Addiction intervention through Drug and Alcohol Addiction Counselors

Drug and alcohol abuse counselors are mental health professionals trained to help alcoholics and substance abuse victims recover from addiction and dependency. Whether its hard drugs or sustained drinking habits they strive to help bring back their patients to sober living.The role of addiction counselors begins by identifying what caused the condition in the first place. Following closely, they conduct background assessment of other contributing factors to the behavior. For instance, it will be a concern to the counselors if the victim has relevant problems, e.g., anger management or behavioral inconsistencies.

Sometimes they work in tandem with other health professionals such as psychologists to handle a case if such expert skill is necessary. In essence, drug and alcohol abuse counseling takes a holistic approach to ensuring the general wellbeing of an addict. The journey to a drug and alcohol-free life is better placed in the hands of a counselor because their input works wonders as opposed to going it alone.

Role of a drug and alcohol abuse counselorIn most cases, drug and alcohol counselor offers tailor-made counseling and therapeutic services to substance abuse patients on face to face basis. Although a universal structured format does exist, the uniqueness of every case makes it reasonable to adopt a target-specific approach. The primary role is to pinpoint the source and enablers of addiction and develop in line solutions to counter the behavior.

Common drug and alcohol counseling methodologiesThere are several techniques commonly adopted to execute the services. While a single method can work for some addicts, others will require a blend of counseling techniques to achieve desired results.

• Motivational interviewingThe approach entails adopting a practice of preparing the patient to change for the better. It works by cultivating emotional and mental strength for the individual to seek treatment on own accord. Motivational interviews focus on getting the patient to understand the detrimental effects of addiction by assisting them to explore their lives carefully. Self-reflection is an essential aspect here because what needs to change is identified from it before subsequent treatment procedures.
• Cognitive behavior therapyThis counseling approach anchors on making the patients aware of the circumstances and behavior responsible for their conditions. From this, all the effort gets centered on how to avoid the situations gradually. Cognitive behavior therapy approach to counseling imparts alcoholics with skills to outwit the excessive drinking urge or drug dependency.
• Contingency managementContingency counseling employs the reinforcement rewards scheme. A patient is offered positive incentives for any effort made towards abstaining from drug or alcohol. However, if it happens to the contrary the reward is withdrawn and can be replaced by a disincentive. The plan aims to involve the victim more practically. For most cases, this approach records more immediate results.
• Family therapyIt focuses primarily on the surrounding influences of addiction either from the victim to the family or the reverse. Family therapy concentrates on the multiple back and forth pressures that can work for or against recovery. Involvement of one's siblings or parents, especially for teenagers, is typical of this strategy.

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