Treatment is no a doubt a long term commitment but do not fret since the options now available are vast. Every person has a chance at recovery; you just need to find the perfect therapy fit according to your personal goals and needs. Professionals working with drug addiction treatment ensure each person has an individualized treatment which incorporates the type of therapies and mode of treatment best suitable for them, targeting a specific person’s goals and areas of life addiction has affected the most. Therefore, the journey towards recovery can be unique but never impossible.
Drug addiction treatment usually goes through a set pattern always beginning with Detoxification. Moving forward, inpatient or outpatient rehab is sought depending on a number of different factors ranging form severity, personal choice to financial concerns. Sometimes a person might begin with inpatient treatment and gradually shift to outpatient setting due to the ongoing progress.
Top 8 Therapies For Drug Addiction Treatment
The most important element within treatment guaranteeing long term success is the therapeutic technique applied by the psychologist. Therapies help the recoveree address underlying causes of their addiction while building skills to manage triggers and regulate behavior. These therapies range from individual, group to family therapies. The most effective and commonly used are:
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is based on the presumption that destructive actions come about from distorted thinking patterns. It helps identify the connection between thoughts, feelings and actions to help the person gain back control over their behavior. The irrational thoughts that give way to negative feelings and eventually lead the person to resort to destructive coping skills such as, alcohol abuse are identified and challenged. CBT helps people address the underlying cause of their addiction by identifying the negative thoughts that trigger such actions and focuses on changing those maladaptive patterns through logical evaluations negating the negative triggers. Eventually the recoveree learns to challenge their automatic thoughts on their own and refutes the irrational ones curbing their addictive behavior.
Contingency Management
Contingency management is a type of behavioral therapy based on the principles of positive reinforcement it helps manage the addiction behavior by providing contingent rewards. Each time a desirable behavior is shown that pushes the individual towards sobriety, it is rewarded with an external reward such as a material good, gift voucher or even other natural reinforcers such as better health or improved relationships. The most beneficial aspect of contingency management is that it has lower treatment dropout rates and also lesser relapse is reported.
Motivational Interviewing
Motivational interviewing while used independently is also recommended to be introduced before any kind of therapy. This technique helps the individual find their own motivation to seek treatment and curbs any second thoughts surrounding sobriety. Instead of being forced and coerced into treatment they are facilities by the therapist to recognize their own goals and intrinsic motivation towards treatment. Such inclusivity gives the client a sense of control and provides them with a sense of purpose making their recovery process much more efficient. When an individual seeks treatment out of free will they are more likely to stick to it.
Dialectical Behavioral Therapy
This therapeutic approach is recommended for extreme cases within drug abuse. Clients that are inclined towards self-harm or report suicidal ideations must be assisted with dialectical behavioral therapy. It particularly emphasizes on helping individuals avoid destructive behaviors by being mindful and instead acquire positive coping skills. It particularly deals with immediate intervention in cases of extremely destructive behaviors by teaching the much needed skills to control emotions, manage craving and avoiding triggers.
Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT)
Rational emotive behavior therapy much like cognitive behavior therapy focuses on changing maladaptive thought patterns to constructive and adaptive ones. However REBT focuses more on the internal belief system and helps the individual developed an internal locus of control by helping identify that their actions are not a result of external situations but their own thoughts and negative emotions. The goal is to build a positive belief system, constructive thinking patterns that in turn regulate positive emotions and avoid destructive actions such as, drug abuse.
Family Therapy
Families are an integral part of the treatment process for addiction because of two major reasons: the unhealthy family dynamics might be enabling the addictive behavior or/and the addiction has estranged familial relationships and affected other members as well. Family therapy provides a safe space for all members to share their side of the story, how they have been impacted by a fellow family member’s addiction. The therapist then helps build better communication and facilitates conflict resolution restoring heathier family dynamics.
Secondly, sometimes unknowingly families can also be contributing to a person’s addictive behavior, they might be enabling the said problem due to strained relationships, aggressive outburst or even scapegoating a particular member can eventually push them toward self-destruction. Family therapy offers an opportunity to address the underlying causes of addiction within a family and work with those. Family members are included in the recoveree’s journey as facilitators since they are an integral supportive network for long term success.
12-Step Facilitation
Based on the 12-step self-help approach this intervention technique offers support and understanding from likeminded individuals with similar experiences. This technique is a type of group therapy that connects the person with other recovered or sober individuals who have come out of similar experiences and can help better guide the current person through the process. Such approaches help the recoveree feel understood and not alienated, it also helps to have examples that make one realize that recovery is in fact possible. The main agenda of this technique is to maintain sobriety even when formal treatment has ended.
Matrix Model
The Matrix model is more of a recovery technique that helps maintain sobriety. It includes a combination of several therapies which collectively reinforce desirable behaviors while encouraging heathier thought patterns and building self-esteem of the recoveree to avoid resorting to negative coping skills. While commonly used with stimulant abusers it can incorporate both group and family therapies as well.
As evident, multiple paths can be taken towards betterment; the key to success within treatment is in finding the right fit for you. Based on the explanations offered you can assess what works best according to your personality traits for example whether you learn quicker form contingencies or is it easier to modify thoughts? Such assessments will eventually lead you towards the right course. Happy Recovery!
