Roles of a counselor in addiction rehab

Many people suffer from addiction thinking that there’s no way out. This is one of the reasons why a rehab exists. The rehab gives hope to addicts that they can still live a sober life irrespective of how chronic their addiction problem is.

One of the integral aspects of an addiction rehab that helps to communicate this message is the counselor. Here are some of the roles a counselor has to play in an addiction rehab.

They help you understand the root cause of your addiction

Many addicted individuals don’t know how they became addicted in the first place. This is why it is difficult for them to tackle it head on.

With the help of a counselor, you can understand how your addiction came to be. The counselor uses this knowledge to craft a treatment pattern for you that would be useful in the long term.

They communicate with you

It is normal for an addict to have questions about every thing surrounding their addiction. However, there is often nobody around to correctly field those questions for them.

This is why some of them prefer to keep to themselves because they don’t want to be stigmatized by people who don’t understand them.

With the counselor, you can pour out your mind to them. You can also ask any questions that have been bothering you. The role of a counselor is to ensure you are satisfied with the answers you get.

They motivate you

Many addicts are usually quick to give up when it comes to addiction recovery because they don’t have anyone to motivate them.

It can be easy to give up when the cravings and withdrawal symptoms are overwhelming. This is where the addiction counselor steps in. They motivate patients to follow through with treatment even till the final stage.

After addiction treatment, the work of the counselor is not done. They still encourage them to stick to the post-recovery phase which helps to prevent relapse.

Reasons why rehab is important for aftercare treatment

Many addicts who are in recovery always look forward to the day when they will be certified sober.

Time in rehab is quite challenging because you will have to unlearn, learn and relearn some habits in your sobriety journey.

What some of them fail to understand is, that after addiction treatment, there is a post-treatment phase that you should not skip. This phase is known as aftercare treatment.

Aftercare treatment is a post-treatment recovery phase that helps to sustain you when you are out of addiction treatment.

Usually, aftercare treatment takes place at a rehab. So, if you are cleared of addiction, and don’t want to visit the rehab, you don’t have to sign off fully yet. Your time at the rehab is not complete. Although, it’s for a greater purpose this time around.

Here are some of the reasons why you still need a rehab

Easy access to the therapists and counselors

If you are looking for a way to still communicate with the therapists and counselors, the rehab provides you with this opportunity.

One thing to note is, that after your addiction treatment, it is imperative to keep in touch with your therapists and counselors so that they can keep up with your recovery. Avoiding them will not benefit you in any way.

Close monitoring

Another benefit that comes with a rehab during aftercare treatment is, that the therapists and counselors can easily access you. It would be easy for them to keep up with your post-recovery.

If you are facing any challenges in the outside world that can bring back your addiction, all you need to do is communicate with them.  

Individual and Group therapy

Another benefit that comes with rehab is access to individual and group therapy sessions.

You will have access to therapy sessions where people will share their experiences, challenges, wins, and losses. This is usually the best opportunity to get motivated to keep up with therapy.

THE IMPORTANCE OF A REHAB

A rehab is one of the most important health facilities that people need to consider particularly as regards their mental health. Typically, a rehab handles addiction and mental health cases.

Due to the fact that addiction and mental health problem come in various forms, a rehab is the term that can adequately cater for any type of addiction or mental health.

With a rehab, you can help someone you love combat their addiction problem, or cure their mental health problem.

For addiction problems, one of the reasons why a rehab would typically come in handy is because of the structured process of treatment that comes with it.

To start with, if an individual is addicted to alcohol or drugs, the first course of treatment is detoxification. This is the process or removing harmful toxins that have built-up in the body. These toxins are as a result of drugs and alcohol intake, and they are deemed harmful to the body.

After detoxification, the individual would be required to opt in for either inpatient or outpatient rehab.

Where the individual would either remain within the confines of the rehab permanently till the addiction problem is over, or he or she would fix in the treatment schedule into their personal time frame.

For mental health problems, there is no need for detoxification because there was no harmful substance taken in the first place. An individual who has mental health problem might not necessarily need to be admitted for therapy in a rehab, except if the case is severe.

In addiction and mental health, one of the challenges that the counselors, therapists and healthcare providers face is, getting people who have these problems to come to terms with that fact.

People are usually reluctant to accept that they have an addiction or mental health problem, and this is why it is challenging for them to get better.

A rehab is one of the surest places where an individual can begin their journey to sobriety and a long-lasting health.

FRIENDS AND FAMILY IN YOUR ADDICTION TREATMENT

If you are struggling with addiction, one of the sets of people you need are family and friends. These people are indispensable and they have more value than other sets of people like acquaintances, co-workers, neighbors and the likes.

Friends and family are important because they provide a profound support system in and out of your addiction problem.

Although, some people have had fallouts with family and friends in the past because they did not prove worthy to be trusted. Hence, this is why some of them have issues trusting close people with their problems.

Addiction comes with a certain stigma; there is a way people look at you when you are addicted. And they fail to forget that it is not your fault. An individual who is addicted would most likely recover faster if he or she has the full support of family and friends.

Usually, if an individual has issues with family and friends, someone who steps in and acts as the conduit is the counselor. The counselor is a professional psychologist who has deep understanding about our emotions, mental capacities and the likes.

If the counselor discovers that the addicted individual has problems with family and friends, he would step in to save the day.

In addiction treatment, the counselor is responsible for organizing sessions like individual counseling, group counseling and family counseling.

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In order to foster love and care between the loved ones and the addicted individual, the counselor can invite them over for any of the counseling sessions.

When an addicted individual sees that he or she is receiving the needed support from family and friends, he or she would be motivated and determined to finish up the addiction treatment.

Family and friends need to understand that their addicted loved one needs all the love and help they can get. There would be strife and disagreements, but they need to know that, these unpleasant happenings occur because of the addiction and nothing more.

BENEFITS OF HAVING A SUPPORT SYSTEM IN THE ADDICTION RECOVERY PROCESS

When it comes to the addiction recovery process, it can be said that there are challenges which are associated with it. They are constant features which aim to ensure that the individual does not eventually break free from addiction. Now, it should be known that once there is a positive support system in place, there are benefits which it comes with.

First off, asides the fact that you would receive aid in ensuring that there is no relapse, which is evident in coping with stress and the notable triggers, you would also receive an enhanced sense of well-being and the necessary empowerment to forge ahead in the recovery path.

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Once there is a positive support system in your addiction recovery process, you can be sure that those people who are around you, would assist you in setting your sights on having a healthier lifestyle, which would ensure you remain focused, as you learn how triggers can be avoided. This support system also has to do with having the positive kind of peer influence, where those who are supporting you would inspire healthy behaviours and also making the right decisions.

In addition to this, having a good support system when you are recovering from addiction ensures that, you find a much better way to handle your emotions. One feature about recovery is, there are usually lots of emotions which are experienced, and some of them aid in triggering a relapse. Having a firm support network ensures you have a nourishing place which you can always rely on.

Hence, instead of trying out drugs or alcohol, your support network would assist you with coming up with feasible ways which would manage what you are feeling.

It is a known fact that, once a person has been discovered to be an addict, there is a high possibility that the individual would be abandoned by those who claim to love him. However, it should be known that there are still people who would be willing to assist you in this recovery process. So, once you know those who are willing to help you, and you have a good idea on the kind of support needed, then you are good to go.

Addiction Support Group

Support groups for addicts are a widespread way of treating addiction, not through professional intervention, but through peer support. Alcoholics Anonymous was the first support group to become an established organization, then many others followed in its footsteps with groups to support any kind of addiction, including Sex Addicts Anonymous, Narcotics Anonymous, Gamblers Anonymous and more. These grassroots organizations return power to the people to work on and recover from their addiction problems. There is not necessarily expertise in all of these groups, but there is a great deal of experience as the veteran recovered addicts guide the newly recovering addicts through the challenges of recovery.

The format for support groups is fairly traditional for any support group one may attend. The meetings are held in an affordable, designated meeting space that group members pay for together. Introductions are made so that connections can be established, then there is time for everyone to share their personal stories of their battle with addiction. This is the most raw and meaningful part of a support group meeting because everyone who speaks makes themselves vulnerable in front of others, strengthening their own resolve toward recovery and that of the others in the room as well. Group members are honored for the milestones they reach, such as six months sober or one year sober. People within the group form friendships and bonds that last a lifetime, and it is not uncommon for people to spend time together outside of group, drawing close together on many levels.

Support groups cannot replace addiction treatment for those who are in need of intensive treatment. Those who are just beginning their journey toward addiction recovery are typically in need of some professional treatment in order to change the thought and behavior patterns that are destructive to their lives. Support groups work great as an addition to professional treatment for those who are just beginning to combat their addiction problems, or they can serve very successfully as the sole treatment for a person who is becoming strong in their recovery and is falling into a rhythm with their positive mental health.

Addiction Counseling

Receiving counseling for addiction is highly beneficial to a person’s mental health. When addiction is allowed to thrive, it can prove detrimental, even fatal in some cases, to a person’s life. Addiction counseling is a slow, steady process of healing through guidance from a mental health professional. Where as inpatient rehabilitation is a very concentrated form of treatment, counseling is spread out over a great deal of time and makes strong use of the communication between the client and their counselor to enable recovery. This type of treatment works well for people who are looking to supplement a more intensive form of treatment, or for people who have not become heavily consumed by their addiction.

Addiction counseling is aimed at discovering the underlying cause of the addiction problem so that it can be dealt with. Modern psychology holds that addiction has roots in mental unhealthiness, therefore the addiction cannot be quelled unless the underlying cause is treated. There are a variety of reasons a person can become an addict, including past trauma, escaping from the hardships of a mental disorder, trying to cope with the confusion of a personality disorder, grief coping or many other types of impetus. An addiction counselor will question the recovering addict to understand their thought and behavior patterns. They will create a profile on the recovering addict based on what they say about their lives, then guide them through how to change their thought and behavior patterns.

An addict who chooses counseling as their form of addiction treatment should be prepared to consider their counseling a long term commitment. Addiction is a deeply rooted psychological problem that can have dire consequences on a person’s life. There is no quick fix for it. Addiction counseling usually only takes place during a few hours in a week, therefore progress is made slowly over the course of numerous months, sometimes even years. However, it can be the perfect edge a person needs to reset their way of thinking, enabling them to care for themselves and make well informed decisions for their life.

Outpatient Addiction Treatment

Outpatient addiction treatment is an excellent option for people who are looking to recover from addiction. For some people, the inpatient addiction treatment model, which involves living on site inside the treatment facility and following a treatment regimen around the clock, is simply not a viable option. Sometimes a person’s work commitments, school obligations or other life circumstances do not permit a person to stop their life for addiction treatment. For these cases, especially the ones involving people who are successful at independent endeavors, outpatient addiction treatment is the answer. This treatment style allows the recovering addict to receive intensive treatment while still permitting them the time to devote to their vocations, relationships and other life obligations.

The outpatient addiction treatment model requires the individual to meet with their counselor or facilitator at a certain reoccurring time for a decided on number of days in a week in order to work on their ongoing treatment. Their time may be spent on individual counseling, group therapy and support groups, readings, workbook exercises or sessions. They have access to a range of mental health professionals and addiction network support systems. Where as inpatient addiction treatment is highly concentrated, outpatient addiction treatment is more sporadic. This makes it an excellent option for cases of addiction that are less severe, or ones that have already received inpatient addiction treatment and are looking to supplement it.

It should be emphasized that outpatient addiction treatment is best for people who are not at immediate risk because of their addiction. Outpatient addiction treatment assumes more trust in a person to be able to handle themselves in the world. Someone who is desperately struggling with their addiction and is in danger because of it should consider inpatient addiction treatment more seriously so that they can be kept securely away from the addiction that is putting them at risk. But for those who thrive in their independence and are not at immediate risk due to their addiction, outpatient addiction treatment is an intelligent, practical way of working toward recovery. All through out North America, addiction rehabs are available to struggling addicts, such as Los Angeles treatment center, New York addiction facility and Calgary rehab center of Canada.

Inpatient Addiction Treatment

The addiction treatment option that is statistically the most successful is in patient addiction treatment. This form of treatment, also called residential rehabilitation, is unique among addiction treatment styles because of its immersive approach. Every other type of treatment available is touch and go, meaning the recovering addict spends some of their time in treatment and the rest of their time among the world. Inpatient addiction treatment takes the approach that addiction is totally consuming, therefore the most logical way to combat it is through treatment that is totally consuming. Inpatient addiction treatment requires the recovering addict to live on site and be monitored around the clock, being completely contained in an environment that promotes mental and physical health. This option is the best for people who are struggling with a severe addiction.

Inpatient treatment gives each client the opportunity to go through a complete detox, if it was a substance they were addicted to. This restores their physical health to them through a medically supervised process that gets them mentally clear enough to receive treatment. The inpatient model of treatment ensures that no outside influences will trigger the recovering addict, causing them to relapse. Instead, they are kept in a safe, contained environment where they can focus on their mental health through workbook exercises, readings, counseling sessions, group therapy and healthy recreation. Their meals are prepared for them and opportunities to get exercise are given to them. They encounter no experiences other than healthy opportunities to grow and counsel.

Even once the treatment program is finished, the inpatient rehab program offers the recovering addict the opportunity to stay active in their recovery by attending support group sessions, receiving sponsorship and committing to ongoing counseling. It is the policy of most inpatient rehabs to follow up with clients and check on their progress. Not everyone who is struggling with addiction needs as concentrated of a treatment model as inpatient rehabilitation, but it has been proven to be the most effective way of eradicating addiction problems in significant cases of addiction. Seek the services of an inpatient addiction treatment facility if addiction is ruining your life.