Different Types of Therapy | South Coast Counseling

Addiction treatment can vary from one-on-one talks to group therapy, depending on the severity of your addiction and the circumstances of the situation.

If you or a loved one is addicted to either drugs or alcohol, finding the right therapy can be crucial during your recovery. Addiction treatment can vary from one-on-one talks to group therapy, depending on the severity of your addiction and the circumstances of the situation.

One-on-One Talk Sessions

Because drug and alcohol abuse can come with emotional or mental health issues, it can be difficult to open yourself up to group therapy or enroll in a program. If this is the case, that is okay, as there are addiction treatment options which involve one-on-one talk sessions.

By speaking with a trained professional, you would be able to uncover the root of your addiction. In doing so, you can start to understand why you are addicted, and how you might be able to overcome it. The counselor would be able to provide you with different coping mechanisms that might help you deal with your Addiction treatment Orange County.

 12-Step Programs

These types of programs have proven to be successful for those wanting to recover from drug or alcohol abuse, because it provides them with the motivation to do so. In order to successfully complete a 12-step program, the person must be willing to completely trust the program.

Many 12-step programs are centered around  religion, but this isn't always the case. Almost all of these programs focus on providing you with attainable goals, so that you have the incentive to continue to succeed. By participating in the program with peers who are going through a similar situation, you would be able to learn from one another and beat addiction together.

 Group Therapy

Like the 12-step program, you would meet with a group of peers who are suffering from similar circumstances as you. Group therapy has proven, time and time again, to be successful. Social reinforcement that you are not alone can promote a drug-free lifestyle, as you will feel like you have the strength to do so.

Not only will your peers be able to support you in your time of need, but you will also be able to support them. If you are responsible for helping others in their addiction treatment, it could create a sense of accountability. You would not want to feel like you have failed your peers by relapsing, just as you wouldn't want to see them relapse either.

 Cognitive Therapy

Cognitive therapy, or cognitive-behavioral therapy, was developed with preventing relapse in the mind. Creating coping strategies to fight against possible triggers is what makes cognitive therapy successful. These techniques can include examining the positives and negatives of continued drug abuse, so that you might be able to put your addiction into perspective.

Self-monitoring is also used in this type of therapy, as a way to indicate what might influence you to use or drink. By defining these parameters of your addiction, you could be able to tackle it from a scientific and mental standpoint.

Among our different treatment options, we offer all four of these types of therapy. Please visit our website for more information, especially if you feel that you or a loved one is suffering from drug abuse or alcohol abuse.

Common Myths About Drug Abuse | South Coast Counseling

One of the most dangerous things about addiction is that many don’t understand what it is. While drug abuse can be different for everyone, there are myths out there that simply aren't true and can hinder a person on their road to recovery.

1. Myths on Prescription and “Natural” Drugs

Some believe that because a medicine is prescribed, that it can’t be addicting or dangerous. Unfortunately, this is not the case, which is why doctors have to write specific scripts for most drugs, to ensure that patients are not getting more than they need.

While many would like for you to think that drugs are “safer” because they are naturally grown in the ground, this isn't true either. Drugs such as marijuana and hallucinogenic mushrooms can alter brain chemistry, resulting in dangerous side effects.

2. The Myth on Drug Abuse and Stability

If drug abuse is seen as cut-and-dry, black-and-white situation, it is assumed that one cannot be addicted to drugs if they live a stable life. However, drug addicts can come from all walks of life. This means that just because someone has a good job and a stable home-life, it does not mean that they are immune to being addicted to drugs.

In the chance that a drug addict has the ability to hold a job or maintain a marriage, it could simply mean that they have tolerant people in their lives, or that they are good at hiding their addiction. These users could potentially be more dangerous to themselves, as they do not have to suffer the typical consequences of drug abuse.

3. The Big Detox Myth

One of the most difficult steps on the road of recovery for an addict is getting through detox. Because the body is adjusting to a normal balance of chemicals, detox can be physically taxing on the body. Many people believe that, due to the hardcore nature of detox, one is cured as soon as they've gone through it. This isn't necessarily true.   

Programs that advertise for a rapid detox or all-curing detox can be dangerous for the person in question. Addiction should be treated like an illness, one that has no real cure. Detox is only the beginning of the road to recovery, as many need intense counseling throughout the entirety of their life in order to fully beat drug addiction.

4. Myths on Drug Addiction Treatment

Contrary to popular belief, just because someone has been addicted to drugs in the past, it doesn't make them a “bad” person. Drug abuse Huntington Beach is not related to one particular demographic of people, either. And in order to get well, you do not have to be religious to successfully undergo treatment. There are programs that are centered around religion, yes, but they are not for everyone.       

Drug addiction treatment is about people wanting to get well and lead a better life for themselves; it is about a lifelong journey on the road of recovery. Please visit our website if you feel that you or a loved one is suffering from drug addiction.

Why a Structured Routine Can Help You Through Addiction Recovery

Establishing a new routine is one of the best ways to ensure that you stay on the path to recovery. This new routine can add structure to your life, help you take care of important tasks on a day-to-day basis and also prevent you from slipping back into old, bad habits that led to alcohol or drug abuse.

To help you learn more about why new routines are so crucial during addiction treatment for drugs or alcohol, here are some of the ways in which they help you recover:

Reduce Anxiety and Unpredictability

While substance abuse can really start at any point, a huge factor in psychological addiction comes from reverting to substance use during periods of uncertainty or boredom. The easiest example is that someone wakes up on a day they do not have to work, they begin watching TV and they decide to consume drugs since they cannot determine what else they want to do with their day.

This pattern of behavior instantly obliterates any chance of productivity for that day and creates unhealthy routines. By having an alternative routine that involves doing things that are healthy for the body, mind and spirit, the temptation to abuse drugs or alcohol is partially avoided.

In fact, professionals like psychologist Jennifer Fee have noticed a direct correlation between boredom and anxiety. “When there's not a lot going on, [...] there is room to focus on thoughts, feelings, or bodily sensations that get the vicious cycle [of anxiety] moving,” she claims. This type of anxiety can be triggered by a structureless environment, whereas having a set purpose can prevent feelings of anxiety that may lead to drug or alcohol abuse.

Create Internal Support for Your Own Well-Being

There are only so many things that our brains can keep track of at a given time. We compensate for this fact by building in “autopilot” motor skills or activities in order to get through the day without having to focus on every tiny detail. When we drive, for instance, we can automatically feel how much gas to give on the pedal based on past experience when we approach a familiar hill. Another example is the inbuilt assumption that after work on Wednesdays you will drive to the gym.

Introducing a new routine into your life helps build this structure and allows you to take better care of yourself and your personal relationships — eventually without having to exert any effort. By forcing yourself to eat three meals a day without skipping breakfast, for example, you reduce your chances of being malnourished. Committing to a set exercise time or a work schedule similarly helps you keep track of important elements that lead to a normal, stable life. One major consequence of drug and alcohol abuse is self-neglect, after all, so by creating a structured routine you are not only avoiding abuse but also doing things that actually add enjoyment to your life.

Create an Entirely New Lifestyle

Another major contributor to substance abuse is simply the ritual of abusing. When we get off work, having a beer can be a perfectly acceptable habit. However, when one beer becomes a night of binge drinking in front of the TV every single night, this ritual becomes harmful to your body and your general well-being. 

Creating a new routine introduces new alternative rituals that actually enrich our lives. Jogging can be a great way to get the stimulation you craved from drugs with real health benefits rather than a debilitating crash. Picking up a hobby like painting or learning to play guitar can substitute a night spent drinking beer or doing drugs while passively staring at a screen.

Introducing dramatic changes like these can be the only way for some people to break away from their old life and create a new, happier, healthier one during their Addiction treatment Seattle wa . You can try any of these activities and tie them directly to your rehab program with therapy options available from treatment centers like South Coast Counseling.

Visit our Types of Therapy page to learn how music therapy, art therapy, career development and similar programs can have you focusing on something that brings you joy rather than pain.