A Guide On Addiction Counselling
Drug and alcohol addiction has adverse health and social outcomes. A person with an addiction problem needs interventions to break away from the cycle. While detoxification starts the process, addiction counseling is the long-term solution. This article provides critical insights into addiction counseling.
What Is Addiction?
There are many misconceptions about addiction. Some see addiction as a sign of moral weakness and social deviance. Yet others perceive people who use drugs and alcohol frequently as having an addiction. While being dependent on drugs and substances may be a sign of addiction, the condition is not that simple. Addiction is a chronic disease characterized by cycles of relapse and remission. The non-medical term refers to a wide range of substance use disorders like alcohol use disorder, stimulant use disorder, and cannabis use disorder.
The following are the significant symptoms of addiction:
- Depression, anxiety, and stress
- Hopelessness and low self-esteem
- Insomnia
- Mood swings, temper, and agitation
- Poor judgment and memory problems
- Withdrawal from responsibility, socializing, and hobbies
What Causes Addiction?
Addiction is a long-term process that occurs as a person continues to use and grow dependent on substances. The decision to use drugs and substances increases the risk of addiction, although there are involuntary factors. Theoretically, addiction affects an individual's inhibitory control over behavior. Also, it affects the brain circuits responsible for motivation, reward, memory, and learning. Drugs and substances trigger the release of dopamine, causing a pleasurable feeling. Then, the brain develops an association between a pleasant feeling and substances. The reward pathway becomes a strong incentive for continued use of the substance.
Addiction Counseling
Addiction goes beyond physical dependence and becomes a psychological and social phenomenon. Stress, social cues, and networks are primary triggers for addiction and relapse. Thus, counseling subdues the cravings and offers coping skills to manage life without substance use. Addiction counseling assumes an individual, group, couple, or family approach depending on the client's need for support. Also, counseling can take the form of outpatient or residential therapy depending on the level of addiction, risk of relapse, and treatment stage.
The counselor conducts substance abuse evaluations and develops a specialized treatment plan. Several addiction counseling therapies can treat the disorders. Essentially, cognitive behavior therapy supports the patients to recognize how their moods, thoughts, and actions change due to drug cravings. Thus, counselors help clients avoid the triggers and replace negative thoughts and feelings. Counselors can also use dialectical behavior therapy that focuses on acceptance and change. Then there is contingency management therapy and motivational interviewing methods that offer positive incentives or motivation for staying clean.
If you suffer from addiction disorders, seek immediate help. Addiction counseling will help you evaluate your situation for a customized treatment plan. However, a successful outcome depends on a foundation of mutual trust and compassion.