What is Psychotherapy and Can It Help Addiction Recovery?
Most people struggling with an addiction to drugs or alcohol have factors that led them to addiction. Aside from genetic risk factors, you may be struggling with other issues that make you keep turning to drugs and alcohol. The biopsychosocial model of addiction aims to help treat the whole person when it comes to the disease of addiction. This means that treatment involves looking at psychological and social issues that may be contributing to your addiction. In order to recover, psychotherapy is a key component.
How Psychotherapy Works
Although the term is used quite often, many people ask, “What is psychotherapy?” Psychotherapy integrates psychological methods with traditional therapy, and science has proven that many of these practices can help people overcome their addiction. Through psychotherapy, you’ll work closely with a therapist who can help you get down to the root causes of your addiction and begin gaining new tools to achieve long-term recovery.
So, how does psychotherapy work? The process starts by meeting with a therapist to begin talk therapy. You might be one of the many people struggling with addiction who feels as though nobody understands what you’re going through. When working with a therapist, you’re in a safe, nonjudgmental space where you can open up about what you’re currently going through as well as your past. The most crucial part of this process is to be as open and honest as possible. Everything you discuss is completely confidential, and the more information you give your therapist, the better.
After an initial evaluation, you and your therapist will work together to discover the treatment method that will work best for you. Some of the most common forms of psychotherapy for overcoming addiction include cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), psychoanalytic therapy, rational emotive behavioral therapy (REBT), and dialectical behavior therapy (DBT). In some cases, you may experiment with various forms of therapy and use multiple forms of therapy to improve your life. Some of these therapeutic methods intertwine. The overall goal is to develop an individualized approach that works for you.
Psychotherapy for Mental Illness and Relationships
When asking, “What is psychotherapy?” it’s beneficial to know that psychotherapy can help you with more than just your struggles with addiction. Many people struggling with addiction turned to drugs and relapse because they were dealing with an underlying mental illness. You may also struggle with staying sober because your family doesn’t have the proper tools to help support your recovery. While your family may love and care about you, they may not know how to support your newfound sobriety.
Various forms of psychotherapy can help you with overcoming symptoms of depression, anxiety, trauma and other forms of mental illness. You may have some biological factors playing a role in your mental health, but psychotherapy can help just as much or more as medications. For example, some studies show that Cognitive Behavioral Therapy is just as effective as antidepressant medications. Rational Emotive Behavioral Therapy is not only a great therapy for addiction, but it can also help with anxiety as well as anger management issues because it helps you become more rational in your thinking and behaviors.
If your loved ones want to aid in your recovery process, family therapy is an excellent resource. In recovery, one of the best things you can do is begin repairing family relationships. Family therapy isn’t only about teaching your family how to deal with your recovery. It’s also about self-reflection and learning to grow. Therapists conduct these sessions, and the whole family learns about addiction as well as how to begin the healing process.
What Is Psychotherapy for Addiction Recovery?
Kemah Palms Recovery® provides addiction treatment services for anyone who is interested in overcoming addiction. Through psychotherapy and other methods, our goal is to help you achieve a sense of hope and know that it’s possible to turn your life around. We’re here to help you and your loved ones begin on the path of recovery together. We offer inpatient and outpatient services as well as a medical detox program. If you’re ready to learn how to get sober and stay sober, call us today today.