Updated addiction treatment doesn’t involve religious principles that impose shame and blame on an addict. The new programs use scientific approaches to treat addiction, negative thought processes, and trauma. Reviewing why the non-religious parts of the 12 steps are more effective shows addicts what to expect from updated treatment programs.
Addressing Negative Thoughts Through Behavioral Therapy
Addressing negative thoughts through behavioral therapy teaches addicts how to manage unhealthy ways of processing emotions and learn healthy coping mechanisms. Changing their perspective helps the patient adapt a new life without drugs or alcohol and eliminate thoughts that lead to self-harm. It teaches the patient how to understand why they are having these negative thoughts and how to correct them in the future without turning to the substance of choice.
Using Transactional Analysis
Using transactional analysis offers a way to consider the outcome of the patient’s actions before they act. For example, their addiction could have cost them their marriage or custody of their children. When approaching life after recovery, the individual must consider the outcome of each new life goal. Is there a way to rebuild their marriage since they are sober? If they rekindle their relationship will it cause them to use again? These are factors that the individual must consider before they take action. Using transactional analysis helps the individual take stock of their past behaviors and how these behaviors have affected their life. Moving forward the patient can use this form of analysis to make better decisions and reshape their new life.
Avoiding the Stigma of AA and NA
Avoiding the stigma of Alcoholics or Narcotics Anonymous helps some addicts and keeps them from relapsing. These programs use religious principles to encourage participants to avoid drugs and alcohol. However, religious principles aren’t for everyone, and the programs while they claim to be anonymous just aren’t the case. Individuals who have recovered from addiction may choose to keep this part of their life private, and attending these meetings might lead to negative outcomes. Some recovering addicts choose not to attend the meetings for the simple fact that it places them around individuals who didn’t follow the same treatment program and have different perspectives on how to overcome addiction. Individuals who want to learn about treatment programs that don’t involve AA or NA discover that ARC Rehab can help them with a new approach.
Improving Your Own Life, Yourself
Instead of focusing on a higher power to solve all their problems are improve their lives, patients who follow non-religious treatment programs focus on better their own lives. They create a plan with their counselor to achieve a better life complete with milestones that are monitored by their therapist. The patient commits to actions and completes these goals themselves. The focus of the treatment program is finding a purpose that meets the life goals of the patient and eliminating attributes of their lives that make them unhappy, anxious, or depressed.
Updated science-based addiction treatment involves therapy and ways to retrain the mind. These therapies work together to help the patient achieve their life goals and end their addiction. Individuals who want to learn more about the therapy contact a counselor now.
