Drug Counseling

Outpatient Drug Counseling San Diego – APEX Rehab

While drug detoxification works on the physical addiction, we find that drug counseling is where we make most of our breakthroughs with patients. Counseling helps patients understand the underlying reasons or causes of their drug dependence, as well as the thoughts and behaviors that led to their addiction. With one-on-one drug counseling, APEX’s licensed, skilled therapists help patients see the light at the end of the tunnel. Through counseling, patients are able to increase motivation to get well, change negative and self-defeating behaviors, create stronger relationships at home and at work and reduce the potential for relapse.

For individuals fighting addictions, detox is only the first step of the way. Staying away from alcohol and substances is a long process and drug counseling provides excellent support throughout. It is essential to understand addiction as a very complex problem, which cannot be solved only on the physical level.

Addiction is strongest on the mental and emotional levels. For the most part, the dysfunctionalities on the cognitive and socio-emotional levels drive people into addictions. The individual’s perception of their own life affects the decisions that individual makes – that is the breaking point for an addiction. The problem is that once a person slips into addiction, their brains get restructured under the influence of alcohol or drugs, which further pushes them into the hold of their addictive mindset. After detoxification, the recovering individual must confront the psychological issues that are at the base and that’s the real work.   

Drug counseling during the outpatient treatment can make a world of difference for someone in recovery, because the outside world is rife with temptations and triggers for cravings. Some of them are:

·        problems of the everyday life – at home, work, school, etc.

·        sudden problems that arise

·        people, places and things that remind the recovering individual of the addiction

One-on-one drug counseling can also address the added challenges presented by comorbid mental disorders like anxiety, depression, bipolar and sleep disorders. Actually, individuals who have a dual diagnosis must be treated simultaneously for both issues, otherwise the treatment is unlikely to be successful.

How long the patient will be attending drug counseling sessions hinges on many factors. Every case is unique. The treatment coordinator will collaborate with the therapists to make an individualized recovery plan which is then fine-tuned as the patient pursues it.

Drug Counseling