We do not often think of substance or behavioural addiction as being similar to depression, anxiety, or OCD. However, addiction is a mental health disorder, so it responds well to therapy, just like other mental health conditions.
The reason it is so important to get therapy as part of addiction recovery is that you cannot recover from addiction by getting sober and pretending you never had a problem.
Addictive behaviours are strongly linked to our mental and emotional state, and therapy helps you to get in touch with this, to identify why you keep turning to addiction.
Another reason that therapy works for addiction is that it gives people the option of talking about their struggles with addiction.
Some people can do this with their loved ones, but there is a risk that they will receive an unhelpful response, as the loved one will not be a mental health professional, and they will be biased.
Therapists offer an unbiased view that can help people with addiction to make positive changes in their life.
Finally, the process of getting sober can be traumatic for some people, so therapy is a necessary tool in the recovery journey.
When a patient is losing motivation for recovery, they can meet with their therapist and feel encouraged to keep going. If they are at serious risk of relapse, the therapist will be able to assess the situation and provide additional support.
At Rehab 4 Addiction, we offer free advice from a team of non-judgemental professionals, many of whom are in recovery and understand how hard it can be to change your relationship with addiction.
For more information, simply reach out to our 24/7, confidential hotline on 0800 140 4690.
Most people with addiction will get therapy as part of their addiction recovery programme. However, it is possible to go to inpatient rehab, or an outpatient clinic, for a drug or alcohol detox and nothing more.
The result of doing this is different for each patient. It is much riskier for someone with a severe substance use disorder to not get therapythan it is for someone with a mild disorder.
It is also more dangerous for someone with co-occurring mental health disorders to avoid therapy, as there is a greater chance that they will relapse.
The main risk of not getting addiction therapy is that the patient will not learn why they are drawn to addictive behaviours, and consequently, they will never learn how to stay sober.
This could result in a cycle of getting sober temporarily and relapsing. Ultimately, frequent relapse can lead to death.
That being said, we do not have to solely focus on dire situations to see that avoiding therapy is not a good idea for someone with an addiction. Without therapy, people in recovery are more likely to feel isolated, misunderstood, and unsupported.
Drama therapy is a type of psychotherapy that is used for many types of mental health issues, from PTSD and social anxiety to substance abuse.
In a drama therapy session for people with addiction, individuals act out scenarios that have directly affected them, or that could affect them if they continue to use substances.
For example, they may work in pairs, with one person acting as themselves, and another person acting as the addiction itself. This helps patients to see how their addiction is damaging them, and to feel inspired to detach themselves from it.
As shame is a key factor in addiction, drama therapy serves to equip patients with confidence, by reminding them that their addiction does not define them (1).
For more reserved individuals, it may take longer to express emotions in sessions, but this is not a problem if long-term drama therapy is used.
We are advocates of trialling different models of therapy to see which ones work best for you.
As a result, we believe anyone with any type of addiction should try drama therapy at least once. You will never be forced into an activity, so you could even observe the room to see how the exercises make you feel.
Drama therapy is great for children or adolescents with addiction, as they may find it easier to express themselves through the arts, rather than through a serious conversation.
However, the same can be said for many adults, so people of any age can go to drama therapy.
People who enjoy drama could also find this therapy effective, as it combines mental health support with a fun interest. That being said, it could be equally beneficial for someone who usually avoids drama to try out drama therapy, as it could boost their confidence.
At Rehab 4 Addiction, we offer free advice from a team of non-judgemental professionals, many of whom are in recovery and understand how hard it can be to change your relationship with addiction.
For more information, simply reach out to our 24/7, confidential hotline on 0800 140 4690.
No, drama therapy is not designed for a particular type of addiction. It is used on people with mental illnesses of any kind, including behavioural and substance addictions.
Whether you have a problem with alcohol, cocaine, ketamine, or sex, the role play in drama therapy can help you to see how your problem is affecting you and those around you, and what you can do to make sure it doesn’t continue to rule your life.
That being said, drama therapy sessions are sometimes focused on one type of addiction, as this ensures all group members will be able to take part in the same activities.
At inpatient rehab, for example, the focus will be on addiction, as opposed to bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, or borderline personality disorder.
If patients at rehab are diagnosed with any of these illnesses, they will be able to discuss this at drama therapy, but the sessions will prioritise recovery from addiction in particular.
It is known that people with addiction often repress their emotions, as they do not want to face them.
With drama therapy, participants are encouraged to express their emotions, which could help their emotional regulation. Often, patients end up getting vulnerable without even realising it, as the environment is conducive to openness.
For people who struggle with socialising, whether due to shame from addiction or something else, drama therapy is a great tool to teach healthy dynamics with others.
Rather than being pushed into a real-life situation with potential negative consequences, patients get to practise difficult conversations in a safe setting.
Often, when patients engage in activities in drama therapy, they have significant realisations about their addiction.
For example, when role-playing someone with addiction, they may discuss feeling incredibly lonely and using drugs as a way to escape this feeling. They may then realise that this is exactly how they are feeling, and they are projecting it onto the character.
With this realisation, they can begin to work on their loneliness to reduce their risk of relapse.
When drama therapy is used as part of family therapy or couples therapy, it can result in healthy conflict resolution.
Many people struggle to voice their feelings with their loved ones, and though this is something that should be practised, role-playing can facilitate more efficient discussions.
This is because some people feel more comfortable expressing their feelings when they are engaged in an activity.
Firstly, some people never reach a place where they are comfortable participating in drama therapy. They may find it difficult to express themselves in this way, and they may simply prefer to have a one-to-one conversation with a therapist.
Everyone is different, so drama therapy will not be effective for all patients with a drug or alcohol use disorder.
If someone is forced into drama therapy, they may experience the opposite of the intended effect; instead of becoming more confident, they could develop low self-esteem.
This is why it’s important to offer flexibility to people in recovery, by allowing them to sit in on sessions without engaging, or to try out different types of therapy before committing.
Secondly, when drama therapy is conducted in a group setting, there is less time for each patient to explore their personal issues, which can result in lower-quality therapy.
There is also the risk that an individual will be triggered by other patients’ complex issues, which could increase the risk of relapse.
However, drama therapy is usually not the only type of therapy people with addiction will get. At drug and alcohol rehab, there will be a range of therapies so that patients can benefit from individual therapy as well as group therapy.
What’s more, a trained therapist is always present, so they can foresee issues such as patients being triggered, and plan ahead to manage this.
Finally, when drama therapy is delivered to an individual, the therapist-client relationship must be strong. If the client feels as though they cannot trust the therapist, they will not benefit from the drama exercises, as they will not act authentically.
This means that it isn’t always wise to jump straight into drama therapy with a new therapist.
At Rehab 4 Addiction, we offer free advice from a team of non-judgemental professionals, many of whom are in recovery and understand how hard it can be to change your relationship with addiction.
For more information, simply reach out to our 24/7, confidential hotline on 0800 140 4690.
The best place to get drama therapy for addiction treatment is an inpatient drug and alcohol rehab. The sessions will be built into a rigorous treatment programme, so you will not have to research therapists that offer this type of addiction therapy.
If you decide drama therapy is not right for you, inpatient rehabs will offer a wide range of options for therapy, so there is no harm in starting the sessions and waiting to see if they are effective.
When people get drama therapy at rehab, they have already spent some time with their fellow patients, and this can make it much easier for them to open up about their addiction.
You can also get drama therapy at an outpatient centre, along with other types of therapy, and sometimes a detox.
Again, you will get to know the group of people you are recovering with, which can boost your confidence when performing activities.
Yet, this type of addiction treatment may be less effective overall, as you will not live with the other patients in a residential setting.
Another option is to find a private drama therapist, either offering individual or couples/family/group sessions.
This is a great route to take once you have completed addiction treatment at rehab if you found that drama therapy worked well for you.
Ideally, you would get drama therapy for addiction treatment as soon as possible. The earlier you are in therapy, unpacking your addiction and other mental health struggles, the more successful your recovery is likely to be.
Yet, if you are planning on going to private drug and alcohol rehab for your addiction, it would be wise to wait until you are living at rehab to get therapy.
This is because the referrals can be incredibly quick, so you will not have much time between contacting the rehab centre and starting treatment (if you are ready to start at any time).
Some people with mild addiction believe that drama therapy is only relevant for individuals with severe substance abuse or behavioural issue. This is not true, as there is always a range of activities relating to different elements of addiction.
What’s more, even when reference is made to severe addiction, this can help people who have not reached this point, as they will see the potential consequences of staying in the cycle of addiction.
At Rehab 4 Addiction, we offer free advice from a team of non-judgemental professionals, many of whom are in recovery and understand how hard it can be to change your relationship with addiction.
For more information, simply reach out to our 24/7, confidential hotline on 0800 140 4690.
If you are interested in getting drama therapy for addiction treatment, we can provide you with a referral to private rehab, where you can benefit from regular drama therapy.
As well as this, there is the option to get a drug or alcohol detox, go to educational workshops, get career advice, and attend other types of therapy.
The most successful addiction recovery programmes are diverse, so it would be sensible to get drama therapy alongside other therapeutic models.
When you reach out to us, we will explain the different therapies available at rehab, and we can find treatment centres that offer the models that appeal to you.
Please call us on 0800 140 4690 to find out what your options are.
[1] Unlocking Reco Unlocking Recovery: A Role-Informed Dr y: A Role-Informed Drama Ther ama Therapy Method for y Method for Adults with Addictions https://core.ac.uk/download/pdf/326604332.pdf
