What is the need of a psychologist for treating drug addiction?
A psychologist can help a person with drug addiction learn to identify their triggers that fuel their addiction, learn coping strategies, change the harmful patterns of thoughts, feelings, and behaviours that contribute to their drug addiction, provides support during their recovery journey, helps with repairing and creating relationships, and helps prevent relapses.
Do rehabs have a drug addiction psychologist?
Yes, rehabilitation facilities have a team of professionals which includes psychologists, psychiatrists, physiotherapists, nurses, family therapists, etc. that are collaboratively involved in making a treatment plan for the individual with a drug or other addiction.
Can a person stop consulting a psychologist on recovering from drug addiction?
When a person is addicted to drugs, it results in structural and functional changes in the brain. Moreover, the neural pathways associated with the person’s addiction can get triggered even after the person has recovered, making the person susceptible to relapse. This is why continuing follow up consultations with professionals, especially a psychologist, can help the person identify and deal with their triggers, which can help them prevent a relapse and maintain sobriety.
What approaches does a psychologist use for drug addiction treatment?
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) is one effective approach that can help in the treatment of drug addiction. It focuses on changing unhealthy behaviours and thought patterns and replacing them with healthy ones. Rational Emotive Behaviour Therapy (REBT) is another approach that challenges the irrational thinking patterns of an individual that enable the drug use behaviour. Motivational Interviewing (MI) is another effective approach that focuses on strengthening the commitment of the addicted individual to the goal of recovery and maintaining sobriety.
