Addiction Treatment in Bay City, TX

To many, addiction is a simple enough phenomenon -- people take a lot of drugs because they like the pleasure, and then become addicted because they don't want to let go. In reality, however, addiction is nothing like this. People turn to compulsive and addictive substance abuse for reasons of poor psychiatric and psychological health. While psychiatric disorders are taken care of during and shortly after drug detox in Bay City, psychological issues need separate, painstaking treatment. At our drug and alcohol rehab for addiction treatment in Bay City, we focus very closely on the psychological health of our patients. We offer some of the most comprehensive substance abuse recovery programs anywhere to help them address the psychological problems that they face, and achieve sobriety.

How Do Addiction Treatment Programs Work?

Addiction treatment programs take aim at specific psychological dysfunctions that contribute to addictive behavior in a patient, and match them to specific therapy programs for addiction. These are not miracle cures; rather, they are methods that need considerable work. As with anything else in life, while success is never easy, it becomes very likely when an honest effort is made. A number of different approaches exist.

Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy

Cognitive distortions are a significant reason why many people drift into addictive behavior. These can cause much mental agony, and can influence behavior in far-reaching ways.

A strong tendency to magnify minor problems in the mind is one example of such behavior. Catastrophizing tendencies are another -- people may take a situation, think of all the ways they could go wrong, and lose heart. Self-deprecation is yet another harmful tendency. A constant belittling voice in the mind can demoralize people.

In the cognitive-behavioral therapy featured in substance abuse therapy programs these are called automatic thoughts. It is the job of the therapist to help the patient identify his automatic thought patterns, write them down, and think about them as a way to alter them.

With a thought pattern like constant self-deprecation, patients may be asked to write down why they feel their inner voice should believe they are useless or about to fail. Then, they think of how little evidence there is to support these ideas. Over time, the patient learns to think of such arguments on his own, and run through them when these automatic thoughts begin. Soon, they see that the ideas put forth by these thoughts have no basis in reality. This makes them lose interest in them.

Cognitive distortions play a very important role in pushing people to addiction. Addressing them can be important step towards achieving sobriety. This is why cognitive-behavioral therapy is important for treating addicts with a dual diagnosis in Bay City.

Motivational Interviewing

When an addict lacks the motivation needed to engage in treatment and get better, the motivational interviewing approach offers help. The therapist, through long conversations cleverly disguised as freewheeling and unstructured talk, attempts to find areas where a person has strong hopes, dreams and principles. Then, with more cleverly disguised conversation, the therapist gently guides the patient so that he unknowingly connects the motivation that he feels in these areas to the need to quit addiction. It can be very challenging work for the therapist to discover how to make the right connections.

For a recovering alcoholic who is proud of maintaining a high standard of living, for example, pointing out that the cost of alcohol has made it necessary for him to switch to cheaper beverage brands may be what it takes to get them to sit up and see that their addiction has deprived them of all their money.

For a woman who cares about doing better than her childhood friends, researching on Facebook or elsewhere how exactly they have done can help stir up some motivation. It takes a very skilled and patient therapist to make motivational interviewing work. When it clicks, however, it can be tremendously powerful.

Art Therapy

Many addicts use drugs to be able to overcome psychological pain -- post-traumatic stress disorder, depression or childhood traumas. Their minds may be turbulent with guilt, shame, stress, and frustration, an unbearable cocktail of negative emotion that drives them to substance abuse for escape.

Through our programs for addiction treatment in Bay City, therapists offer patients art therapy as both a healthy escape, and a way to confront and correct the psychological difficulties that they suffer.

As participants work on coloring, painting, music, dance or other art forms, their minds are able to focus on the challenges that they face each day. They may be able to think their conflicts, about developing satisfying relationships, about their pain and so on, expressing it all in their art. The arts, in other words, tend to be an environment that allow them to do the thinking that they need to solve their problems.

Just as important, indulging in artistic expression helps people with a feeling of accomplishment and self-confidence. These can be important in helping patients focus on the positive.

Seek our Rehab for Addiction Treatment in Bay City

It's hard to overstate how important the right therapist is for addiction treatment that really works. A skilled therapist, one who is the right match for a patient, can work magic. It does take considerable research to find such a therapist, however. Any effort expended can turn out worthwhile.

If you would like to speak to therapists at our center for addiction treatment in Bay City, you're always welcome to call (877) 804-1531.