Behavioral therapies
These therapies are most commonly used to treat individuals with substance use disorders.
Pharmacotherapies
Learn about the different medications used to help treat addiction.
Benefits
Learn the benefits of therapy and how a personalized approach can identify the right treatment option for you.
What is therapy? Once you have recognized that you have signs of an alcohol or other substance use disorder, you may choose to explore various forms of therapy to support your recovery. Each therapy can be more or less effective than others, depending on the substance you are using, the severity of your drug or alcohol use, and other issues you may be experiencing, such as mental health conditions. Other factors can improve the effectiveness of therapy, too, like having a stable living situation or a strong support system. Therapy may not always be effective without medications for addiction treatment. Therapy should be considered as part of a holistic treatment plan that may also include evidence-based medications as well as peer support. Your stage of recovery may also affect your readiness for and responsiveness to therapy. For example, if you present for care while in the withdrawal stage, the priority may be to get medications to stabilize your symptoms, before you are ready to explore talk therapy.
Your choice of therapy is personal, but a physician or specialist at an inpatient or outpatient treatment facility can help you determine if and when therapy is right for you, as well as which therapy (or combination of therapies) will be most beneficial.
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CloseBehavioral therapy is the most commonly used method for treating substance use. It helps patients change their behaviors that accompany or trigger their use of alcohol or other drugs. It also helps people develop a healthy lifestyle and follow through on other forms of treatment, such as taking prescribed medication. Behavioral therapy is provided in both inpatient and outpatient settings. There are several common types:
The community reinforcement approach aims to make a lifestyle without drugs more appealing than continuing substance use, helping people stop using drugs long enough to develop life skills that support quitting altogether. Counselors offer guidance on improving family relationships, finding ways to avoid drug use, and developing new social networks and activities. Community reinforcement is often combined with contingency management. It can also be combined with evidence-based medications for addiction treatment (MAT).
Rather than treating one individual, family therapy focuses on how a patient interacts with his or her family members, in both positive and negative ways. In treating substance use disorders, family therapy aims to improve the interactions among a patient’s entire family to create a productive environment for everyone. It taps the family’s strengths and resources to help its members develop ways to live without drugs or alcohol, while reducing the effects of substance use on the patient and the family as a whole. The therapist leads the whole family in discussions and problem-solving sessions, and sometimes works with select family members, to strengthen and develop positive relationships.
Brief therapy involves a series of counseling sessions to assess and engage people with substance use disorders and then give them tools to quickly change their attitudes and handle the issues that led to or worsened their substance use. Unlike longer-term therapies, brief therapy focuses more on the present than the past, emphasizes using treatment tools in a shorter time-frame, and stresses a specific behavior change rather than large-scale changes in the patient’s life.
Studies show that brief therapy can be particularly effective for people who are functioning in society, like holding down jobs or attending school, and who have strong ties to their family, work, and community. This therapy also can be adapted for long-term treatment, dealing with one challenge at a time.
This type of therapy aims to increase a patient’s likelihood of becoming involved in a 12-Step self-help group, which offers support for long-term recovery from drug or alcohol misuse. The approach focuses on realizing and accepting that one’s substance use disorder is a chronic disease that will keep getting worse without treatment, and that willpower alone is not enough to achieve recovery. It stresses the importance of seeking the fellowship and support of other people in substance use recovery, following the 12-Step program, and actively participating in the meetings and related activities. Twelve-step programs have proven effective in treating alcohol dependence and show promise for helping those who misuse other substances.
Pharmacotherapies use prescription medication to reduce cravings and prevent overdose, including potentially fatal overdoses. Commonly used medications include the following:
The above medications are FDA-approved for the substance use disorders described above. Numerous other medications have off-label evidence.
These various therapy options can be tailored to the specific needs and behaviors of a person with a drug or alcohol problem. They also can be combined or phased in to increase their effect at different stages of recovery, and they may be provided through outpatient or inpatient programs that accommodate the patient’s schedule.
Be sure to work with a physician to identify the right treatment option. Your needs and the severity of your substance use disorder will help determine if/when and how therapy fits into the right recovery plan for you.