How Can A Psychologist Assist You To Reduce Your Drug Addiction?
3 min readYou may know what alcoholism is, but how does it begin? What causes a person to progress from the occasional drink to full-fledged alcohol addiction? Unfortunately, the solution is not that straightforward.
Alcoholism is caused by a mix of genetic, psychological, social, and environmental variables. The more risk factors a person possesses, the more probable it is that they will become an alcoholic.
Psychologists at alcohol rehabilitation center who are qualified and skilled in treating alcoholism may be extremely beneficial in a variety of ways. Before the drinker seeks treatment, a psychologist can help the family or others strengthen the drinker’s drive to change.
A psychologist might begin by examining the sorts and degrees of issues the drinker has encountered. The evaluation results can provide early direction to the drinker about what therapy to pursue and can assist inspire the problem drinker to seek treatment. Individuals with drinking issues enhance their chances of recovery by getting treatment as soon as possible.
Psychologists can assist clients in addressing psychological difficulties related to problem drinking by using one or more of numerous types of psychological therapy. Psychologists pioneered some of these therapies, including cognitive-behavioral coping skills treatment and motivational enhancement therapy. Other therapies include 12-Step facilitation techniques, which enable people with drinking issues to use self-help groups like Alcoholics Anonymous (AA).
These therapies can assist people in increasing their drive to stop drinking, identifying events that trigger drinking, learning new coping strategies for high-risk drinking situations, and developing social support systems within their local communities.
All three of these treatments are successful. One study of cognitive-behavioral techniques discovered that 58 percent of patients getting cognitive-behavioral treatment outperformed those in comparison groups. In another trial, motivating interventions lowered the frequency and amount of alcohol consumed by teenagers following alcohol-related emergency department treatment. Many people who have alcohol problems also have other mental health issues, such as severe anxiety and depression. These “co-occurring” psychological problems can also be diagnosed and treated by psychologists. A psychologist may also play a crucial role in organizing the services received by a drinker in treatment from multiple health specialists.
Psychologists can also give marriage, family, and group therapy, which can be beneficial in the long run for healing interpersonal connections and treating problem drinking. Family ties impact drinking habits, and these relationships frequently shift during a person’s recovery. The psychologist may assist the drinker and significant others in navigating these difficult changes, teach families about problem drinking and how to support family members in recovery.
Because a person may relapse and return to problem drinking, it is critical to have a trustworthy psychologist or another health professional with whom to discuss and learn from these situations. If the drinker is unable to manage alcohol issues, a psychologist can assist in lowering alcohol usage and minimizing complications.
Psychologists can also recommend patients to self-help organizations. Even when formal therapy has ended, many people seek additional support by remaining involved in such organizations.
Alcohol-related problems have a significant impact on functioning and health. However, the odds for long-term issue resolution are favorable for those who seek assistance from reputable sources.