There are many types of counseling for drug abuse. All these changes aim to improve the odds of kicking drug abuse, help to lower the risk of relapse and enable individuals with the addiction to finding ways to rebuild their lives. A few of the most effective types of drug abuse counseling treatments are behavioral therapy, drug addiction rehab, contingency management, cognitive-behavioral therapy, and REBT (rational emotive behavior therapy). It is a good idea to learn about the many styles and types of therapy when you or a loved one is seeking treatment for drug abuse. Learn more about various types of counseling for drug abuse now.

Behavioral Therapy for Drug Abuse

Behavioral therapy is used as a treatment to help people change unhealthy, self-destructive, and addictive behaviors. The main focus of this type of drug abuse is on helping people reach new, healthy goals. This type of therapy can help people to find and understand their unhealthy and undesirable behaviors.

A behavioral therapist will implement specific interventions to help a person get control of their unwanted behaviors. These interventions might include the following:

•  Assertiveness training intervention – This will help improve a person’s level of communication, moving them away from passive or aggressive communication. It teaches them to use more assertive communication techniques, so they can express themselves while respecting others.
•  Relaxation training intervention – This type of intervention focuses on a person’s ability to find physical and mental peace and calmness. It may also teach a person to handle stressful events in a more successful manner.
• Exposure intervention – The ultimate goal is to help the person become “exposed” to the stimulus (their drug of choice) by implementing a new behavior and not using.

Contingency Management for Drug Abuse

Contingency management is one of the types of counseling for drug abuse, especially for opioids, marijuana, stimulants, alcohol, and nicotine. This type of treatment gives the person a much-wanted reward if they accomplish their desired behaviors. Most often the behavior they are seeking is abstinence from their addiction. Some of these rewards are:

• Voucher reward – This type of reward is commonly handed out to a person for passing a drug test. It is a voucher they can use towards things such as movie passes, food items, plays, and other activities they might like to participate in while living a drug-free lifestyle.

• Prize reward – This reward allows the recovering addict to get a prize for staying clean and passing a drug test. Often the prize will be determined by the therapist and the person in recovery. This makes the prize more individualized.

• Natural contingencies – Often, rewards come naturally when a person stops using drugs. A person usually feels a sense of joy within themselves. They will likely improve their relationships with spouses, parents, and children. They will become healthier physically and mentally.

If these rewards sound like something you would like to have in your life, contact a drug rehab center to start the recovery process today.

REBT (Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy)

EBT stems from the idea that people want to do good in their lives. For example, you probably want to kick your addiction. However, sometimes you start having irrational thoughts, which causes you to forget the reasons why you want to have a drug-free life. In rational emotive behavior therapy, a person learns how to reframe their thinking, so they can reach their goal of sobriety. There are three core principles in REBT. These principles are known as the ABC’s which include:

• A – activating event,
• B – beliefs or irrational thoughts,
• C–  consequences

There are three main techniques used in REBT therapy, but you should know every therapist might use different techniques. The three main techniques are coping, cognitive restructuring, and problem-solving techniques.

Above you have read about a few of the types of counseling for drug abuse. However, you should know there are many kinds of treatments a person can use to help them fight their addiction. It can be hard to face an addiction. However, there are many people who kick their bad habits every day. Are you, your friend, or a loved one struggling with addiction? If so, please know you are not alone. There is hope. You don’t have to go through this by yourself. Choose to seek help today!