5 Things To Know About Addiction Therapy To Make It Less Intimidating

Getting therapy for addiction is a big step. For a lot of people, this step can seem intimidating. If you’ve never been to an inpatient treatment center or received outpatient counseling, you may not know what to expect from your experience. 

However, when you know some of the benefits of getting addiction therapy, you may find it a little easier to ask for help. Below are the top five benefits of receiving therapy for substance abuse. 

1. Understanding Community 

Addiction treatment often includes group therapy or support groups, both of which can make you feel less alone. Addiction is a highly isolating disorder. It often causes people to withdraw from friends and loved ones. Furthermore, if you don’t know anybody else with an addiction, you may feel as if you’re the only one who understands what you’re going through. 

If you participate in group therapy, however, you’ll meet several other people who also deal with substance abuse. By listening to others in the group, you can reduce feelings of loneliness.  

2. Safe Environment 

Addiction often puts people in dangerous situations. Not only is drug use itself harmful to your health, but it may also result in risky behavior. 

Furthermore, some people abuse drugs to cope with unsafe situations. Heroin, for example, can provide a false sense of safety, even when the person using it is in danger. 

Addiction therapy can provide a measure of safety as you start your recovery, and it can point you toward resources that may help you remove yourself from dangerous situations. 

Inpatient rehab is especially beneficial in this regard, since it houses patients during both daytime and nighttime hours. By participating in rehab, you can keep yourself away from people and places that may put you in danger. 

3. Different Types of Therapy 

During addiction treatment, you may explore different substance abuse therapies. For example, counselors may use cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) to help you identify unhelpful thought patterns. They may use motivational interviewing to help you identify your goals. Other types of addiction therapy can include: 

• Animal-assisted therapy 
• Art therapy 
• Dialectical behavioral therapy (DBT) 
• Rational emotive behavioral therapy (REBT) 
• Recreation therapy 

Doctors and counselors use many kinds of therapy to treat patients with addictions. Because each patient is different, everyone responds best to different options. The best way to find out which kind of therapy will work for you is to try a variety of treatments. However, since there are so many choices, it’s easy to get overwhelmed. 

Addiction treatment centers can make the choice less overwhelming. Many of these centers use multiple kinds of therapy, all in one place. Participants don’t have to visit multiple locations to try different methods and find out which methods work best for them. 

4. Addressing Co-Occurring Disorders

Substance abuse is a complex issue. According to some sources, roughly half of people with an addiction also deal with a co-occurring disorder such as anxiety or depression. 

Addiction can worsen other mental health conditions, and vice versa. That’s why many addiction treatment programs also address co-occurring conditions. If you deal with another mental health condition in addition to substance use, addiction therapy can help you find healthy coping strategies for both.  

5. Beginning Your Path to Recovery 

Of course, the biggest benefit of addiction therapy is that it can help you begin your recovery. When people recover from addiction, they notice positive changes in their physical, mental, and behavioral health. 

Addiction is a treatable illness. If you have a substance use disorder, talk to your doctor about treatment options, or look for substance abuse therapists in your area.

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