Addiction Counselling

Addiction Counselling

Addiction has the potential to control all areas of your life, whether it be drug or alcohol addiction, it can lead to or be caused by serious mental health issues.

Addiction counselling can contribute to finding the root of the addiction, unearthing why it began and stopping the spread like any other illness. So, find out below what addiction counselling is and how you can use it to combat drug or alcohol addiction in and out of rehab.

What is Addiction Counselling?

Addiction counselling is a form of therapy that can help you to combat the mental health complications that come with addiction. It helps you to recognise and manage conditions such as:

• Depression
• Anxiety
• Paranoia
• Delusions
• Risk-taking behaviour
• Suicidal throughs
• Hallucinations
• Insomnia

These mental health issues need to be dealt with for you to make any progress with your addiction treatment, your addiction recovery may be bumpy without addiction counselling.

But what exactly does addiction counselling involve?

Well, to begin with, you will talk to a therapist about your addiction and your experiences. This will be in a safe space, so you must be as honest and open as possible; remember, you have nothing to fear – no one will judge you there.

Once your therapist understands your mental state, they will teach you how to understand it yourself. This includes you getting to know the triggers for your cravings. These triggers are often associated with trauma or stress.

So, for example, someone who was involved in a traumatic car accident may be triggered by riding in a car.

These triggers for your cravings are your brain looking to numb your fight or flight response. This response is because your brain feels as though it is in danger, and it uses drugs or alcohol as a way to deal with this danger.

During addiction counselling, you will learn healthier coping strategies to replace substance abuse. This is so that you can identify your triggers and take action before your cravings cause you to experience a relapse.

Addiction counselling is provided as part of your treatment in rehab and often post-rehab too, as a part of long term relapse prevention. It is a very important step on your journey to long-term recovery and gets to the root of the addiction catalyst.

Types of Therapies Offered at Rehab

Different types of therapy work for different people. That is because addiction doesn’t have one simple cause, many different factors can lead to addiction, including:

• Undiagnosed mental illness
• Disability
• Chronic pain
• Chronic fatigue
• Trauma
• Domestic abuse
• PTSD
• C-PTSD
• Depression
• Anxiety
• Chronic insomnia
• Paranoia
• Exposure at a young age
• Genetic vulnerability

With all these different factors, you need to understand that different therapies are necessary.

The different forms of therapy can include, but are not limited to:

Individual Therapy

Individual therapy is the widest-known form of therapy. It involves you and a therapist working to understand and deal with your addiction type.

This option can be very good if you have an undiagnosed mental illness, as it can start the process of getting you a diagnosis.

Then, with a diagnosis, you will be able to access treatments and maybe even medications to help you get through everyday life without battling with your own self.

Group Therapy

Group therapy is often associated with addiction recovery in rehab and post rehab. It allows you and other people who are struggling with a drug or alcohol addiction to meet together and talk about your shared experiences.

It is an open environment where you can be supported by people who really understand what you are going through.

They are often associated with alcoholics anonymous and narcotics anonymous, which are support groups that follow the 12 steps to help you overcome your addiction. Similarly, group therapy has the power to make you feel less isolated and makes you truly believe that you’re not alone.

Talking therapies

Talking therapies or cognitive behavioural therapy is all about retraining your brain.

For example, you have something that will trigger you to experience a panic attack. Well, as part of cognitive behavioural therapy, you will learn ways to centre yourself and distract your mind. So you will slowly teach yourself to expect the calming techniques rather than the substance abuse that you have previously used.

Mindfulness techniques and coping mechanisms are taught as part of this as it is essentially changing the view of substance being a coping mechanism to you being able to do this solely on your own through healthier means.

Relapse Prevention

Relapse prevention is a key part of addiction treatment, once you’re discharged from rehab; one way this is done is through a relapse prevention plan.

A relapse prevention plan will be given to you after you finish your drug and alcohol addiction treatment. It will contain strategies that you can incorporate into your everyday life while encouraging a lifestyle change that helps you live clean.

It can be difficult, but it is your best path forward to long-term recovery.

How Does Addiction Counselling Treat Addiction?

Addiction is difficult to combat on your own.

Addiction recovery may seem simple in hindsight, but in reality, it is an incredibly complicated process that works best with assistance.

The only way you can be sure that you are moving in the right direction is with the help of addiction counselling.

With addiction counselling, you have access to support and knowledge that will help you adjust your lifestyle to something that allows you to be healthy. It helps you to deal with your mental health problems and start living a better life.

Without addiction counselling, you may manage to go a little while without drugs or alcohol, but without long-term plans and support, relapse is probable.

Addiction counselling treats addiction by teaching you how to replace your substance abuse with healthier coping mechanisms. It will show you a path forward that works for you, your lifestyle and your needs.

Seek Addiction Treatment with Action Rehab

We are Action Rehab, and we offer referral services for those who are struggling with a drug or alcohol addiction.

Feel free to call at 0151 268 6992 where you can talk to a member of our team about your addiction experiences.

From there, we will be able to refer you to a drug and alcohol rehab centre that can meet your needs. We will make sure where you are going is safe and fully vetted so you can take the guesswork out of your recovery journey.

We are here to make this difficult time as easy on you as possible.