How do we treat addiction and move towards recovery with or without our loved ones ?
When someone presents seeking treatment for addiction’s such as alcohol, drugs, sex, gambling it is usually because their life has come to a point were the pain of continuing has become too much and maybe there’s pressure from family, friends or bosses.
In the case of one person who presented for help with addiction to cocaine and alcohol. It began with a focus on changing the current choice of behaviour that involved binge drinking leading to cocaine abuse. The alcohol use was ceased through the use of anti booze for a short period alongside a structured daily plan that included relapse prevention. Within the relapse prevention plan the client developed skills for saying “NO” and developed awareness around high risk situations. The relapse prevention plan included new ways of thinking and behaving that are part of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and offered a chance to challenge the addictive thinking patterns. Some of these addictive thought patterns included – it will be different this time when I drink and use cocaine, I will control my use this time, things are not that bad in my life. These are just some examples of a wide range of thought patterns that can occur in addiction. With the relapse prevention plan in place and the client remaining sober for a period of time they moved on to the next stage of recovery.
Trauma Counselling and Spirituality
There was regular attendance in external support groups that involve the twelve step model. The next step was to work through feelings from past life events that included the loss of close family members at a young age and bullying in school. When the past grief and trauma had been worked through the focus was on changing negative beliefs about oneself and developing new ways of looking at the past life events. The next stage was the spirituality stage which included building relationships with others in recovery and trusting in some form of a higher power. The person stated they no longer felt alone in a room full of people or disconnected from the flow of life within. They had made significant change but yet still understood that recovery is a process and not a quick fix. Many areas of their life also changed that included but not limited to family and other close relationships.
This is by no means the only way to recover from an addiction but an example of someone who took certain steps and now lives free from obsessive ways of thinking and behaving. It may sound straight forward and easy but there can be many bumps in the road.
Addiction counselling in Dublin 4 to help you reclaim your life !
It’s not selfish to love yourself, take care of yourself, & to make your happiness a priority. It’s necessary. Mandy Hala