What is Talk Therapy?
Talk therapy, or psychotherapy, is a specific type of treatment based on discussing your feelings, fears or pain. The core belief is that through talking through the things that are hurting you, or causing you fear or anxieties, you can help to clarify the root cause and then begin to work through them and find constructive and healthy coping mechanisms. Different therapists have their own different approaches such as a behavioral approach or a cognitive approach.
Regardless of what method a doctor uses, the final goal of any form of therapy is to help their patient to deal with the situations or disorders that are hurting them. Every guest will need a different approach, some will need more intensive therapy than others, but, be it for depression, anxiety or something deeper, the objective is to create a more comfortable and more tolerable reality, especially when it comes to men and women who are in recovery. Building up inner strength, confidence and self-worth is a vital part of helping a person with substance abuse disorder see a future free of drugs or alcohol.
Talk Therapy vs Medicated Therapy
Within the medical community, there is a divide when it comes to psychology. Many doctors believe that psychological trauma is a chemical imbalance, treatable only with medical regulation. These doctors see mental disorders as physiological and deal with them as such. For some, such as those with mild anxiety, depression or insomnia, this may be a great solution as it allows for simple and quick relief.
Therapists who favor talk therapy state that trauma and mental disorder are caused by our surroundings, our environments and our experiences. As such, their approach is to talk through these experiences, discuss the feelings associated with them and reveal what the underlying causes are of depression, anxiety or other disorders. This is the patient’s opportunity to explore emotions that may feel uncomfortable or foreign in a non-judgmental and safe space.
Depending on the severity of the situation, true healing may be somewhere in between. For more intensive cases, regular talk therapy and medication may be the solution that provides the biggest benefit. For others cases, one approach may be just the thing that the guest needs.
Why Choose Talk Therapy
When depression, anxiety or fear are recurring and beginning to overwhelm your life, it may become a situation in which talk therapy is not only recommended, but necessary. Aside from emotional and sometimes even spiritual healing, another major purpose of talk therapy is establishing self-worth and growth. Talk therapy is a great assistant when change is desired, which is what makes it such a powerful tool in recovery. By not only exploring the root causes that led you to the behaviors you wish to change, but also finding new ways to cope with those experiences and find healthy alternatives, you and your therapist can help you build a more positive future.
Some situations in which choosing talk therapy may be a good decision include, but are not limited to:
- Recurring depression or anxiety – where you wish to find understanding as well as relief
- Feeling a lack of joy or excitement about life
- Feeling unable to express real emotional intimacy or let others in
- Suffering from a serious emotional trauma
- Feeling stuck or out of control in life
Many of the situations above are not ones that medications can assist with. For those experiences, it is helpful to find a talk therapist near you who can bring about personal growth and emotional healing. At Royal Life Centers, we believe strongly in talk therapy and integrate it into our inpatient and outpatient recovery programs.
Types of Talk Therapy
Not all talk therapy is the same. As with all forms of medicine, there are different approaches to different situations. After a thorough analysis and screening, a mental health professional will be able to determine what type of therapy will work best for you and then decide how to move forward.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, or CBT, is a type of talk therapy designed to help change or eliminate poor behavior patterns. CBT helps you to explore and change how you think about life. Goal setting is a big part of this type of exploratory discussion. Typically, most people will engage in CBT for around 10-20 weeks.
CBT has shown results in aiding multiple mental health disorders, including:
- Depression
- Anxiety
- Phobias
- PTSD
And others.
Dialectical Behavioral Therapy
Dialectical Behavioral Therapy, or DBT is an adapted form of CBT that is designed to help patients with intense emotional experiences. It is usually suggested for men and women who suffer from Borderline Personality Disorder.
While they are similar, the main differences between CBT and DBT is the relationship with the therapist and personal acceptance of your own self. DBT focuses heavily on self-acceptance, and the therapist is a huge motivating factor in helping you to change unhealthy behaviors. The idea is to understand, accept and regulate your emotions. Balance between acceptance and change are key factors.This is an important step in recovery, as it helps the guest to learn what is causing them to abuse substances and how they can change that behavior.
Mindfulness-based Cognitive Therapy
Mindfulness-based Cognitive Therapy, MBCT, combines talk therapy with forms of meditation to reduce stress and deal with painful thoughts and emotions as they occur. This type of therapy also includes breathing exercises. MBCT style of treatment seeks to reduce stress, help understand how to respond to your thoughts and feelings, grow self awareness and show yourself love. Because mental wellness is so strongly tied to physical wellness, MBCT can help the guest on a broad scale.
While this style does not work for everyone, it is a form of spiritual healing that can combat anxiety, depression and negative and unhealthy behaviors. For men and women in recovery, they may suffer from a lack of self worth based around their addiction. With mindfulness, they can find ways to accept and love themselves so that they can grow into a stable and happy life.
Psychodynamic Therapy
Psychodynamic Therapy is a type of talk therapy wherein you are encouraged to speak freely about your feelings, dreams, fears and goals. Aside from just dealing with depression and anxieties, this form of therapy has been found to be especially useful in treating addictions and eating disorders.
What sets psychodynamic therapy apart from traditional talk therapy is that it focuses on organizing thoughts, investigating repressed feelings and adjusting how you make decisions about your own behaviors and relationships. In addiction recovery, psychodynamic therapy helps to figure out the deep rooted causes of the addiction to help work through them and eliminate future relapse.
Talk Therapy and Addiction Rehab
During addiction recovery, be it to drugs or alcohol, talk therapy is considered a key component of positive change. Remember that addiction is much more than physical dependence on harmful substances. Mentally, your brain has changed due to substance abuse and relapse can be triggered by outside stressors or environmental cues. The root cause of your addiction may also be caused by some underlying or repressed trauma that you may not even realize.
CBT or Psychodynamic Therapy is very helpful in solving these issues because it helps to analyze the behaviors, accept them and change them. Family therapy may also be necessary if your loved ones have been affected by substance abuse, or if you are a family member who is trying to reconnect with a loved one in recovery. Group therapies are another powerful tool in addiction treatment as it helps to form a support group of peers who are also going through drug or alcohol rehab. While 12 step programs are fantastic for support, they are not actual medical forms of therapy and should be supplemented by a therapist.
If there are underlying medical mental conditions such as depression or bipolar disorder, individual talk therapy is recommended alongside group therapy to work through the deeper issues while you are working on building positivity and support in the groups.
Reach Out
If you or a loved one is struggling with substance abuse or mental health disorder, please reach out to us about your detox and treatment options. Royal Life Centers admissions staff is available 24/7 to answer your questions and address your concerns. We can be reached at (877)-RECOVERY or 877-732-6837. Because We Care.
