The Role of Drug Addiction Therapy

Drug addicts usually feel isolated and alone

Drug taking can become a very isolating experience. Examples of becoming isolated could be from either trying to hide our addiction from others or simply the eventual paranoia that is associated with smoking marijuana. Once we have a problem, the actual act of taking any drug is usually not with others. It may be that we are with someone the first time when someone shows us how to use a syringe to inject ourselves with heroin. The only interaction with someone else who is aware of our addiction is probably our dealer.  For the dealer it is a business and certainly they will push the use of any drug they can supply. 

Drug addicts will usually reach a point when they recognise they need help

There is a time for everyone when we cry out for help and that is usually when no matter the quantity of drug being taken there is no effect from the drug.  The body is now just needing the drug to function and the addictive cycle will just play out every day but with the body needing more of the drug. The options of getting help are now very limited. Each county throughout the UK has its own drug and alcohol team.  For a long time they have been underfunded and are restricted in the services they can fully offer. They certainly not able to at short notice arrange a medicated drug detox within a residential drug rehab treatment environment.

A drug detox may be needed

This is important as with certain drugs such as heroin or any opiate, a detox to safely get over the withdrawal symptoms can take up to 14 days. For others such as Cocaine there is no recognised medication for a detox.  Usually, though, Cocaine goes hand in hand with Alcohol so the alcohol detox will help with the withdrawal symptoms associated with coming off Cocaine. Therefore in order to get help there will only be the avenue of a private drug addictions clinic or addiction treatment rehab. 

Drug addiction therapy

If you are admitted to a residential addictions rehab or drug detox clinic then, after you have been seen by a doctor at the clinic, you would usually start on a very structured daily therapy programme.  Many people have tried to reduce or stop their addiction by attending hourly sessions once or twice a week. However, if they attend these therapy sessions whilst still using their drug of choice then it is not surprising that the sessions do not lead to them reducing or stopping their drug use.

People will also try psychotherapy as they think that there is an underlying reason why they use a drug and if that can be resolved then they will be all right but that tends not to work either.  There needs to be an appropriate detox or the person being in a safe place such as a clinic and away from the home environment for therapy to be really successful and showing positive results.

CBT for drug addiction

The most effective form of therapy has proven to be Cognitive Behavioural Therapy or CBT. CBT is a type of talking therapy and it teaches coping skills for dealing with different problems.  It focuses on how your thoughts, beliefs and attitudes affect your feelings and actions.  It is a form of psychological treatment that has been demonstrated to be effective for a range of problems including alcohol and drug use.  

A key factor in the success of therapy is our willingness to build up a trust with the therapists. We need to not continue to maintain an isolated presence but to be open and honest within the therapy environment.  This will also reinforce acceptance of our need for help. We also need to understand that help needs to come from someone with an understanding of addiction, as the vast majority of addictions therapists have been in residential drug treatment for their own addiction and are an example of Recovery.

Moving away from our isolated behaviour when we were using drugs is critical in order to maintain Recovery. We must not return to relapsing back to our old addictive thinking and behaviour and this is encouraged through therapy.  At The Haynes Clinic, for example, we offer ongoing therapy which is free of charge for anyone that completes the 28 day residential drug treatment programme.  This is called Aftercare and takes place once a week at the clinic or via Zoom meetings.

12 step groups for drug addiction

There are also support groups such as Cocaine Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous that follow the principles of the Alcoholics Anonymous 12 Step Programme.  We are also advised following residential drug treatment to frequently attend these free weekly support groups. Meetings near our home address can be found by inputting a postcode into their respective websites.  They are not strictly classed as being therapy based but the attendance is at more of a therapeutic level and is another way of maintaining the trust and faith in sharing with others at these meetings.  

People who understand drug addiction

It is quite likely that this will be the first time that we feel understood and that we are not alone with our addictive behaviours.  Therapy enables us to share all the areas of guilt, shame, sadness, anger and remorse where our addiction has negatively taken us in our life and to share those feelings with another and to not be judged for those past actions. We need to have them openly processed in order for us to move forwards. 

Support for the family of drug addicts Drug taking and subsequent addiction will have severely affected our family and loved ones and some residential drug addictions clinics or drug rehabs will run a family programme to help them as well.  Again, the therapy for the family based programme will be CBT based and will centre on helping them with their understanding. They will also be encouraged to process their anger, changing it to feelings of support understanding and more stability for when their loved one leaves treatment. Having that family support, following therapy, can provide stability during a time when everything feels uncertain