Group therapy can be an ideal choice for those suffering from addiction. A group therapy session usually involves one or more psychologists who lead a group of about 5 to 15 clients. Group therapy can be done whether you are in an inpatient drug rehab center, outpatient rehab, intensive outpatient program, or another type of treatment program. Talking about yourself in front of strangers sounds intimidating initially, but group therapy provides benefits that individual therapy might not. Such as:

• Groups can serve as a support network and sounding board. Group members can help individuals work through difficult situations and hold them accountable.
• Listening and talking to others can help people put their own problems in perspective.
• Groups allow people to see how others handle problems, which can help individuals discover new strategies for handling personal issues.

Cognitive-behavioral therapy examines the differences between what we want to do and what we actually do. For example, addiction is what a person does. But what the individual wanted to do was solve a life issue. CBT is a short-term, goal-oriented treatment that uses a practical path to solving problems. The ultimate goal of this type of therapy is to change the patterns of thinking or behavior that led to drug or alcohol addiction.

CBT is another type of talk therapy that looks at the client’s behavior and thought patterns (cognition). Through this evidence-based therapy, the client can begin to understand how their negative thoughts and attitudes directly affect their behavior. By adding cognition to behavior therapy, cognitive behavioral therapy was born. 

How It Works

It works by changing one’s attitudes and behaviors. This is done by highlighting the individual’s thoughts, images, beliefs, and attitudes. In addition, it looks at the relationships a person has that cause the individual to behave in specific ways to deal with emotional problems, allowing the therapists to employ the dual diagnosis care Harmony Place is known for. Thus, it’s a combination of talk and behavioral therapy, bringing together the relationships between our mental health and our actions which led to addictions that eventually guided us to a drug rehab center.

Psychotherapy stresses the importance of the personal meaning we feel for things and how thinking patterns start during childhood. Also, CBT identifies the relationship between our problems, behavior, and thoughts. Once you see the connections, you can learn ways to cope and manage your thoughts and emotions during your addiction treatment and beyond.

DBT was first developed to treat borderline personality disorder. Since then, research has shown it to be successful in treating depression, bulimia, binge-eating, bipolar disorder, SUDs, anxiety symptoms, and PTSD.

Dialectical behavior therapy typically includes individual therapy sessions and DBT skills groups. The individual sessions are one-on-one with a trained therapist. The therapist will help clients stay motivated, apply the DBT skills to daily life, and discuss problems that may arise during their treatment. 

Those participating in skills groups learn and practice skills with the other group members. They are all invited to share their experiences and offer mutual support. Clients learn new skills to manage their emotions and decrease conflict in relationships. The skills learned are in four main areas.

DBT Skills:

• Mindfulness: This helps improve one’s ability to accept and be present in the moment.
• Distress tolerance: This works to increase an individual’s tolerance of negative emotions instead of trying to escape them.
• Emotion regulation: It includes strategies to change and manage intense emotions.
• Interpersonal effectiveness: These methods allow people to communicate with others in an assertive manner that maintains self-respect and strengthens relationships.

The whole family is affected when a family struggles with a substance use disorder. The normal balance of the family shifts as each member adjusts and changes to fit the situation. Typically, family members will respond by becoming overly responsible and controlling, leading to rifts between the client, their family, and possibly between individual members of the family.

Family therapy is psychological counseling that helps members improve communication and solve conflicts. The goal is to clarify the family relationships and encourage closeness and repair if the members choose to. According to SAMHSA (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration), family therapy can help families become more aware of their needs. And it helps keep substance abuse or alcohol and drug addiction from moving from one generation to the next.

Medication-assisted treatment is the use of medications in combination with counseling and behavioral therapies. This is especially useful in treating opioid use disorders (OUD), cocaine addiction, and heroin addiction by using a prescription drug, which can help some individuals recover.

There are three drugs approved for the treatment of opioid dependence:

1. Buprenorphine
2. Methadone
3. Naltrexone

These three drugs have proved effective when combined with counseling and psychological support. Due to the chronic nature of OUD, the need for continuing MAT should be re-evaluated and adjusted periodically if necessary.

Twelve-step programs like AA and NA (Alcoholics Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous) are also peer support groups. They can be an essential part of recovery. However, they are not the same as group therapy. 

Still, many public and private SUD treatment programs subscribe to the 12-step based approach, which is organized around the 12-step principles of Alcoholics Anonymous. An essential goal of 12-step programs is building compatibility between the client and the AA or NA meetings. The purpose is to teach the new member that participating in the group meetings after treatment is vital for continued recovery and sober life.