Treatment Therapies for Drug and Alcohol Addiction
Whether you enroll in inpatient treatment, an intensive outpatient program, or outpatient addiction treatment, the majority of your individualized care plan will be rooted in treatment therapy. In fact, you will participate in several different types of treatment therapies during addiction rehabilitation. Many of these are evidence-based (meaning that they have been clinically proven to be effective).
One of the greatest benefits of therapy for addiction is that what you learn in therapy will stay with you. It doesn’t matter how your treatment plan is built, how long you remain in treatment, or what steps you take to integrate back into your everyday life. Addiction treatment therapy helps guide the way. Furthermore, you can continue to engage in therapy that furthers your progress in recovery.
At A Forever Recovery, we understand that every addict is unique, and no single approach to addiction treatment and recovery will work for each and every individual. That’s why we provide multiple program tracks and addiction treatment therapies in the United States that are tailored for various beliefs and lifestyle preferences for an effective and personal path to overcoming addiction. If you or a loved one is in need of treatment for substance abuse, we’ve outlined the different types of therapies we use to help people get sober and stay sober.
Types of Addiction Treatment Therapies
Addiction is a disease that, while not curable, is completely treatable. Think of addiction like other diseases, such as diabetes or cancer. If you do nothing about it, it progresses and can ultimately lead to death. Addiction is fatal when not treated, which is why enrolling in professional addiction therapy in the United States is the best step to take. Therapy is critical if you want to learn how to live a life of recovery.
- MRT Therapy – MRT, or moral recognition therapy, is a therapy designed for those individuals in the criminal justice system who are resistant to treatment. Using this behavioral approach, patients are encouraged to increase their moral reasoning through activities and exercises. Studies have shown that MRT leads to significant decreases in recidivism and relapse.
- Anger Management – The inability to have control over one’s behaviors is the baseline for issues like addiction and anger problems. Anger management is one of the most common types of treatment therapy for those struggling with substance use disorders and mental illness. After all, it helps patients learn how to manage their anger without causing harm.
- Stress Management — Stress is tied to addiction in more ways than one. For example, one person might experience stress first and then begin drinking in order to deal with it. Or, another person’s drug or alcohol addiction might trigger stress. When in recovery for addiction, learning how to handle stress without becoming overwhelmed is key to maintaining sobriety. This type of therapy allows patients the chance to develop those skills and apply them to real-life situations.
- Family Addiction Therapy — Addiction is a family disease, meaning that the entire family becomes impacted by a family member’s addiction. When the addict reaches out for professional help, his or her family can also benefit from treatment by participating in family therapy. Families can start to build a new, strong foundation comprised of trust, boundaries, compassion, and information.
- Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT)
- Dialectical behavioral therapy (DBT)
- Trauma therapy (e.g. eye movement desensitization and reprocessing, or EMDR)
- Motivational interviewing
- Contingency management
- Individual therapy
- Group counseling
- Experiential therapy
- Holistic therapy
- Mental health counseling
All patients are assessed before they go to treatment. During that assessment, staff members develop a therapeutic plan for the patient. This addiction treatment plan will include some of these therapies – depending on a patient’s individual needs. As the patient progresses in treatment, he or she may begin different types of therapies to support that progress.
Benefits of Therapy For Drug and Alcohol Addiction
- Decreased stress levels
- Cessation of active substance abuse
- Reduction in mood swings and erratic behavior
- Clear thinking
- Improvement of physical health
- Ability to utilize relapse prevention skills
- Better communication
- Greater knowledge of addiction as a disease
- Addressing problematic issues that led to the substance abuse
- Promotion of spiritual and emotional healing
- Healthier processing of thoughts and feelings
Anytime someone begins therapy at a drug or alcohol rehab, they automatically benefit just by being there. No longer are they in an environment where their active abuse can thrive. Instead, they are in a space where they can learn how to live free of addictive substances and the pain that goes with it. The cessation of active substance abuse also eliminates any further physical or psychological risks, as well as the possibility of overdose.
In addition to addressing the psychological symptoms of addiction, substance abuse treatment usually encourages participation in aftercare and recovery support groups, such as Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) and Narcotics Anonymous (NA). This type of ongoing support helps provide a full continuum of care to effectively treat addiction in the long-term.
Professional Therapy for Substance Abuse in the United States?
If you are dealing with a substance use disorder and need help overcoming the challenges associated with this disease, reach out to A Forever Recovery right now. Our staff specializes in providing evidence-based treatment therapy to our patients. No matter what your needs are, we have addiction treatment therapies of all types available that will meet your needs. You do not have to do this alone. We are here to support you. Call us today.