The Role of Therapy in Addiction Recovery

Addiction is a complex issue, as many factors can cause it and result in many different changes in one’s life. Therefore, tailoring therapy in addiction recovery is essential to one’s specific needs, backgrounds, and circumstances. Therapy provides emotional, psychological, and behavioral support, and it’s an irreplaceable part of one’s rehabilitation.

We at Tranquility Recovery Center believe in a holistic approach, aiding your body, mind, and spirit. Our professional services can be instrumental in achieving a lasting recovery. We want to help you overcome your current struggles and empower you to take charge of your life and live to your full potential. Keep reading to learn about how we do that through therapy in addiction recovery.

Understanding the Core Focus of Therapy in Addiction Recovery

Therapy in addiction recovery is a crucial step for modifying the attitudes and behaviors of addicts related to drug use. Although many substance abuse disorders will require medication to cleanse the body from the drug and balance out changed brain chemicals, only psychotherapy can lead to a lasting change.

The focus of therapy in addiction is behavioral change. To ensure this, psychotherapy can use different techniques and work on different aspects of one’s addiction. Psychotherapy can work on seeking underlying or root causes for one’s addiction. An analysis conducted with a therapist may reveal trauma, stress, or mental health disorders in the back of one’s addiction. Once discovered, root causes cannot be changed, but in psychotherapy, you can learn to manage feelings related to them and respond to them in a healthy and adaptive way.

Therapy in addiction recovery will enable clients to handle stressful situations with various triggers that might cause relapse. Furthermore, behavioral therapies can enhance the effectiveness of medications and help patients remain in residential rehab longer. With that, psychotherapy contributes to adherence to treatment programs and, eventually, a successful outcome.

Types of Therapy Used in Addiction Recovery

There is no one perfect therapy for addiction recovery. Several therapeutic approaches can successfully address the issue of addiction, and sometimes the best results are achieved when these approaches are combined. Tranquility Recovery Center relies on the following approaches:

• Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is an evidence-based approach that aims to identify irrational beliefs and thinking patterns that can lead to maladaptive behaviors, including substance abuse. It analyzes and reframes those beliefs so they become rational and, consequently, lead to adaptive behavior. CBT develops skills and healthy coping mechanisms that help with life challenges or stressors.
• Dialectical behavior therapy (DBT), as part of therapy for addiction recovery, aims to complement the CBT approach by developing a mindset focused on a balance between change and acceptance. It helps one rid oneself of the black-and-white ways of thinking and adopt a mindset in which a change need not be the complete opposite of the current state. This fine balance helps one accept things that cannot be changed, such as one’s past.
• Family therapy is a form of group therapy in addiction recovery that involves family members and uses family dynamics to work on potential issues and causes for addiction within the family. It can also bring about issues and events from the past that could have contributed to the addiction. This approach aims to empower all family members to take an active role in supporting an addict and addressing issues like enabling or poor communication.

The Role of Psychotherapy in Treating Substance Use Disorders

In many cases, psychotherapy as a standalone treatment is insufficient to treat addiction. However, it’s important to notice that medications as a standalone therapy is also insufficient to treat addiction. Psychotherapy in addiction recovery is a perfect complementary method to medical treatment. 

Psychotherapy has a lifelong impact and molds new healthy behavioral patterns. Therefore, psychotherapy is not a treatment that ends with inpatient rehab. It is rather an approach that can be continuously implemented to ensure that the person remains on the right track. This is why psychotherapy is typically a part of aftercare plans and continuous support. Whether individual or group, psychotherapy helps maintain a healthy mindset, healthy habits, and a support network.

Another very important reason for the inclusion of psychotherapy in addiction treatment is the fact that it can address dual diagnoses. A dual diagnosis is a co-occurrence of mental health issues and substance abuse disorders. In many cases, substance abuse disorders are a result of psychological trauma, overwhelming stress, and unhealthy coping mechanisms for symptoms of mental disorders. Psychotherapy can approach both of these conditions and treat them simultaneously to produce a long-lasting positive effect on a person’s behavior. 

It might seem that medications treat only symptoms and psychotherapy treats only causes. Still, the truth is that they both impact needs and how they are satisfied, proving once again that both approaches are necessary for lifelong change. 

How Drug Therapy Complements Psychotherapy

As mentioned above, psychotherapy and medication treatment are complementary methods ensuring a smooth addiction recovery. An integrated approach is necessary to ensure a lasting positive change. Furthermore, as a holistic approach to treating addiction gives the best results, combining medications and psychotherapy ensures that body, mind, and spirit are equally addressed in the process.

The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) declares that for certain substance abuse disorders (for instance, opioid addiction), medications are the first line of attack, and detoxification is typically a necessary step irrelevant to the substance one is addicted to. Detoxification, or detox for short, is part of the addiction treatment process that focuses on cleansing the body from the substance one is addicted to. Typically, during detox, when one is abstaining from the use of the substance, withdrawal symptoms that can be highly uncomfortable appear. In addition to being uncomfortable, the detoxing process itself can be dangerous if not handled properly. In the efforts to address withdrawal symptoms, addicts might use drugs they know nothing about or have a relapse and, in the worst cases, an overdose.

The professional staff of Tranquility Recovery Center considers clients’ medical and mental state, history of abuse, and needs and preferences when tailoring a specific treatment plan. This specific and customized treatment plan includes medications aligned with the client’s health and condition and a specific psychotherapy plan. Our staff can ease recovery and empower you to reclaim your life by addressing your bodily condition and state of mind.

Role Playing and Its Benefits in Addiction Recovery

Role-playing is one of the techniques that therapy in addiction recovery can rely on. It can be defined as a set of procedures used to demonstrate or model behaviors. Role-playing involves acting out scenarios, either as yourself or another person, in imagined situations. These scenarios may be reenactments of scenes from the past or hypothetical future situations. 

Unlike talking about certain events, role-playing them makes you more psychologically engaged. Through these exercises, you can work on your feelings and irrational beliefs in an imaginary situation that provides safety. Role-playing can also help you practice certain skills, such as communication or problem-solving. Some of the situations that can be practiced or rehearsed through role-playing are:

• Saying no to peer pressure.
• Setting boundaries at work or with loved ones.
• Problem-solving when there is a trigger.

Role-playing Techniques

Roleplay requires two or more participants. However, you can play both parts, or the second participant does not need to be physically present. 

• The empty chair technique requires speaking to an imaginary person sitting on an empty chair opposite you. Although the person is not physically present, you can practice sharing your thoughts and feelings as if the person were there. 
• In the unfinished business technique, a therapist can help you overcome the feeling of being stuck in a relationship with someone, alive or dead. To resolve these feelings, you can role-play with your therapist, who acts as the person you have unfinished business with.
• Various techniques require you to act as both sides in role-play. For instance, you might play both the dog and the underdog in an imaginary situation. You would be acting as two people holding opposite opinions. Alternatively, you might take rolls off your intellectual and emotional selves, trying to confront these two sides of one’s opinion and belief. 

The role-played scenario should be processed with the therapist afterward to gain insights. This ensures valuable insights.

The Benefits of Seeking Professional and Expert Help

Addiction rehab can be a process that completely changes your life. Therefore, having a reliable partner to guide you through the process is important. While your friends and family support is important, they probably lack the knowledge and skills to empower you and set you up for success. Certain processes, when done alone and at home, are more dangerous than beneficial, like detox.

Based on everything mentioned above and the importance the recovery process holds for your life, seeking professional help is essential. Professionals can guide and navigate your recovery. By relying on their expertise and experience, they can offer tools and resources to help you understand yourself, grow, and find inner strength to address any life challenge.

Addiction recovery is a sensitive time. You should be treated with care and given understanding and acceptance. The genuinely caring staff at Tranquility Recovery Center can offer both expertise and honest care to support your long-term recovery.

The Advantages of Personalized Treatment Plans

Equally important to having professionals guide you through the recovery process is the facility’s approach to treatment. We at Tranquility Recovery Center find that the best results are achieved with a personalized approach. A personalized approach implies considering your unique needs, triggers, recovery goals, circumstances, experiences, and preferences. Our approach also implies ongoing assessment and adaptation of treatment strategies. This way, we are present and constantly monitor and address your condition and growth.

Addressing specificities in your case can ensure that the process works for you and leads to positive outcomes and lifelong sobriety. Our goal is for you to not only overcome your current addiction struggles but also develop resilience and skills that will ensure you the best quality of life.

Concluding Thoughts on Therapy’s Role in Addiction Recovery

Therapy in addiction recovery is an essential element of rehabilitation. It is not a one-size-fits-all solution, but with customization based on your needs, circumstances, and preferences, it can be an irreplaceable tool for your well-being. Tranquility Recovery Center’s therapy may be the kind of support you require if you or your loved one are struggling with substance abuse. Our expert services, compassionate team, and genuine care will help you address any life challenge and reclaim your life from the substance that has taken over it. Therapy can have transformative power and lead you to a brighter, healthier future. Call us to learn more about how we use therapy to help you overcome addiction issues.