Is Reality Therapy in Addiction Treatment Beneficial or Harmful
Is Reality Therapy in Addiction Treatment Beneficial or Harmful
Reality therapy in addiction treatment is an interesting and workable approach. It is an approach that engages those who take part in it quite a bit. Reality therapy is based on the belief that we all choose what we do with our lives and that we are responsible for our choices in the long run. In this particular context, responsibility is defined as learning to choose certain behaviors that satisfy our needs and, at the same time, to not deprive others of a chance to do the same for themselves.
The focus of Reality therapy is unique too, and it is quite beneficial for those rehab centers that ultimately choose to engage in it. Reality therapy in addiction treatment concentrates on the troubled addict’s behavior choices in his or her approach to self-realization.
Using Reality Therapy in Addiction Treatment
Some guidelines used by the mentors include:
- Be friendly and actually listen to the person.
- Focus on the present. In fact, only focus on past events if they relate easily to the current situation and affect it in some major way.
- Make sure that you make an honest effort at trying to discuss feelings and physiological responses as part of total behavior in the client. In doing this, always relate feelings and physiology to concurrent actions and thoughts over which the person has more direct control in their day to day life. Really get them to see the connection.
- Make responsibility and accountability a must. Accept no excuses for irresponsible behavior at all. Definitely, do not take any excuses particularly when a person fails to do what he or she has expressed an intention to do.
- Make sure that you avoid punishing, criticizing, or attempting to protect the person from the reasonable consequences of behavior that come about from drug abuse. Be careful how you treat their behavior and the consequences of their actions.
Using Reality Therapy in Addiction Treatment to Create Permanent Sobriety
When all of the cards are on the table, reality therapy in addiction treatment basically focuses on two major parts.
These parts are:
- Part One: Where are you now? What is the reality of the situation right now? What is your behavior like right now, what are you doing right now, and how healthy are you, your family members, and those are you are given your drug or alcohol abuse. What is your responsibility as of right now? These are the points that need to be considered, hence the “Reality” part of the approach.
- Part Two: Where do you see yourself in a year? What are your goals? How do you want to start taking more responsibility for your life? How does the future look? These points delve into what the future needs to look like, so the recovering individual will be inspired to start making positive and focused changes in their lives.
All in all, this truly is an excellent and a workable addiction treatment program. This approach works wonders on those who just need that little bit of an extra push to really get the recovery that they need from drug and alcohol addiction. It is with this program that people are actually able to move forward and face life anew.
