Substance abuse counseling is a specialized form of therapy that helps people overcome addiction to drugs or alcohol. The goal of this counseling is to guide individuals toward recovery by addressing the underlying psychological, emotional, and behavioral issues that contribute to substance abuse.
There are some key components to substance abuse counseling. These include:
- Assessment: A specialist examines the client to see the extent of the substance abuse
- Counseling: Sessions where the counselor helps the individual explore the root causes of their addiction, develop coping strategies, and set goals for recovery. Counseling can also take place in family and group contexts.
- Treatment Planning: Counselors work with individuals to create personalized treatment plans that may include a combination of counseling, medication, lifestyle changes, and support groups like Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) or Narcotics Anonymous (NA).
- Relapse Prevention: A significant aspect of counseling is teaching individuals how to identify triggers and develop strategies to prevent relapse. This includes building a strong support network and learning how to handle stress and cravings.
Within substance abuse counseling, there is rehab. Short for rehabilitation, rehab takes place along a series of levels of care:
- Detoxification (Detox): Many rehab programs begin with detox, where individuals are medically supervised as they go through withdrawal from the substance. This phase focuses on safely managing the physical symptoms of withdrawal.
- Inpatient Rehab: Individuals stay at a residential facility for a set period (often 30, 60, or 90 days) where they receive intensive care and support in a substance-free environment.
- Partial Hospitalization: This is an intermediate stage between inpatient and outpatient care, allowing for more freedom than inpatient rehab while providing more structure than outpatient care.
- Outpatient Rehab: Individuals live at home but attend treatment sessions at a facility. This allows them to continue working or attending school while receiving support. There’s also intensive outpatient rehab, which is a form of outpatient rehab treatment.
Substance abuse counseling and rehab are critical components in the recovery process, offering individuals the tools and support they need to overcome addiction and build healthier lives.
How Long Does Substance Abuse Counseling Take?
How long substance abuse counseling takes will depend in great measure on each individual case. Factors influencing the duration of treatment include the severity of treatment and the type of treatment program.
Here’s a general overview of what you can expect.
Initial Consultation for Substance Abuse
This is when a person checks in for treatment for substance use disorders. The process begins with an interview and a comprehensive assessment of the person’s addiction. Things like co-occurring mental health issues and overall medical history are also examined. The process generally takes one to three days, with the goal of creating a personalized treatment plan.
Detox for Substance Abuse
Detox, short for detoxification, is the process of allowing drugs or alcohol to leave the body. This process can range from unpleasant to painful or even potentially deadly, making medical supervision often a necessity. The length of detox depends on the substance used, the duration of use, and the individual’s health. It generally lasts three to ten days, though it can sometimes go beyond that.
Residential Treatment for Substance Abuse
Residential treatment, or inpatient treatment, involves living full-time at a rehab center. There, individuals receive intensive therapy and medical support. Dual diagnosis treatment can also be provided here. Inpatient treatment typically takes 30 to 90 days, sometimes longer.
Partial Hospitalization Program (PHP)
After residential treatment for drugs and alcohol, some clients enroll in a partial hospitalization program (PHP). PHP is a step down from inpatient care but provides more structure than typical outpatient programs. PHP clients can receive intensive treatment during the day but return home or to a sober living environment at night. The duration of treatment at this level of care is typically between several weeks and several months.
Outpatient Treatment for Substance Abuse
Outpatient treatment for alcohol and drug abuse allows individuals to live at home while attending therapy sessions at a treatment center. The frequency of sessions decreases over time as the individual makes progress. Outpatient programs may include individual therapy, group therapy, family therapy, and continued medical support. They typically last between three months to a year.
Aftercare for Substance Abuse
Aftercare is integral to long-term sobriety. Technically, it is not a level of treatment; aftercare is all about ongoing support to prevent relapse. It often entails regular counseling sessions, attending support groups, or residing in a sober living environment. Addiction counseling aftercare can last anywhere from one to two years but can significantly extend beyond that.
Get confidential help from our addiction treatment specialists in Orange County. Call to join our rehab program today!
Call 866-881-1184What Substances Can Counseling Help With?
There is substance counseling available for practically any addiction.
Alcohol
Substance abuse counseling for alcohol, often referred to as alcohol counseling or alcohol addiction therapy, is intended to help individuals manage their alcohol addiction.
Many different counseling modalities can be brought to bear to treat alcohol addiction, also known as alcohol use disorder (AUD). Behavioral treatment options include cognitive-behavioral therapy, motivational interviewing, inpatient and outpatient rehabilitation, and mutual support groups.
The intervention with the strongest clinical evidence for its efficacy is cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT). CBT is commonly used to help clients identify and change negative thought patterns and behaviors related to alcohol use. This can include developing healthier coping mechanisms and learning to manage triggers that lead to drinking.
It should be noted that AUD is highly correlated with PTSD. For those who present a dual diagnosis of these two conditions, eye movement desensitization therapy is a good option for treatment.
Opioids
Opioids are a class of highly addictive drugs that run the gamut from hydrocodone to heroin and more. Substance abuse counseling for opioids is a critical component in the treatment of opioid use disorder (OUD), a condition characterized by the compulsive use of opioid drugs despite harmful consequences.
Counseling plays a vital role in helping individuals overcome addiction, manage withdrawal symptoms, and maintain long-term recovery.
For treating OUD, studies find that contingency management, a type of substance abuse counseling, is one of the most effective at reducing opioid use.
Benzodiazepines
Substance abuse counseling for benzodiazepines focuses on helping individuals who struggle with dependence or addiction to these medications, which are commonly prescribed for anxiety, insomnia, and other conditions. Benzodiazepines, such as Xanax, Valium, and Ativan, can be highly addictive, especially when used long-term or in higher-than-prescribed doses.
Counseling for benzodiazepine addiction addresses the psychological, emotional, and physical challenges associated with dependency and withdrawal, aiming to help individuals achieve and maintain sobriety.
Research indicates that CBT can be effective in treating benzodiazepine addiction. CBT’s effectiveness lies in the fact it targets not only the addiction itself but also its underlying causes. For example, CBT can be used to treat insomnia, which is often what drives people to start abusing benzodiazepines in the first place.
A more recent form of CBT, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), has shown efficacy. ACT promotes acceptance of inner experiences: emotions, thoughts, and sensations. By encouraging people to accept rather than suppress or run away from these experiences, they can eventually reduce or cease their benzodiazepine abuse. Studies have found that ACT is effective in treating benzodiazepine addiction.
Stimulants
Substance abuse counseling for stimulants focuses on helping people who struggle with addiction to stimulant drugs. Stimulant abuse encompasses both addictions like Adderall and Ritalin, as well as illegal drugs like cocaine and methamphetamine.
People addicted to stimulants feel a compulsion to take more of these substances to feel energetic and alert. Counseling aims to address the drivers of this addiction and guide people toward long-term sobriety.
The vast majority of the scientific literature finds that of all therapy modalities, contingency management is the best form of counseling for this addiction. Contingency management is a behavioral therapy approach that uses positive reinforcement to encourage abstinence. It involves providing tangible rewards like vouchers or privileges to clients who meet specific treatment goals, such as passing drug tests or attending counseling sessions.
Looking for quality substance abuse treatment that’s also affordable? South Coast accepts most major insurance providers. Get a free insurance benefits check now.
Check Your CoverageWhat Does a Substance Abuse Counselor Do?
A substance abuse counselor plays a crucial role in helping individuals struggling with addiction to drugs, alcohol, or other substances. Their primary focus is on guiding clients through the process of recovery, offering support, education, and strategies for coping with addiction.
The main focus of a counselor is, of course, on the counseling. Substance abuse counselors conduct individual therapy sessions, where they work directly with clients to explore the underlying causes of their addiction, address emotional and psychological challenges, and develop coping strategies. They often use techniques like motivational interviewing to help clients find the internal motivation to change their behavior and commit to recovery.
Aside from that, they also can be trained to offer group or family therapy, make referrals, help coordinate care, do assessments, and more.
Get Started Today
If you or a loved one is battling with addiction and have concerns about how long addiction treatment takes, please call 866-881-1184 or contact us here. Our highly qualified team of addiction counselors would be happy to help you understand what to anticipate from your addiction recovery timeline, check your insurance, and answer any other concerns you may
- Neurobiology and the Treatment of Alcohol Use Disorder: A Review of the Evidence Base – PMC (nih.gov)
- Behavioral Treatments for Alcohol Use Disorder and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder – PMC (nih.gov)
- Psychotherapies in opioid use disorder: toward a step-care model – PMC (nih.gov)
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy for the Discontinuation of Long-Term Benzodiazepine Use in Insomnia and Anxiety Disorders – PMC (nih.gov)
- An initial meta-analysis of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy for treating substance use disorders – PubMed (nih.gov)
- The Use of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy in Substance Use Disorders: A Review of Literature – PMC (nih.gov)
- Treatment of stimulant use disorder: A systematic review of reviews – PMC (nih.gov)
