Addiction Treatment

When you continue to use drugs, alcohol or other destructive substances despite numerous efforts to quit, you may be addicted.

What Is Addiction?

Addiction means that you’re using drugs against your will, regardless of the harmful consequences. It’s a complex, chronic disease that keeps you mired in dangerous habits. Addiction puts your physical and mental health at risk.

Over time, abused substances change your brain chemistry, altering how you think and eventually leading to destructive patterns of behavior. In addition to the compulsive activity, there are warning signs associated with various kinds of addictions. An addiction tends to:

Disrupt your life
Impair your work habits and other daily activities
Take a toll on your physical health
Ruin relationships
Disrupt your hobbies and fitness routines
Interfere with your financial goals

What type of Addictions are there ?

Although drugs are probably the most commonly abused substance, other compulsions cause damaging psychological and physical consequences. An experienced addiction psychiatrist specializes in treatment for the various manifestations of addiction, including:

Do I Have to Check into a Clinic?

Addiction is difficult, if not impossible, to overcome by yourself. And despite your best efforts, you run the risk of a relapse. But you don’t necessarily need to check into an overnight facility. Outpatient addiction treatment works for you, as well.

If you’ve lost control, get help from a psychiatrist who provides effective psychotherapy, including medication, to help you avoid a dreaded relapse. Each type of addiction requires a slightly different approach, such as:

You may need medication managementto deal with withdrawal symptoms from drugs like opioids.
Stand-alone psychotherapy, more commonly known as talk therapy, may be sufficient to overcome a shopping or gambling addiction.

Which Medications Treat Addiction?

For your health and safety, rely on an experienced addiction psychiatrist to prescribe and manage your medications, so you can eventually reduce your dependence on those medicines. Several addiction medications are available that help alleviate withdrawal symptoms and regulate various mental health issues interfering with your recovery.

Your therapist may recommend a variety of medications, including:

Suboxone for opiate addiction
Antabuse to aid in alcohol recovery
Campral, which regulates brain chemistry when withdrawing from alcohol
Wellbutrin to help with methamphetamine and nicotine cravings
Remeron to treat symptoms of depression
Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) for anxiety

What Is Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Addiction?

You can begin the road to recovery once you’ve gone through withdrawal and detox or recognized the destructive nature of your compulsive behavior. A balanced talk therapy approach, either in individual therapy or group therapy, is the next step. The type of outpatient addiction treatment you need depends on your diagnosis, personal preferences and your addiction psychiatrist’s recommendations.

One of the most effective talk therapy treatments for addictions is cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). Once your doctor designs a CBT treatment technique for your unique needs, you can identify those self-defeating behaviors and impulses behind your addiction. Extensive research has proven the benefits of CBT. As your therapy evolves, you can look forward to benefits that include:

Re-examining the beliefs that direct your negative thinking
Learning new skills for coping with your compulsions
Developing strategies to avoid relapse
Working closely with your psychiatrist to unravel the aspects of your personality that led to addiction
Understanding any co-occurring conditions you may have
Finding constructive ways to deal with stress

What’s Beyond Cognitive Behavioral Therapy?

In addition to cognitive behavioral therapy for addiction, your NY therapist offers a range of alternative outpatient addiction treatments. If CBT doesn’t work for you, then other options may suit you better, such as:

Integrative therapy, a treatment that takes for granted that you know best what you need to treat your body, mind and spirit
Gestalt therapy, another form of holistic therapy, but focusing on the present and your current behavior
Dialectic behavior therapya technique that teaches you ways to lower stress, remain mindful of your emotions and communicate more effectively

Because you may have created additional problems in your life due to your addiction, you may need additional talk therapy to work through those issues, such as:

No matter what kind of addiction afflicts you, it’s time to find relief through a compassionate addiction psychiatrist. Empower Mind wants what’s best for you. We can help you get back to a life well lived. To begin your journey of recovery, Contact Empower Mind today.

Empower Mind PLLC