Addiction is one of the biggest issues for relationships. It not only puts strain on the one struggling, but the people around them too. Even with therapy, it can be incredibly hard to sustain behavioural change – but the main thing is not to give up. Scientific understanding about addiction and how the brain experiencing addiction works has advanced in recent years, leading to better help for those struggling with addiction. 

Choosing the Right Therapy

For most people simply going ‘cold turkey’ for any addiction is unlikely to lead to lasting success.  In general, a combination of other therapeutic approaches is likely to offer a greater chance of success in recovering from your addiction.  It’s key to choose a clinic that offers specialists in different therapy approaches, and a variety of addiction psychologists, so you can find the right fit for you. Don't give up. If one therapy doesn’t work for you, there is every possibility that another type of therapy will.

Some of the different approaches to addiction therapy include:

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy

• Teaches healthier ways of behaving and thinking
• Identifies harmful thought patterns and challenges them
• Structured nature which can be individual, in groups, or online
• Builds self confidence
• Can also treat the secondary issues surrounding addiction – depression, anxiety, OCD and BPD

Schema Therapy

• Focuses on identifying and addressing the schemas (frameworks of thinking and understanding the world and ourselves) that contribute to addiction
• Reshapingsw the individual sees and processes the root cause of the addiction
• Promotes self-compassion and understanding, as well as emotional awareness
• Addresses the cause rather than the behaviour itself
• Six months to two-year period

Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing Therapy (EMDR) 

• Helps to process the trauma and underlying emotional issues contributing to the addiction
• Works as a tool to help people reprocess the traumatic memories and process them in a safe, healthy way – this leads to the grasp of the addiction lessening 
• Typically used alongside schema therapy or cognitive behaviour therapy
• Can feel more invasive and full on since it involves remembering traumatic events 
• Offers specific and tailored approaches depending on the needs and traumas of the individual

What worked for your friend or family member may not work for you, which is why it’s so important to keep trying when one form of therapy fails to help you recover.  it is also important to understand that therapy outcomes vary for different individuals and that some treatments may take longer than others.

When considering psychologists, Melbourne based Clarity Health Care has a large pool of psychologists to choose from who understand the importance of different approaches for different situations, levels of addiction, and personalities. If you’re struggling with addiction, you aren’t alone, and there is always a way to overcome it. 

Looking to take the first step in your journey to overcome addiction? Get in contact with Clarity Health Care today.