Does Drug Addiction Counseling Really Work?

Are you on a mission to kick a drug habit once and for all? As you probably know, it’s not going to be easy to do it. To start, you’ll have to work your way through a rehab program to stop using drugs. Then, you’ll have to work hard to stay on the road to recovery, since upwards of 60% of people end up relapsing at some point in time.

One of the most effective ways to battle back against addiction is by putting drug addiction counseling to the test. By sitting down and speaking with an addict counselor on a regular basis, you can get access to a long list of benefits you wouldn’t enjoy otherwise.

Would you like to learn more about why counseling for substance abuse is one of the best treatments for addicts? Here are some of the advantages that people will get when they make appointments with addiction counselors.

Helps You Gain a Better Understanding of Drug Addiction

Over the years, studies have shown that about 10% of the U.S. population has dealt with a drug problem at one time or another. As a result, most people have at least some understanding of what drug addiction is and how it can wreak havoc on a person and their family.

But people don’t always understand all of the different facets of drug addiction. They don’t know things like:

• What causes a person’s body and mind to become addicted to a certain drug
• What makes it so difficult for a person to stop using a drug and stay on the straight and narrow
• What triggers a person and sends them running back in the wrong direction after successfully battling back against addiction for so long

During drug addiction counseling, you’ll have a chance to learn about the ins and outs of drug addiction so that you can comprehend it from all angles.

By gaining a better understanding of addiction, you’ll increase the odds in your favor when it comes to avoiding a relapse. You’ll also feel like you have more control over your addiction since you’ll know what’s powering it and how to stop it from overwhelming you.

Allows You to Get to the Heart of Your Specific Drug Problem

Anyone can become addicted to drugs if they use them often enough. But there are certain types of people who are more prone to addiction for one reason or another. When you’re in drug addiction counseling, you’ll be able to talk to an addiction counselor about some of the reasons why people get addicted to drugs. It might help put a spotlight on your battle with addiction and reveal why it’s been so difficult.

Here are just some of the reasons why certain people become addicted to drugs quicker than others:

• They have a history of addiction in their family
• They suffer from a mental health disorder
• They don’t have good relationships with parents and other relatives who are supposed to be closest to them

By figuring out if there is a deeper reason for your drug addiction, you can arm yourself with everything you’ll need to get clean and stay clean for good. Your addiction counselor should be able to help you do some digging to get to the heart of your specific drug problem.

Sheds Light on Any Mental Health Issues You Might Be Experiencing

As we mentioned a moment ago, mental health disorders are one of the most common causes of drug addiction. Studies have shown that about 25% of the people who have mental health issues also have substance abuse issues.

You might not think that you have a mental health problem. But substance abuse therapies could suggest otherwise. Your addiction counselor might diagnose you with a mental health issue after meeting with you just a few times.

It would be a real shame if you spent years and potentially even decades dealing with substance abuse problems only to discover that undiagnosed mental health issues were to blame. It’s why you should utilize drug addiction counseling to see if you have anything to worry about as far as mental health is concerned.

Makes It Possible for You to Address Negative Behaviors

People who are addicted to drugs, alcohol, and other things typically have a tough time controlling their thought patterns. Their brains tell them that they should use drugs over and over (and over!) again until they eventually give in and turn back to them.

As part of drug addiction counseling, you’ll get to try what is called cognitive behavior therapy in most cases. This is a type of therapy that involves giving you back control over your thoughts. It’s useful for those who exhibit negative behaviors that lead to drug abuse.

Identifies Potential Triggers That Could Lead to Future Drug Use

When you’re fighting to stay sober following a stint in rehab, you’re going to find that there are going to be certain things that will trigger you to want to go back to using drugs. Stress at work, marital issues, and even something as simple as isolation could all serve as triggers. To an addiction counselor, these triggers might be obvious. They can take one look at the way you’re living life right now and pinpoint the things that are going to trigger you to want to go back to abusing drugs.

The problem is that you can’t always see these triggers yourself. They can sneak up on you and knock you off-course without you even realizing it. Drug addiction counseling will ensure that this doesn’t happen to you. You’ll be able to see these triggers coming from a mile away so that you can steer clear of them and stay on the right track.

Provides You With the Necessary Tools to Repair Broken Relationships

When you’re in drug addiction therapy, you’re going to spend a ton of time talking about yourself and your battle with addiction. But your drug addiction counseling sessions are also going to be about more than just you.

You’re going to devote at least a little bit of your time to talking about your relationships. That will include everything from your relationships with your parents to your romantic relationships to your relationships with your friends and acquaintances.

In some instances, you might have relationships that have been broken because of your drug addiction. You’ll be able to use counseling to work towards healing these relationships.

You might also have relationships that aren’t any good for you and that could send you running right back in the direction of drugs in the weeks, months, and years to come. Counseling can equip you with the tools you’ll need to end those relationships and provide you with good reasons to go ahead and bring them to a halt.

Building and maintaining positive relationships in every area of your life is going to be of the utmost importance when you’re in recovery. You’re not going to be able to get away with hanging around people who don’t want the best for you anymore.

Gives You an Opportunity to Establish Healthier Habits Moving Forward

If you’ve battled drug addiction for a long time now, you’ve no doubt created a bunch of unhealthy habits for yourself. A big part of drug addiction counseling is going to be identifying those unhealthy habits and breaking them. But in addition to breaking bad habits, you’re also going to spend your fair share of time focused on establishing new positive habits. These habits are going to serve as the backbone of your new drug-free life.

Some of the habits that you’re going to want to develop are:

• Eating healthier meals filled with nutrients
• Getting the right amount of exercise every week
• Taking medications to help you with mental health issues
• Socializing with family members and friends in an effort to rebuild trust

In theory, it might sound as though it’s going to be easy to create new habits for yourself. But it’s going to be hard to choose those new habits over your old ones time and time again.

Signing up for drug addiction counseling will help you set up new habits and make them last. Your addiction counselor will hold you accountable for sticking to your new habits.

Read our blog for more health-related articles that will help you take good care of both your body and your mind.