Recovering from alcoholism involves far more than simply stopping drinking. While the detoxification process will address physical dependency, therapy for alcoholism helps you tackle the underlying psychological, emotional, and behavioral patterns that fuel addiction. Professional counseling can provide you with essential tools that can support your long-term sobriety success rates. Here’s how.
- Addressing the Root Cause: Therapy for alcoholism aims to help you identify and address the underlying issues that drive drinking behaviors. Alcohol is a common coping tool for deeper concerns such as trauma, anxiety, depression, and chronic stress. Through counseling, you can explore the heart of your alcoholism in a safe environment and develop skills to help you cope in a healthy way. This deeper work is often key to avoiding the issues that trigger a relapse.
- Building Essential Skills: Counseling teaches you practical skills that help you maintain sobriety in real-world situations. Your therapist can help you reorganize drinking triggers, develop solid refusal strategies, and create structured routines that support your recovery. Cognitive behavioral therapy is considered particularly helpful with alcoholism, as it helps you identify and change harmful thought patterns that lead to drinking.
- Ongoing Support and Accountability: Attending regular therapy sessions gives you access to consistent support and accountability through your recovery process. Checking in with a professional helps individuals stay motivated and address challenges before they get overwhelming. Your therapist can also coordinate with other providers when medication-assisted treatment is beneficial.
- Medication Management: There are several medications that studies have shown are useful in reducing cravings, urges, and drinking days. Medication can support the work done in psychotherapy to achieve and maintain sobriety from alcohol. When treating alcoholism, a combination of medications and psychotherapy is the most effective approach.
If you’re recovering from alcoholism, we’re here to support you. Contact us today to learn about our support services or to schedule a consultation with our team.