Patient-Focused Individualized Therapy
Highly-trained therapists utilize a wide range of therapeutic methods to provide each person with the treatment he or she needs to recover. Everyone’s life experiences are different; therefore, everyone needs a different combination of therapies. One-on-one therapy with a licensed therapist is the main component of effective inpatient rehab plans. Each patient can work through issues with a trained professional. The therapist can also help patients come up with alternative ways to relieve stress, drama and anxiety that is caused by everyday life.
Many people develop a substance abuse problem because they do not know how to handle those negative emotions. Through inpatient rehab, people can learn how to get through hard times without hazardous substances. At high quality treatment centers, therapists help patients look at their addiction from the outside so that patients can see how the actions have taken a toll on their life and relationships, then work on ways to fix those mistakes.
Individual therapy is a critical component of treatment that allows the individual to work through issues that require privacy and a more in-depth analysis. Cognitive behavioral therapy or CBT, is a hallmark of addiction medicine. The unhealthy and self-defeating thought cycles that existed while using must be challenged and CBT does just that. A therapist will work one on one with the patient to rewrite the internal dialogues and replace the reactionary thoughts with healthy and productive patterns of thought.
For example, every time a person is exposed to a particular trigger, his or her reaction is to think “drugs would make this situation better.” CBT works to intervene when such a thought arises and teaches the individual to challenge it with other thoughts that result in healthier behaviors. Over time, the old way of thinking is eliminated and a new, healthier person emerges.
Other individual therapeutic techniques are also utilized. Different techniques focus on different needs. Dialectical behavioral therapy or DBT, is another successful therapeutic technique employed by expert therapists. Still other treatments target trauma and help the individual to overcome specific past experiences that should be addressed in order for the person to live a happy and fulfilling life.
Peer-to-Peer Behavioral Learning: Group Therapy
Group therapy is another integral part of addiction treatment. The collaborative effort between patients provide priceless feedback and the variety perspectives elevates each person’s progress. Group therapy allows individuals to benefit from the collective experiences of group members.
Some people arrive at treatment weary of others, especially if the other person does not share the same background. It is common for people to more readily take advice from fellow patients who are in the same position as themselves over professionals. In cases such as this, the individual may get more from group therapy than individual therapy sessions. Group members encourage each other toward healthy behavior and help each other see situations more clearly.
For instance, a person may have a boyfriend or girlfriend who still uses. While expert therapists suggest it may be beneficial to cut ties in order to stay sober, the individual may dismiss such advice. However, the individual is far more likely to listen and register that the relationship is toxic when the suggestion is coming from a group of peers who have had similar experiences and may have suffered greatly as a consequence of such a significant other.
Group therapy provides a platform through which each group member can help change others’ lives for the better, while simultaneously his or her own life is elevated. The treatment benefits that fellow patients provide each other is one of the most commonly used and successful tools used in recovery programs.
Speaking about past experiences in a group setting can help patients realize that they are not the only one struggling with addiction. Other people have also been put into lows in life because of drugs and alcohol. This makes it easier for other people to see that sobriety is an option because other people have done it before them. In group therapy, patients will also regain some social skills and social acceptable behaviors. In most cases, people who have an addiction put their drugs and alcohol first hurting all their relationships with friends and family.
