Call 888-647-0579 to speak with an alcohol or drug abuse counselor.

Who Answers?

5 Ways Counseling Helps in Alcohol Addiction

Alcohol addiction, much like any addiction, is partially physical and partially psychological in scope. As such, counseling is a vital part of the recovery process for those who are addicted to alcohol. There are many ways that counseling can help in alcohol addiction, this article focuses on just 5 of the most common ways that counseling can help.

1. Changed Behaviors

Counseling helps patients learn how to change the behaviors that they associate with alcohol use. As a result, people who are addicted to alcohol and who receive counseling can appreciate changed behaviors as a result of the teachings that are received in counseling.

2. Lifestyle Changes

Recovering from alcohol abuse and addiction is made easier with the help of counseling and professional treatment.

Counseling helps to change the mindset associated with drinking and this helps to evoke positive lifestyle changes. Though it takes time, people who have adjusted to a particular lifestyle when they have become heavy drinkers, can equally adapt to a new lifestyle when they quit drinking—counseling can help in the adjustment process by providing support and insight to the user.

3. Changes in Thought Processes

Counseling in alcohol addiction treatment helps those who are addicted to learn how to reprocesses their thoughts in a more positive manner. Instead of allowing thought processes such as anxiety or depression to lead to alcohol, counseling teaches the recovering addict how to keep a positive outlook and to avoid alcohol. Counseling helps the user to understand how to positively process thoughts without resorting to alcohol.

4. Learning

Counseling is generally about support and learning. Those in recovery from alcohol addiction will learn how they can avoid potential triggers that may cause relapse, how they can focus on positive change and how they can behave in a way that will help them to avoid relapse. The learning that takes place in alcohol addiction counseling is beneficial long after the addiction is no longer a major player in the user’s life. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, learning helps patients to heal even when alcoholism continues to impact the lives of those in recovery indirectly.

5. Motivation

Counseling provides the necessary support to evoke a strong sense of motivation for those in recovery from alcohol addiction. Counseling can provide guidance and supportive care that helps the recovering addict to feel grounded and in control of their addiction and their recovery.

More Treatment & Detox Articles

How Does Heroin Addiction Begin & When Does it End?

The Beginning of Heroin Addiction Heroin is highly addictive and is one of the most abused drugs in America. Not only is heroin highly addictive but it also creates rapid dependency levels to form in a person and a person’s body develops tolerance levels quickly to the drug. Due to all of these factors a….

What is opiate Detox

Opiate addiction has been classified as a disorder of the central nervous system of the body that is a result of frequent and prolonged use of opiates. A person with opiate addiction does not have any control over his/her drug craving. Opiate addicts feel lonely and vulnerable as they suffer from highly stressful emotional, social….

How Heroin Treatment Centers Help You Recover

Anyone who’s battled a heroin addiction well knows how hard this drug can be on the body. While the “highs” from heroin may feel great, the lows can be equally painful. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, in 2011, as many as 4.2 million Americans reported having used heroin on at least one….

A mindful distraction for pain and depression

CAN THE WAY you chew a raisin affect the way you experience pain? Trials at St James’s and AMNCH (Tallaght) Hospitals in Dublin are beginning to look at how “mindfulness meditation” can be used to help people cope with a diverse range of problems including chronic pain, depression, anxiety, cardiac difficulties and even psoriasis. “Mindfulness….

Bill seeks proof of rehab home compliance

Senate Health Committee expected to consider bill that would cause facilities to prove they meet certain licensing requirements. A bill that would create more hurdles for drug and alcohol programs seeking licenses from the state is making its way through the California State Assembly. Assembly Bill 2903 would make recovery homes offer proof to the….