Substance Abuse Treatment & Recovery By Drug And Alcohol Therapists

In the USA, nearly 8.2% of the population suffers from substance abuse. Even though a large part of the population is affected only 4.1 million people receive treatment for the problem. This is only a small fraction of the population that needs help for the problems related to the illicit use of drugs and alcohol. These figures have been revealed by National Survey on Drug Use and Health.

Considering the figures it goes without saying that a drug and alcohol therapist is a significant part of the substance abuse treatment. They have a very important role in the recovery of substance abuse victims and help them get back to normal and healthy life.

Who is a drug and alcohol therapist?

The Drug and alcohol therapist has specialized training for the treatment of drug and alcohol abusers. They help substance abusers with complete recovery and also offer continued support to them as a part of aftercare.

Drug and alcohol therapist may be available in educational centers, mental health facilities, hospitals, private clinics, drug rehabilitation centers, detox centers, etc. They are required to hold certificates for their training and experience.

What Does a Drug and alcohol therapist do?

A drug and alcohol therapist works with the person suffering from addiction as a part of the therapy. Their purpose is to figure out the root cause of the problem and help them get back to a life free from addiction. Each patient is subjected to a different treatment plan depending on the causes which led the person to rely on alcohol and drugs as a coping mechanism. They help the patients understand that addiction is a vice and its damaging effects in order to help them overcome alcohol abuse and teach them how to lead their lives without being dependent on alcohol and drugs. Their main goal is to bring the patient back to sobriety with the help of counseling.

Drug and alcohol abuse treatment is different for different patients and is a combination of different types of treatments. Some popular therapies provided by a drug and alcohol therapist include cognitive-behavioral therapy, motivational interviewing, contingency management and family therapy.

A drug and alcohol therapist has to work with patience, compassion, sensitivity and understanding. Education and training are not the only things that a therapist needs. He or she has to put in all their hope together with their time and energy in the recovery of the patients. The successful recovery of their patients is the matter of pride for them.

How Does Drug and alcohol therapist Work?

To start with, the drug and alcohol therapist discusses the addiction with the patient and acquire information of their past. They always ensure that they know the person fully and understand the cause behind the present state of the person. The interaction with the patient enables the therapist to discover the best way to guide the alcohol and drug addict into sobriety. As the treatment progresses, the counselor fine-tunes the recovery plan so as to ensure patient’s sound recovery.

A drug and alcohol therapist helps the patient to identify the behavior patterns related to addiction and offers support and encouragement to confront emotional and behavioral issues that may be preventing their progress. The patient finds some sessions easy and some difficult, but every session pushes the patient further towards the goal.

A very important role of the drug and alcohol therapist is to work with the families of the patients they are dealing with. This involves educating the family members about the treatment and progress of the patient. The family members are given full information about the details of medication administered to the patient. With proper knowledge and guidance, a family can deal with drug and alcohol abuse in a better manner and play a very positive role to help the patient achieve sobriety.