Research in Frontiers in Psychiatry (2020) shows that aerobic exercise significantly reduces cravings and increases abstinence among stimulant users. According to a study by Dimeff LA, Linehan MM. et al. 2008, titled “Dialectical behavior therapy for substance abusers,” those who received DBT were significantly more likely to remain in treatment, 64% versus 27% for placebo. • Therapy programs deliver tangible coping skills that help people meet life’s challenges without having to resort to drugs. Outpatient treatment enables patients to practice recovery skills immediately in a real-life setting. Depending on the level of treatment selected, it can allow patients to maintain work or school commitments. And it facilitates involvement of the family in care, a factor known to enhance recovery.
Medically Supervised Detox & Withdrawal Management
During tours or calls, ask about staff-to-client ratios, how treatment plans are individualized, and the extent of family involvement. A facility that can explain its clinical pathways, rather than selling a one-size-fits-all program is more likely to adjust care as your needs evolve. Dual diagnosis care treats alcohol addiction and co-occurring mental illnesses like depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, and PTSD in one coordinated program.
One consequence is that families play an important role in addiction recovery. It is an axiom of family systems theory that there are many complex relational patterns within any family, and changes in one part of the system can lead to change in other parts. Further, family therapy can identify and intervene in longstanding relational patterns that may contribute to development of addiction problems in an individual—and the often-extensive fallout from it. Overcoming addiction is a developmental process that can benefit from differing types of support at different stages of recovery. A recovery coach or recovery manager typically is knowledgeable about and can help an individual client find and access needed support resources at every step of the way.
Medical Professionals
Patients receive tangible incentives, such as vouchers or privileges, for meeting treatment goals like clean drug tests. Research shows CM significantly increases treatment retention and abstinence rates, especially in stimulant and opioid use disorders. Treatment programs usually have multiple elements addressing the many facets of overcoming addiction, healing the damage to body and mind, rebuilding a life, and finding direction for the future.
- Intensive outpatient programs (IOPs) are typically based in a hospital or clinic and provide therapy and other services several hours a day, allowing patients to live at home and attend school or work part-time.
- While it can minimize the immediate temptation to use a substance, it doesn’t automatically confer skills needed for managing recovery under the pressures of everyday life.
- According to an annual report from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), approximately 20.7 million Americans needed treatment for substance use disorders in 2017.
Alternative treatments for drug addiction include mindfulness, exercise therapy, equine therapy, music therapy, and acupuncture. These approaches focus on healing the mind, body, and spirit alongside traditional methods. By reducing stress, improving emotional balance, and supporting personal growth, they help individuals sustain recovery and lower relapse risk. All good rehab programs work with patients to set up an aftercare plan that supports the process of recovery in the real world. On entering detox, patients undergo evaluation including testing for the presence of substances of abuse and examination of their mental and physical condition.
Additional Substance Abuse Treatments
While behavioral therapy is the most commonly utilized form of addiction treatment therapy, there are many different kinds of therapy used to treat drug and alcohol addiction. In fact, behavioral therapy is often combined with other types of treatment, including experiential, holistic, somatic, and neuroscientific therapies which are designed to treat alcohol and drug dependency. As you’ve already read, there’s no shortage of medications and therapies to help one through each stage of the recovery process. Not only that, there is ample support from professional services; in other words, there are plenty of treatment options for anyone who needs them.
Find support groups for substance abuse
- Research by SAMSHA indicates that CBT reduces substance use by up to 60%, while DBT is particularly effective for individuals with high emotional dysregulation.
- Drug addiction therapy is a combination of behavioral, psychological, and medical interventions designed to help individuals overcome substance use disorders.
- Explore our nationwide directory of accredited alcohol treatment centers to compare programs by level of care, specialty tracks, and insurance acceptance.
- Find rehab for yourself or a loved one by speaking with a treatment provider.
- Studies show that motivational interviewing helps those struggling with addiction to resolve any ambivalence about giving up drug use and inspires them to commit to behavioral change.
Drug addiction is a curable condition, although the process of recovery is rarely easy and seldom proceeds in a straight line. Relapse is common and should be considered a part of the treatment and recovery process. Motivational interviewing is a therapy used to help individuals understand the motivations behind their behaviors and begin working through the process of change systematically. This type of therapy is frequently used to treat people with substance use disorders, as change is a tricky process, and motivation requires continued support. Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is used to help people uncover problematic thoughts or feelings that influence unhealthy behaviors.
Coaches teach individuals about the nutritional benefits of food and encourage exercise regimes such as yoga. Patients feel physically better, creating a more positive mindset and providing the strength to commit to recovery. During EMDR treatment, patients will be asked to recall traumatic memories while their vision is stimulated. This can help reprocess how these memories are stored, reducing their intense feelings and the need to escape them through drugs and alcohol. Rational Emotive Behavioral Therapy (REBT) teaches that a person’s response to external events affects their feelings and behaviors, not the events themselves. By recognizing this and identifying irrational personal beliefs, individuals can make healthier behavior choices in times of stress or conflict.
It’s important to remember these medications are not magic cures for alcoholism, and they work best alongside counseling and therapy. Instead, it stems from the complex interaction of genes, environment, and mental health. Music therapy and art therapy are examples of experiential therapy, which help the patient release and work through emotions and trauma in healthy ways. Patients learn to heal through creative expressions with drumming, singing, writing, listening to music, playing instruments, drawing, painting, sculpting, and sketching to gain a sense of productivity and empowerment. Mayo Clinic’s team will help select appropriate follow-up care and coordinate transition to the program of your choice to ensure that you stay on track in recovery. Participation in self-help groups such as the AA 12-step program or equivalent options is strongly encouraged, and the Mayo Clinic team can help you search for options in your local area.
Whether you are seeking intensive outpatient care or simply need guidance on your mental health journey, we are here to help. The acute phase is dominated by the physiological effects of the sudden stoppage, which typically includes intense substance craving. Treatment during this phase provides monitoring and symptomatic relief of the intense discomfort, and patients may benefit from the use of medication to dampen drug craving. Residential care removes people from problematic environments, maladaptive lifestyles, and the inducements to drug use they hold. While it can minimize the immediate temptation to use a substance, it doesn’t automatically confer skills needed for managing recovery under the pressures of everyday life. Yet the temporary escape gives people an opportunity to focus on recovery 24/7, in a supportive environment.
Addiction Services
Partial hospitalization programs, sometimes known as day treatment, and also typically hospital-based, provide day-long treatment programming to patients living at home. It is common for patients to start treatment in a partial hospitalization program and, after a few weeks, take a step down in level of care to an IOP. While those listed here are the most common types of therapy, others do exist.
Drugs, Brains, and Behavior: The Science of Addiction
12-step programs are considered the gold standard by many for recovering from a substance use disorder or addiction. These programs follow the 12-step model of recovery and the 12 traditions, which were created by the founders of therapy for drug and alcohol addiction treatment Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) and Narcotics Anonymous (NA). Because these programs allow people to adapt the steps to their needs, many have found them immensely helpful during their recovery journey. Biofeedback is a form of therapy that helps people in recovery understand their body’s involuntary processes. During a biofeedback session, a therapist places multiple electronic sensors on a patient’s body to monitor their vitals, like heart rate, breathing, and possibly even brain activity.
Equine therapy uses structured interaction with horses to build trust, empathy, and self-awareness. A Journal of Psychosocial Nursing study reports increased emotional resilience and treatment engagement among participants in equine-assisted programs. Contact us today to schedule an initial assessment or to learn more about our services.
Dialectical Behavior Therapy
Mayo Clinic’s Intensive Addiction Program emphasizes respect for the individual. The Nestled Recovery Center is an approved provider for Multiplan and Medicaid, while also accepting many other major insurance carriers. Taking place one-on-one with a counselor, individual therapy enables a person to identify and address their personal issues. In fact, a 2019 SAMHSA (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration) report stated that individual and group counseling was available at 96.8% and 93% of US treatment facilities, respectively.
Counselors can uncover factors like trauma, negative friends or family who encourage drug use, or poor self-esteem as influences for substance abuse, and provide help and awareness. The addiction psychiatrist may recommend anti-craving medication in addition to traditional counseling therapies for treatment of the substance use disorder. Mindfulness is a mental practice that encourages present-moment awareness without judgment.