6 Domains That A Therapist Specialized In Addictions Must Have
One of the characteristics of mental health problems is that under this broad concept there is a diversity of psychological and neurological disorders that have their own ways of functioning. That is why each type of psychopathology or neuropsychological disorder requires different therapeutic strategies, and consequently, also therapists with slightly different skills.
In this article we are going to focus on addictive disorders and see what they are. The main domains that a therapist specialized in addictions must have. To do this, we will start from the idea that the appropriate way to offer professional help to this type of patient is not to have generic training in mental health, but to have gone through specialization.
What are the domains that a therapist specialized in addictions must possess?
Addictive disorders present some particularities that make them one of the most complicated neuropsychological pathologies to treat, due to their ability to globally affect both the patient’s nervous system and their personal relationships, habits and behavioral patterns in general. Therefore, when seeking professional help to treat and overcome an addiction, it is necessary to choose a team of therapists specialized in addictions and with experience in this field, to avoid the risk that they do not have the domains and skills that we will see below. .
Part of the success of addiction treatment involves be able to review the hypotheses on which, as a therapist, you have been working. Sometimes it happens that throughout the therapy new data emerge that forces us to review everything we thought we knew about the patient, something very common when intervening in addictions since, due to the ambivalence of many patients in their attitude towards the therapy, , there are not rare occasions when they hide information at the beginning.
In the same way, a good therapist specialized in addictions knows that only by monitoring the progress of the therapy is it possible to know if effective solutions are being offered for each patient, since there are no infallible solutions that simply have to be applied as indicated in clinical manuals.
2. Active listening
It is of little use to have the knowledge to help a patient suffering from an addiction if he or she does not feel heard and supported. Therefore, it is very important that therapists develop active listening skills, to clearly show that they pay attention and care about understanding the particular case of the problem that each patient suffers.
3. Assertiveness
People who have developed an addiction tend to externalize the causes of their problems; For example, they often find it difficult to recognize that their mood swings are not always the fault of others, in part because of their irritability and the ease with which they become frustrated due to the discomfort of withdrawal. For this reason, therapists specialized in the treatment of addictions develop the ability to give constructive criticism to these patients so that an avoidable conflict or anger does not appear that could lead to a relapse into addiction.
Although addiction therapists have highly qualified training in a field full of technicalities and academic jargon, much of their work involves helping people understand what mental health problem they or their loved ones have developed (in the case of the patients’ relatives). Having the ability to explain in a simple and pedagogical way what an addiction is, what its implications are in the life of the person and the people around them, and what to do about it, is necessary to create a social circle of support for the addicted person; family members and loved ones who understand what an addictive disorder is, do not stigmatize the patient and help them to the best of their ability.
5. Analytical capacity
Although addiction is described as a disease in diagnostic manuals, we must not forget that each person experiences it in their own way, and nothing should be taken for granted. Besides, The person who suffers from the addictive disorder does not have to be perfectly aware of what is happening to him or her, precisely because this pathology biases their perception of their behavior and habits; Therefore, one cannot depend entirely on the way in which the patient describes her addiction.
Therefore, in the therapeutic intervention offered to patients with addictions, it is necessary to know how to identify relevant aspects in both what they say and what they do so that, based on these small details, it is possible to outline the characteristics of their way of experiencing the addiction. addictive disorder.
People who suffer from addictions often experience moments when Your loved ones react with anger and frustration to your relapses on drugs, gambling, etc. These types of actions generate extra stress that predisposes the person to continue delving into the addiction to try to deal with that discomfort. Therapists cannot behave in this way or fall into the trap of thinking that the person with an addiction is addicted by their own decision or due to little “willpower”; You must adopt a mentality based on self-control and empathy to prevent the person who needs help from distancing themselves from the professional who offers treatment.
Are you looking for addiction treatment?
If you want to start an addiction treatment process, we invite you to contact us.
In Liberadict We specialize in therapeutic care for people suffering from addictive disorders with or without drug use; Our professionals have the skills, knowledge and experience to intervene from both medicine and psychotherapy and family assistance. You will find us in Seville.
