Addictions Counseling: Why It’s So Important?

Opioid addiction is a multifaceted condition, as it is often a physical addiction that becomes a cognitive and emotional addiction as well. When you try to overcome your addiction, you can gradually remove opioids from your life, which is an important first step, but the most critical aspect of opioid addiction recovery is to routinely attend addictions counseling. This is where you will develop the tools and coping mechanisms that will help you remain sober and free of addiction in the long run. 

The team of professionals at HOPE Recovery Clinics is proud to offer our patient’s addictions counseling as a part of our recovery program! We understand how incredibly important it is to help people deal with the psychological and emotional strain that addiction has caused in their lives. Our team is comprised of caring and compassionate individuals who will do everything in their power to help you succeed in your recovery journey!

How Addictions Counseling can Help

Addiction is more than a physical condition. Even after detox, when your body is no longer struggling to regain independence from opioids, you’re still at high risk for relapse. Certain psychological, environmental, and social factors can be powerful triggers that lead to relapse:

  • Stress, especially sudden life stresses
  • Environmental triggers, like visiting an old neighborhood
  • Social circle, if you know or associate with people who still use

Counseling is so uniquely effective because it helps patients with the other aspects of opioid addiction. There are often topics that patients don’t want to discuss with friends or family and instead wish to speak with a professional that can relate to their struggle. Addictions counselors can offer unique insights and perspectives that can help you stay sober. What often happens during addiction recovery, is that old traumatic memories or events that occurred during addiction will continue to perfect you unless these issues are addressed.

Once you’ve begun to repair these cognitive and emotional traumas, they will no longer burden you or have influence over your sobriety. This gives you the best opportunity for successfully remaining sober and reduces the chance of relapse in the future. 

Recovering addicts who have been clean for many years, still find benefit in addictions counseling. this is a powerful tool that allows them to address events that occurred in the past that still evokes powerful emotions such as shame guilt anger and many others. For many people suffering from addiction, the simple act of being heard and not judged is an incredibly liberating feeling. It can feel as though a tremendous burden has been lifted from your shoulders.

Lastly, you can speak to your addictions counselor about times when you were worried you might relapse or events that triggered the desire to use again. At HOPE Recovery Clinics, our counselors offer real, useful advice and guidance.

Who Benefits from Addiction Counseling?

While you stand to benefit the most from addiction counseling, those closest to you will also see the benefits. Addictions counseling helps you address social, behavioral, and emotional issues that you may be experiencing. 

Your family, friends, and loved ones will also benefit from you attending addiction therapy. During therapy, certain behaviors attributed to your addiction will be addressed, including ones that are affecting those closest to you. As these behaviors are addressed, the relationship you have with the people around you will only continue to improve. It is so important to repair the social network of people around you, as this support group will have a direct impact on the success of your recovery.

With addiction counseling, the social and psychological factors that often cause relapse can be addressed and the person who is recovering can learn how to cope with these issues without resorting to the use of a drug or alcohol.

Addictions Counseling and Medication-Assisted Treatment (MAT)

MAT and addiction counseling is most effective when used in conjunction with one another. By fighting your addiction on two fronts, the physical and the psychological, at the same time – you have a greater chance of becoming and remaining sober. 

At HOPE Recovery Clinics, we offer our patients counseling as a supplement to their MAT programs. We require strict adherence to your medical treatment, and counseling is only available to those who are taking their medication as prescribed as per your program requirements. We routinely conduct 12-panel urine tests to ensure that you aren’t using, but are taking your prescribed medication. If your results come back clear, you will have access to our expert counselors.

Addictions Counseling in Shreveport, Louisianna

If you have questions about our recovery programs or how HOPE Recovery Clinic addictions counseling can help you on your path to recovery, call our offices to speak with a representative or schedule an appointment online today!