The Role Of Therapy In Addiction Treatment Plans

Addiction is an illness, and it can be deemed as one of the most challenging ailments to treat. It’s both a mental and physical affliction, making treatments comprehensive and difficult to do. Most people assume that addiction only entails detoxification from the drug, but it’s only the first of endless steps an individual needs to do.

Bear in mind that recovering from addiction is a lifelong process, and every day can be an uphill battle. There will always be a temptation to overcome, which makes things harder to do. Relapse happens more often than one may think, so it’s integral that individuals commit themselves to therapy programs. 

These programs can be done in either a group or individual setting, all of which ensure a well-rounded recovery process. These groups allow people to build new and positive relationships, learn from each other, and above all, practice their social skills as they integrate back into society.

To learn more about the importance of therapy in an individual’s addiction treatment plan, here is a quick and easy guide to follow:

An Overview On Therapy For Addiction: How can it help?

Therapy is an important part of achieving holistic help. In terms of addiction recovery, however, integrating it into the overall treatment plan can make the following positive impacts:

• Modifies attitudes and behaviours
• Boosts other forms of treatment, such as detoxification and medication
• Increases healthy skills and habits

Understanding Outpatient and Inpatient Therapies 

Therapy can happen in a variety of settings, but the most commonly used ones happen either in an outpatient or inpatient setting. Here’s a quick overview of both:

Outpatient behavioural treatment

An outpatient behavioural treatment uses a variety of programs, but these are made for patients who are required to visit counsellors in set schedules. Most of these programs include individual and group counselling, aimed to support already ongoing treatments. 

Bear in mind that therapy sessions will be intensive at the beginning, as patients will need to attend multiple sessions every week. Once deemed ready for regular sessions, a transition period will ensue. Here, meetings will become less frequent, likely only lasting a few hours per week for further treatment support. 

Inpatient behavioural treatment

When it comes to more severe problems, inpatient or residential treatment can be more effective. Treatment facilities provide intensive care for the recovering, ensuring that they get necessary medical attention, safe homes, and of course, therapy. These programs are always geared towards helping an individual recover from their drug dependency. Here are some of the most commonly used:

• Therapeutic communities: These are programs welcoming patients, providing them with a treatment plan that lasts for up to 12 months.
• Shorter-term residential treatment: These programs offer detoxification and intensive counselling programs.
• Recovery housing: These are supervised and short-term, designed to help people transition back into society.

Saying “Yes” To A Full Recovery 

Abandoning the dependence on drugs can be easier said than done. As previously mentioned, addiction is a disease of the mind. It requires a steady treatment plan involving both physical and mental areas, and can be a lifelong process needed to ward off cravings and relapses. It’s important to make sure that you receive the drug abuse treatment you need—and that should include therapy.

For the best counselling services in Guelph University, Chettiar Counselling & Associates has you covered. We offer psychotherapy, which allows you to process your pain in a healthy and non-judgemental way. Begin your journey of change—get a free phone consultation today.