Counseling and Addiction

Kicking the prescription drug abuse habit -- or any other addiction -- is a major achievement. You have a lot to be proud of, yet you still have some work ahead of you. Detox is only the start of a long process through which you’ll learn to manage drug cravings and avoid relapse.

Counseling is a mainstay of drug abuse treatment for many people. Cognitive behavioral therapy, family counseling, and other types of therapy can help you stay clean. Psychotherapy can also treat the other mental health conditions that often play a role in prescription drug abuse.

Why You Need Counseling

Opioid addiction is more than a physical dependence on drugs. Even after detox, when your body is no longer hooked, you’re at high risk for relapse. Certain psychological and social factors can be powerful triggers that lead to relapse:

• Stress, especially sudden life stresses
• Cues in the environment, like visiting a neighborhood
• Social networks, like spending time with friends who continue to use drugs

These things can create a strong ongoing urge to use again. Counseling helps you escape cravings and learn to manage what life throws at you without drugs.

Several counseling therapies treat prescription drug abuse. No one method is known to be better than another. Likewise, no one approach works for everyone with opiate addiction. The right treatment plan will be tailored to your addiction and individual needs.

Individual vs. Group Therapy

While any counseling therapy for drug abuse treatment is better than none, group therapy is generally preferred over individual therapy. In group therapy, you’re more likely to be both challenged and supported by peers who are also going through drug rehab.

Read More: https://www.webmd.com/mental-health/addiction/counseling-and-addiction-how-therapy-can-help#1
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