The Role of Therapy In Sobriety
“There is nothing either good or bad, but thinking makes it so.” – Shakespeare
After detoxing, treatment with either inpatient or outpatient programs will include different kinds of therapy in sobriety, counseling or psychotherapy as part of your recovery.
Even though addiction is most certainly a spiritual disease, it has a physical and psychological component as well. All of which need to be addressed to holistically treat addiction and foster successful sobriety. Alcoholics can think their way into, and out of, a drink. If they keep thinking in the same way, they’ll likely end up with the same result.
Why Therapy in Sobriety Helps
“You cannot solve a problem with the same kind of thinking that created it.” -Albert Einstein
Therapy can be helpful not only in evaluating your use of alcohol, but also in finding the approach in sobriety that is specific to your needs and goals in recovery. Addiction treatment programs consist of a variety of different psychological and behavioral treatments that are designed to target the specific effects of alcoholism, addressing the experience while in active addiction and helping people on the path to a consistent state of sobriety.
Behavioral approaches such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and 12 Step recovery programs focus on the notion that overcoming your dependence and keeping long-term sobriety is about more than just stopping substance use; it is about being able to say good riddance to unhealthy behaviors and thought processes and moving on without relying on a substance to live.
The following are reasons for considering the support of therapy in sobriety:
Behavioral skills training: as a patient you can begin to unlearn old destructive habits and come up with new and healthier ways to replace these old habits.
Functional analysis: working together with a therapist you can identify circumstances, thoughts and feelings that you experienced before and after using. This helps you understand choices that may potentially lead to a relapse.
Substituting addictions: some in recovery find themselves with “cross-over” addictions in drugs, eating disorders, sexual and work addictions, among others. A therapist addresses the core underlying issues…seeking to “re-wire” neural pathways of the brain.
Family assistance: The therapeutic relationship is one of confidentiality, which is not only helpful for you but also means a spouse or family member can learn how to deal with your addiction in family therapy—never “outing” your confidential work.
Coping mechanisms: When alcoholism has become a form of “self-medication,” removing it means that painful issues can arise. Examining these issues with a trusted specialist is part of the reparative nature of the relationship you can form with your therapist.
Every recovering alcoholic knows that it is very difficult to overcome a serious addiction without support. In fact, it is a well-known symptom of the distorted thinking of addiction that you can and should recover on your own. Therapy in sobriety works and there is hope in recovery.
You never have to do it alone.
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