Post-Treatment Care for Men Battling Substance Use Disorder
People who have experienced trauma or significant life events, such as a divorce or the death of a loved one, are at risk for developing addiction. Often, these stressors trigger drug or alcohol use as a way of coping with their feelings.
Medication Management
Medications can play a crucial role in drug addiction treatment. They can modify the brain chemistry and help people overcome cravings or withdrawal symptoms, but every person is different, so the type of medication used will vary. A psychiatrist, psychologist, or licensed drug and alcohol counselor like Elevate Recovery Homes will help you find the right medicine to meet your needs.
Men can struggle with addiction because they are often less likely to seek help or speak openly about emotional issues. However, group therapy can help them be vulnerable and address underlying feelings that may trigger substance abuse. Men’s groups for co-occurring mental health issues like depression or anxiety are a safe space for discussion without judgment.
Relapse Prevention
Cravings, triggers, warning signs, and the desire to use can lead a person back to substance abuse. Developing and practicing healthy coping skills during recovery will prevent relapse and help the person achieve long-term sobriety.
Develop a coping plan to avoid triggers and manage cravings.
Addiction recovery requires a new way of thinking, living, and being. People can find meaning and purpose through hobbies, volunteer work, or spiritual practice. Encourage your loved one who is struggling with addiction to seek treatment for their problem. These tools will give them a sense of self-efficacy and increase their chances of successful recovery.
Family Therapy
The use of mind-altering substances can cause not just psychological problems in the person using them but also their families. Partners can experience a variety of physical symptoms, children can struggle at school, and relationships may suffer as the person using drugs becomes more distant and detached.
Family therapy, conducted by licensed marriage and family therapists, can help rebalance family dynamics.
They will avoid pathologizing and look at interactions between all family members rather than just the “identified patient.” They’ll explore your family dynamics and work with you to address them. They’ll likely draw from one of several different evidence-based treatment approaches for family therapy. These include:
Individual Therapy
Individual therapy, also called individual psychotherapy, is an opportunity to meet one-on-one with a therapist and discuss your issues. During these sessions, a trained therapist will provide support and guidance.
The sessions can be adjusted to meet your unique needs and held in a private and safe environment, usually once or every other week.
In addition to talking about your feelings, other forms of individual therapy can include movement therapies like yoga and dance or art. These can help you find creative ways to express your emotions and cope with addiction triggers.
Group Therapy
Men are often hesitant to seek help with their mental health or substance abuse concerns, believing that seeking assistance shows weakness. Isolation resulting from addiction can exacerbate the situation. Group therapy offers a secure space to share feelings and experiences with fellow strugglers.
Many treatment programs offer group therapy as a component of their program, and there are several different models for this type of therapy. Skills development groups are designed to cultivate coping skills that may be specifically relevant to substance use (such as anger management or relaxation training) or are more general, such as ways of dealing with stress. Other groups are more individually focused. Generally, these focus on identifying specific cognitive and emotional patterns.
