What Is Psychodynamic Therapy?

Addiction is both a physical and mental disease. As such, it requires treatment from both angles, so individuals struggling with substance use disorder can overcome and heal from abusing drugs or alcohol. You likely already know that psychotherapy is an integral part of recovery. In contrast, few people realize that different therapeutic approaches fall under this umbrella term. So, then, what is psychodynamic therapy? How does it combine with other modalities to help you heal?

The counselors and therapists at the Santé Center for Healing can answer your questions and address your concerns as we explain our methods for addiction treatment and the therapeutic options available to you or a loved one struggling with substance use disorder. Contact us at 866.238.3154 to learn more about our therapy programs.

Psychodynamic Therapy

Breaking a psychological addiction to any substance calls for expert intervention. The goal is to understand what made you reach for a drug in the first place. Of course, you can probably pinpoint several external factors. Examples include peer group pressure, losing a job, or experiencing unusual stress at work.

Yet, while these external factors may be relatively simple to identify, learning to develop healthy coping mechanisms rather than unhealthy ones, like drug or alcohol use disorders, can be challenging. This is where a holistic therapy program’s therapeutic approach to addiction treatment can help. Alongside counselors and therapists, individuals work to identify their triggers, address their issues, break negative habits, and learn new, more positive methods for coping and overcoming their emotional and mental issues involved with addiction.

Because these stimuli contributed to drug use issues, you might think they’re the reasons for your chemical dependency. An addiction treatment counselor may use psychodynamic therapy to help you dig deeper. So what is psychodynamic therapy against the backdrop of drug or alcohol use issues?

What Is Psychodynamic Therapy?

Realizing that a job loss contributed to your drug-seeking behavior may scratch the surface. Psychodynamic therapy lets you examine your unconscious responses to the problem. This intervention seeks to answer why a stressful event resulted in an unhealthy reaction. Similarly, it explores why you didn’t respond in healthy ways to the stressor.

For many participants in a rehab program, this therapy can mean returning to childhood memories. You need to find the root of the reaction. Doing so prevents it from causing future problems. Moreover, it becomes an integral aspect of relapse prevention.

Acknowledging the possibility of underlying causes that you can’t readily detect is critical to this treatment. It’s not a comfortable therapy. You learn how to identify and dismantle mental or behavioral structures that you’ve had for years. In many cases, people never realized how problematic their reactions could be.

Benefits of Psychodynamic Therapy

Addiction treatment centers offer multiple modalities for healing. The most successful programs have a mix of therapies that patients can select to meet their needs. Psychodynamic therapy has many benefits, including:

• Uncovering and addressing the deep-seated issues connected with substance use disorders
• Making sense of seemingly unrelated experiences related to addiction
• Developing healthy coping mechanisms to replace negative habits
• Learning what triggers a given reaction and what can prevent a relapse

All these benefits of psychodynamic therapy add up to a better understanding of what led an individual to use drugs or alcohol. When counselors address the root cause, they can help people with substance use disorders make lasting changes.

Psychodynamic Therapy and Additional Treatment

As compelling as a psychodynamic therapy program can be, it can’t stand alone. Dealing with addiction calls for a multi-pronged approach. Rehab program participants have excellent success with multiple modalities. Examples include the following:

• Dual diagnosis assessment and treatment of underlying personality or anxiety disorders
• Polyaddiction treatment for program participants with multiple drug habits
• Onsite detoxification programs for medical supervision during the withdrawal period
• Family participation in treatment to facilitate healthy communication and an end to codependency
• Process group therapy with therapist leadership to ensure goal orientation and skill-building

A significant emphasis must be on relapse prevention. You’ll most likely return home when you graduate from the rehab program. Some people in recovery choose to live alone. You need to learn how to structure your day to avoid boredom since you no longer plan activities around drugs.

Psychodynamic Therapy at Santé Center for Healing in Argyle, TX

What is psychodynamic therapy, if not an opportunity, to make significant and lasting changes in your life? You don’t have to have substance use disorder to dictate your life’s choices any longer. It’s time to take back control. Reach out for help to therapists at the Santé Center for Healing by calling 866.238.3154 now.