How An Addiction Therapist Can Improve Mental Health

Addiction can cause so much damage to many people in one's life. It'll affect not only the addict, but it'll also cause grief and stress for their family members, friends, and even possibly their co-workers. While there are substances that can cause physical addiction, a person's mental state can become just as fragile as their body. Someone can be in peak physical health, but their mind could be shattered.

That's where an addiction therapist can enter and help with far more than just drugs, alcohol, gambling, or something else. They can help someone find mental clarity, which will help with other parts of their life. Here's how:

They Can Help Recognize Addiction Triggers

There are a lot of different things that can make a person pursue something detrimental to them. These are known as triggers, and they can be anything from stress to the sight of a particular thing or person. If those triggers aren't recognized and shut off, then it can lead to a destructive spiral of behavior.

Addiction counselors have several items in their toolbags to help with getting the most out of therapy. They can choose to focus on one or more of these types of ways to make their patient more mentally strong and ready to take on life:

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy

This is one of the main ways a mental health professional uses their training. They will discuss the patient's mindset and see if certain patterns happen, like negative thoughts that seem to play on an endless loop like a streaming music playlist that can't be shut off. Then they'll introduce methods to break that loop of negativity.

The goal is to allow their patient to reshape any negative thoughts, such as doing things like recognizing what the thought is, then dismissing it as irrational, and thinking about something else. Ultimately, the goal is to be able to help the patient quiet their mind when needed.

Dialectical Behavior Therapy

Here's something that licensed addiction counselors could use to help their patients with their emotional regulation. There might be times when one's emotions get the better of them and they wind up falling into addictive behavior. The goal is to help them manage those emotions in such a way that they can avoid that pitfall.

Instead, the counselor can point them to do something like foster a positive relationship with someone new. That way, those emotions can be used for that rather than self-destructive behavior. The longer that the patient can do that, the better off they'll be.

Motivational Interviewing

When mental health counselors use this technique, they aren't standing there exhorting their patients throughout the session like a motivational speaker. The goal is to help them recognize why they need to break the addiction and work on their mental health. This is mainly for those who are at a point where they might be reluctant to even better themselves.

The way this happens in a session is that the counselor asks open-ended questions, shows empathy for what the patient's going through, and shows that they are mentally present by doing reflective listening. It's a way to get the patient to take a close look at themselves and get back on track, mentally.

Once progress has been made here, the therapist can develop treatment plans.

They Can Help Develop Healthy Coping Skills

One of the most important things that patients at mental health centers, whether they are there for substance abuse or some other form of addiction, learn is to find something that can help them cope with anything that life throws at them. These coping methods can be anything from painting to meditation to exercise. These activities are supposed to distract a patient from dwelling on anything bothering them.

Doing these things can also create a sense of structure in their lives, and they can then continue doing those things at home. They might even want to join a group of like-minded people who enjoy the same activity. It'll give them something to look forward to each day and keep their minds in a good place.

They Can Be a Sounding Board

Communication is key. Too many people tend to keep their concerns and feelings bottled in. As a result, when stress happens, they might mentally lapse and wind up going back to addictive things. Having someone to talk to at those moments can be huge.

If they are willing to, a patient could talk to their addiction therapist outside of their office hours. They could be a sponsor of sorts, like AA. This would be a good fallback of sorts, even if the two agreed that the patient had reached a point where they could be considered strong enough to re-enter everyday life with their family and friends.

While the counselor is there to help, both of them need to set rules about contact. They may make themselves available at all times or be unreachable after a certain hour. If it's the second one, they might give their patient someone else's number or email to use those times they can't be reached.

That way, the patient could reach out with a text or a phone call if they feel like they're backsliding or they've encountered a situation where their mental state is fragile, even with medication. The addiction counselors could give them a pep talk or guidance on that, or some mental exercises or mantras to focus on until the patient's feeling of mental stability returns. They want to see their patient happy in both body and mind for the rest of their lives.

They Can Help Educate Family and Friends

Addiction counseling can be a lot more than just educating patients about substance use disorders. Addiction counselors can work with a patient's family or friends, which is important to help them understand what an addict is going through. This way, they can then show them how to do things in their day-to-day life to help keep the addict in good mental condition.

This includes explaining certain aspects of addiction and mental health or dispelling any myths that friends or family members might believe. That way, they can help prevent any possible setbacks if things get frustrating, which can and will, since life is not known for being fair.

This can be anything from being present and listening to questions that the family members have, while also explaining how those people can hold both themselves and their friend or family member accountable. It's hard to try to stay mentally strong if someone feels ignored, and the counselor can help ensure that everyone does their part.

They Can Help With The Mental Part of Regular Life

When someone leaves rehab or even prison, they find themselves may find themselves in a situation where life feels like it's out of control. While their counselor might show them how to regulate and keep themselves busy, there are other things they can do.

For example, employment can play a big part in any particular mental health issue. Not having a place to work to take their mind off certain thoughts or urges during the day or night can be devastating and lead to a lack of structure. Using job placement services through substance abuse counselors can be a tremendous boost to a patient's self-confidence.

Other Considerations About Addiction Counselors

Addicts can help their addiction counselors figure out what mental health conditions they might have by being open about what they are feeling. This will also help the professional determine if any medication is needed. That way, the patient can take advantage of any counseling services.

Another thing that they could do is see if the patient has a particular behavioral disorder that could play a large part in their addiction or overall mental state. These counselors can help people everywhere, even those in correctional facilities. They can prepare them for what life is like when they get back out and guide them to prevent any relapse that could put them right behind bars.

It's important to get as much recovery support as one can. The patient shouldn't be afraid to lean on certain people, including family members and other people that they know, like those from any support groups that they attend, among other things.

If an addict decides to seek treatment with a mental health professional, they'll be getting the tools to both stay away from whatever addiction plagues them and also make themselves a better person in the long run.