Addiction Counseling

Addiction is a complex, challenging problem requiring expert treatment. If you want to free yourself from drug or alcohol dependence, visit Anne-Marie Odo, DNP, at Semper Healthcare Services in Addison, Texas. Dr. Odo and her team provide addiction counseling alongside medication to give you the best chance of successful recovery. Call Semper Healthcare Services today to learn how addiction counseling could change your life, or book an appointment via the online form.

What is addiction counseling?

Counseling is part of a comprehensive approach to overcoming addiction. Counseling involves talking with a specially trained therapist individually and participating in group sessions with other people battling addiction.

Addictions come in many forms. You could be addicted to an activity like gambling or gaming, but most addictions involve misuse of substances such as:

• Heroin
• Prescription opioids
• Cocaine/crack
• Alcohol
• Amphetamines (speed)
• MDMA (ecstasy)
• Marijuana
• Glue and other solvents

Using these substances or participating in the activity you’re addicted to causes physical and psychological changes that make it extremely difficult to stop.

You start craving the substance you take as your body comes to depend on it, but at the same time, its effects lessen, and you need to take more to reach the same high.

Addiction counseling helps you get through the tough withdrawal stage and succeed in overcoming your cravings.

How does addiction counseling work?

Addiction counseling is part of the medication-assisted treatment (MAT) approach to addiction. MAT combines talk therapy with medications such as Suboxone® (buprenorphine) and Vivitrol® (naltrexone). These medications reduce the severity of withdrawal side effects such as:

• Sweating
• Trembling
• Pain and cramping
• Extreme fatigue
• Headaches
• Nausea and vomiting
• Diarrhea
• Dizziness
• Confusion

They work by performing many of the same functions as opioids or alcohol without giving you the same euphoric feelings. However, medications aren’t enough on their own. To avoid relapses, you need to understand your addiction and address the issues that make you vulnerable.

What does addiction counseling involve?

The Semper Healthcare Services team offers two kinds of addiction counseling: individual and group counseling. Individual psychotherapy involves meeting your counselor for one-on-one sessions where you discuss the challenges you experience because of addiction and what led you to become addicted.

Your therapist helps you analyze these issues and process underlying problems, such as traumas in your past. They also offer you practical advice, including what to do when cravings strike or how to manage situations that typically trigger your addiction.

In addition, you can benefit from group therapy. This involves meeting in confidence with others experiencing the same challenges as you. The mutual support from people who understand your pain can be invaluable.

To learn more about the benefits of addiction counseling, call Semper Healthcare Services today or schedule a consultation online.