less if they had this therapy. Family therapy helps increase the level of understanding between family members and enables everyone in the family to work as a unit. This can make you feel like a part of a team again, and it will make you more motivated to recover, whether it is from substance abuse or alcohol abuse.
4. Cognitive-behavioral therapy
Cognitive-behavioral therapy or CBT is common. In this, you can notice what causes you to turn to alcohol and substance. You are taught how you can safely avoid these triggering situations by a therapist. You are taught how your thoughts and moods can be kept in control so that you don’t turn to substance and alcohol. It can have a positive impact on you that can go beyond just addiction. It can make you think positively. Other therapies that your doctor can recommend are motivational interviewing, contingency management therapy, and maintenance therapy.
The risk of relapse is too high even after successful detoxification has taken place. That is because although you are physically ready to avoid alcohol and substance, there is always a chance that something might trigger you to get back to your old habits. This is why therapy and counseling can be one of the best treatment options for alcohol and substance abuse that have a long-lasting effect and impact on you. These help support other forms of treatment that you are getting. When you are willing to change, then nothing in the world can stop you from living a quality of life you have always dreamed about.