Dual Diagnosis: Learn the Importance of Drug Counseling in Addiction Treatment
It is a huge challenge for anyone who is trying to beat an addiction to a prescription medication for pain. Opioids are very addictive drugs that are prescribed for pain. A person with an addiction to the substance will find that detoxification is just the first step in their battle. Drug counseling is an important part in the treatment of drug abuse.
Counseling Approaches
There are several counseling approaches that can be part of the individual treatment plan. Once the person has gone through detox and rid their body of the toxic drug, they will be ready to move forward with therapy. Each individual treatment plan is developed according to the clients needs. There will be a number of issues to be addressed during treatment that came about due to the addiction.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
Along with CBT, or Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, other approaches such as family therapy will be helpful to individuals who are recovering from addiction. In some cases psychotherapy is also used to address mental health issues that may be contributing to the abuse of drugs. Social and psychological issues can be very strong motivators that cause an individual to relapse.
Detoxification
Even after a person has rid their body of the drug and the physical dependence is gone, these individuals have a high risk of relapse. Certain factors such as stress, visiting a particular neighborhood or people who are still using, provide the temptation to use again. With therapy, the individual learns appropriate coping skills to deal with every day life without drugs.
Treatment Plan
There are a number of therapies that are used with individuals addicted to prescription drugs. No particular method is identified as the best approach, nor is any one method right for all individuals with an addiction to Opioids. Each individual treatment plan is customized to the particular addiction and the needs of the individual.
Group Therapy
Group therapy sessions are typically preferred to one on one therapy. With group sessions individuals find support from their peers and will also be challenged by them. A twelve step program is a type of group therapy that is well-known and costs nothing to attend. In these types of therapy groups individuals can feel comfortable talking with others who are going through the same thing they are.
Dual Diagnosis
Individuals who have a dual diagnosis will benefit more from private one on one therapy. A dual diagnosis might be the coexistence of a bipolar disorder, depression, or other disorder. When a person is dual diagnosed it is necessary to treat the mental health condition separate from the drug addiction.
Drug counseling can also be conducted on an intensive outpatient basis or in a residential treatment center. While the residential programs are very expensive, they remove the individual from the environment that led to the addiction. There is an ongoing debate regarding which type of program is more successful long term. Regardless which program is used it is becoming more and more evident that counseling and maintenance therapies must be part of the individuals life to prevent relapse.
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Centerstone: Treating Co-Occuring Disorders
Co-occurring Disorders Treatment is for adults who have a mental illness and a substance use disorder. The program offers intensive outpatient therapy (Including individual and group counseling), intensive case management, psychiatric treatment, medication management services, supportive services, family education and counseling, coordination with physical health services, and aftercare referrals. Thanks to Devon Kirkpatrick for producing these videos. More at www.vimeo.com/deke or www.facebook.com/djkk22.