Addiction Counselling
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For those who are struggling with any kind of addiction, it is essential to get to the root of the problem. The Perry Clayman Project treats the whole person in addiction treatment, and you can make changes that help you to live a sober life long-term. An important part of this process is addiction counselling. It works especially well alongside drug and alcohol detox and medication and can be the start of your new life after addiction treatment.
Addiction Counselling
In addiction counselling, you work directly with a clinician who is trained to help you overcome addiction. They work with you to improve your awareness of the root causes of your difficulties with addiction. This might include exploring trauma, history, and feelings and behaviours that play a role in your addiction.
Additionally, counselling offers the chance for you to address attitudes and behaviours that play a role in addiction in the future. This might include addressing mental health challenges like anxiety or depression, as these can be a part of your challenges with addiction. However, it also might include learning what behaviours you will need to change in order to be successful in recovery. For example, if you have tended to use drugs or alcohol to manage stress, part of addiction counselling is to learn new methods of stress reduction and management that you can use when you go home.
There are many different types of addiction counselling. Behavioural therapies like cognitive-behavioural therapy (CBT) provide a structure to help you recognise, avoid, and cope with both your mental health and addiction problems. Other types of therapy include art therapy and anger management. The subject of addiction counselling varies, and at The Perry Clayman Project, counselling is individualised. Your work with an addiction counsellor will be directed towards your challenges and goals, giving you the care you need to truly make changes.
How Addiction Counselling Improves Addiction Treatment
Addiction counselling is an important part of addiction treatment. This is because it helps you to modify your behaviour, improve your mental health, and handle triggers. The specifics that you need to adjust and learn are unique to you and your challenges. However, a therapist can help you improve your awareness and get to the bottom of how to make these changes.
Behavioural Changes
An important part of alcohol and drug rehab and all addiction treatment is adjusting behaviours. This includes behaviours that are directly related to drug and alcohol use. These include why you have chosen to use drugs or alcohol in the past. However, it also includes understanding your behaviours in situations that may stimulate a desire to use them in the future.
Addiction counselling also includes addressing behaviours that play a role in your recovery that are less clear — for example, having a good self-care routine. Self-care involves taking care of both your physical and mental health. Once you are caring for yourself, you are far more likely to kick the habit of drug or alcohol use in the future.
Working with a counsellor individually is important when learning to change your behaviours. This is because the specific combination of behaviours that contribute to your addiction is unique to you and you alone. An addiction counsellor helps you uncover these behaviours, giving you the information and tools to make a change in your life.
Mental Health
Your mental health plays an important role in addiction. Therefore, it plays an important role in treatment. Addiction counselling includes unearthing what you have been struggling with in terms of mental health. Sometimes these mental health challenges are hidden or covered up with addiction. They can be the result of or play a role in the reason you have struggled with addiction in the first place.
By understanding what mental health challenges you have, you can work with an addiction counsellor to find solutions. Tools that can help improve your mental health include external tools like medication. However, internal tools can help you work through challenges on a daily basis.
The work you do to improve your mental health is vital in addiction recovery. This is due to the connection between mental health and addiction. Discovering the unique challenges you face and having the tools to face them makes it significantly easier to stop using drugs and alcohol in the future.
Managing Triggers
An important part of addiction treatment is helping you feel confident in your ability when leaving treatment. This involves knowing how to manage triggers. Triggers are people, situations, or feelings that make you feel cravings for what you are addicted to. This can be a result of long-term habits or a way that you have compensated in the past.
Fortunately, through addiction counselling, you can manage them. The first step to managing your triggers is becoming aware of them. This might involve talking through the struggles you have had with addiction and what has led you to more and more substance use. After, you will work with a counsellor to understand what you need to avoid and how you can manage these triggers.
Managing triggers is a skill that is unique to your needs. As you have individual triggers and preferences, you will need to find a way that is comfortable and suits you. This is why individualised addiction counselling is so important and effective.
At The Perry Clayman Project, we offer addiction counselling that is individualised and an important part of addiction treatment as a whole. To learn more, call 08000 380 480 today; we look forward to speaking with you!