Life Skills Archives - Lexington Addiction Center

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Group or Individual Therapy: Which is Best?

Written by Lexington Center on February 2, 2024. Posted in Family Therapy, Life Skills, Trauma.

Psychotherapy, or talk therapy, can occur in different forms. Group therapy and individual therapy are the two main types that can help an individual learn the positive coping skills that are necessary to live a healthy life.

But which one is best? The answer to this question can be answered through a number of different factors. Each person’s specific needs generally take precedence, and which option is best will depend on the individual and what they aim to achieve.

Individual Therapy Overview

Individual therapy is a form of talk therapy that takes place during a one-on-one session. A therapist can be a social worker, counselor, psychiatrist, or psychologist.

During sessions, the therapist helps the individual to work through emotions and feelings that may be distressing. It helps the person to learn positive and healthy coping skills to get through situations that could potentially lead to further complications.

Exploring Therapy Types

There are different types of techniques used during individual therapy sessions that help the person learn these skills. Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) is a form of therapy that helps individuals to identify and change poor thinking that results in negative behaviors such as drug and alcohol abuse. Dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) is a form of one one-on-one therapy that helps those who feel intense emotions to get through their feelings without self-sabotage. It helps teach them how to regulate their emotions.

Often, individuals who struggle with substance use disorders have experienced some form of trauma in their lives. Whether it be physical or emotional abuse, or the sudden loss of a loved one, trauma can lead to severe impacts to someone’s life. Trauma therapy is a beneficial form of therapy for individuals who have experienced these situations.

Group Therapy Overview

Group therapy can be beneficial to individuals who feel like they are alone. They provide a space to become educated on healthier ways of handling situational stress. Rather than turning to drugs and alcohol, the experience of peers in a group setting can help the individual to avoid these substances as they arise.

CBT and DBT are techniques that are often used during group sessions. These techniques help to provide group insights into how distressing situations can be handled, healthily, without further impacts to the individual’s lifestyle.

Family therapy is a beneficial form of group therapy. This helps in situations where the family unit has been compromised. Often, when a loved one struggles with substance abuse and addiction, their actions can take a toll on the structure of the family. These individuals may feel like they’ve caused irreparable damage. However, a group family session can aid in preventing further damage, and help to heal the damage that has occurred.

Individual Therapy Costs

Individual therapy costs can vary greatly. Factors like location, credentials, and therapeutic approach can play a role in the cost of this much-needed help. The cost of individual sessions with a professional therapist can range from $75 to $200 or, sometimes, more. Sometimes, insurance can offset the costs associated with professional therapy. Other times, when insurance isn’t available, there are sliding scales that help offset some of the out-of-pocket costs.

Group Therapy Costs

Similarly to individual sessions, group therapy costs can vary widely. Location, approach, qualifications, and the focus of the group sessions can play a role in the costs. Generally speaking, though, these sessions can cost between $30-$100 per session, sometimes more.

Again, insurance can help offset these costs, and sliding scales can also help to offset the out-of-pocket costs. These sessions are less personal, with more people, contributing to the lower cost.

Pros and Cons of Individual Therapy

Because individual therapy occurs on a one-on-one basis, the benefits can include the ability to explore deeply personal issues, with a professional, who can help guide an individual through the emotions that can arise. Focused attention provides the ability to create quicker progress.

However, the downside to this personalized attention is the cost. The success of this form of therapy depends on the dynamics and connection between the individual and their therapist. Having someone that can be connected with helps to make the individual feel comfortable enough to get into their deeper feelings and emotions.

Pros and Cons of Group Therapy

Group therapy can offer a form of connection with people who are experiencing similar struggles. It can provide a safe and neutral space to get guidance from others who have undergone a similar circumstance.

However, because it is a group setting, it can be more uncomfortable to share the situation. Those who struggle with drugs and alcohol place themselves in compromising situations that may be difficult to discuss in these settings.

Find Therapy Today

Therapy is a vital component of the healing process. Individuals who struggle with substance abuse or mental health conditions often need to invest time in themselves and participate in a therapy program.

Individual or group therapy depends on the individual and their needs. If you or a loved one are struggling and need extra help, Lexington Addiction Center is available. We offer help to those individuals who find themselves struggling so that they can begin on a path to recovery.

Call us today and begin your journey to a better life.

group therapy for trauma in Lexington, KY

Practicing Accountability In Rehab

Written by Lexington Center on May 5, 2023. Posted in Family Therapy, Life Skills, Recovery, Rehab.

Accountability is one of the most important parts of life in recovery. Beginning the practice of accountability during rehab can help to improve someone’s daily life. The person entering the recovery world can learn to take responsibility and begin working to change behaviors. Learning how to begin changing the thought processes that led to addiction is vital to living a successful life in recovery.

Accountability can encourage growth and responsibility. It can also repair relationships and recover trust and closeness. Understanding not only what it means to be accountable, but being accountable in recovery is an important part of living life in recovery and free of alcohol and drug addiction. Fortunately, we offer 12-Step programs that teach accountability and relationship repair.

What is Accountability?

But what is accountability, and how does accountability help in everyday life? Webster’s dictionary defines accountability as “the obligation or willingness to accept responsibility for one’s actions”. Anyone in recovery can say that remaining teachable and accountable has gotten them to the point they’re at. It’s being able to admit wrongs and take responsibility for one’s actions.

Then working to prevent a repetition of those negative behaviors. These are crucial to avoiding negative impacts on someone’s life in recovery. Accountability during rehab can be the beginning step to someone learning how to maintain a level of accountability. As a result, this can be beneficial in recovery. Being able to identify behaviors that could potentially cause harm, or that have caused harm to loved ones, is important for relationship healing.

Accountability during recovery is not only taking responsibility, and apologizing for the behaviors but also changing those behaviors. This is what it means to be accountable, and it also shows loved ones that there is an intention to live a better life.

What Does It Mean in Rehab?

Many people who suffer from addiction to drugs and alcohol have spent many years making excuses, apologizing, and then returning to the same hurtful, damaging behaviors. Sometimes it’s unintentional. Practicing accountability during rehab can seem futile, as oftentimes loved ones tend to feel like they’ve heard this before and there will be no change.

However, this is where the changed behaviors come in. Holding oneself accountable, taking responsibility, and then working to change the hurtful behaviors is what leads to healing. Accountability during rehab begins with recognizing the wrong and hurtful things that have been done. Identifying this can open the door to change. Accountability in recovery also has a more specific definition where the person becomes transparent with life’s struggles and when things are tough.

Having a support system to talk to and let them know when things are hard, and life is challenging is one way to maintain accountability in recovery. These friends and supports can help to point out where things are lacking and behaviors that could be indicative of relapse. Having a reliable support system in recovery can help to keep someone on a path to recovery and help to avoid relapses from occurring.

How Does Accountability Heal Relationships?

Taking responsibility for and changing behaviors is always the first step to healing relationships that have been impacted. When practicing accountability during rehab, keeping in mind that loved ones may not be very receptive is important. Because the behaviors leading to the damaged relationships caused harm, the pain may still be prevalent.

However, when taking responsibility and apologizing, remember that implementing a plan of action to change the behavior is crucial to begin to heal these fractured relationships. Accountability during rehab can be beneficial because if the loved ones don’t take well to the accountability, there is a buffer there to help as someone begins to process feelings toward the situation. Having a counselor there to be able to express frustration or hurt can be highly beneficial.

Going through the life changes of removing the substances is hard, and then having to address problems caused due to behaviors stemming from those substances can be taxing. However, addressing those things in a safe environment, with a professional who can help work through the negative feelings that may arise is one of the best options.

Remaining accountable during rehab and after can help to maintain the healing of these relationships that may have been altered or broken during the addiction to drugs and alcohol. The longer someone stays clean and sober, and the more work they put into changing behaviors that could be detrimental to them and those who love them, the more likely they are to have a positive experience with healing relationships.

Begin Healing Today

Substance abuse is a main factor in many broken relationships, as well as feelings of low self-esteem and life problems. Becoming free of these substances and beginning a life of recovery can be one of the best decisions someone can make for themselves.

It can lead to healing relationships and healing the self. If you or a loved one are struggling with substances, Lexington Recovery Center is available to help begin the recovery process.

Call us today.

Practicing Mindfulness in Addiction Recovery

Written by Lexington Center on March 10, 2023. Posted in Addiction Treatment, Life Skills, Mental Health.

Everyone who struggles with drug and alcohol addiction has different reasons for using substances, however a common denominator in a lot of people’s stories is: they drink and drug to avoid thoughts and feelings. Practicing mindfulness in addiction recovery can change the outcome and rate of success in a person’s life. Mindfulness can help shape a person into a new way of thinking and processing negative thoughts and emotions. This helps give them a powerful tool when it comes to staying clean and sober. It helps them to combat the negativity in a positive way that allows them to maintain recovery and get through the thoughts and feelings that once led to using drugs and alcohol as a means of coping.

What is Mindfulness?

Mindfulness is a keen awareness about thoughts, feelings, and emotions. Being able to, purposefully, look at thoughts and feelings as they are occurring so that you can identify anything triggering to learn to cope with them. Identifying these thoughts and feelings, and not reacting to them emotionally or without intention can help to change your thought processes and patterns surrounding the use of drugs and alcohol. Practicing mindfulness is part of a holistic therapy that helps alleviate symptoms of stress, anxiety, depression, insomnia, and can help to improve focus. The early stages of recovery for anyone can be super stressful as you learn a completely new way of life, there can be racing thoughts and a desire to constantly be on the move. Being aware of this (mindful) you can find a healthy balance.

Mindfulness and Addiction Recovery

Some of the biggest deterrents to successfully recovery from drug and alcohol addiction include stress, anxiety, and depression. Mindfulness in addiction recovery helps to combat these feelings by identifying and processing the feelings and emotions in a positive, non judgmental or emotional way. For example, in early recovery, cravings are high. The drugs and alcohol have just recently been removed from your life and when faced with uncomfortable situations, you may want to use. Rather than suppressing these feelings of using, acknowledge it. Feel its presence, and feel it as it begins to dissipate. Then you can feel yourself making through the very thing that made you continue drinking and drugging. You’ve then successfully overcome an obstacle to your recovery.

Approaching your thoughts and feelings in this way over a period of time will form it into a habitual way of processing them so you can better manage thoughts and feelings, positively, rather than turning to drugs and alcohol to cope. Positively identifying and processing triggering thoughts and emotions, practicing mindfulness in addiction recovery, is one of the best tools you can have under your belt when trying to maintain recovery.

What Mindfulness Practices are Used in Addiction Recovery?

Mindfulness in addiction recovery should always be tailored to a person’s specific needs. However there are some common practices that are taught to and used by people in recovery. Some techniques are used to help frame thought patterns in a way that is more positivity focused rather than the negative, self deprecating thoughts that many addicts and alcoholics think on a daily basis. Other mindfulness practices are used to help manage and alleviate symptoms of pain, or stress. All of the different practices of mindfulness in addiction recovery follow a basic guideline including these specific elements:

Observation: Identifying the thoughts and experiences.
Description: Describing the experiences
Participation: Healthy engagement with the thoughts/experience.
No Judgment: Accepting the experience or feeling (ie a craving) without judging it
Focus: Focusing on individual things, without distraction
Effectiveness: Actively making better choices for recovery

Learning to positively manage thoughts and emotions is what mindfulness in addiction recovery is all about. By implementing these practices into your daily life, you are forming a new routine surrounding thought processes.

Importance of Mindfulness

The positive connection between addiction and mindfulness in addiction recovery is uncanny. By practicing mindfulness, and learning a new way of thinking when it comes to drugs and alcohol, you are essentially retraining your brain to be able to self soothe the thoughts and feelings that once led you to drugs and alcohol. By staying aware, you can stay in control.

Help for Addiction in Lexington, KY

Mindfulness in addiction recovery can benefit those who struggle in insurmountable ways. Learning to be aware and change the way you think can help you to grow and change in recovery. Addiction is a monster and changes the most loving and understanding person into someone completely different. If you or a loved one struggle with addiction, there is help. You don’t have to go through it alone and you don’t have to continue to suffer.

At Lexington Addiction Center, we offer a comprehensive program to help you learn new skills to live addiction-free. Help if just a phone call away. Contact us today and begin living a healthy, mindful life of recovery.

What To Expect At A 12-Step Meeting

Written by Lexington Center on February 10, 2023. Posted in Life Skills, Mental Health, Recovery.

Once the beginning stages of getting clean and sober are done, what is next? Going to meetings is highly suggested to maintain the work that was put in during the initial process of getting sober. What to expect at a 12-step meeting can vary from meeting to meeting. There are many different types of fellowships, and they each carry their own way of running their meetings. But one thing holds true, they all help the struggling addict and alcoholic find a place of solace and peace where they can open up and express themselves without fear or worry surrounding being judged.

What is a 12-Step Meeting?

The initial program of recovery founded for struggling alcoholics is known as Alcoholics Anonymous (AA). It was founded as a safe haven for people who struggle to come together and share their experiences, and help one another to stay sober. Since then, many different fellowships have adopted the basic outline of AA. The verbiage and the fellowships are different, but the steps laid out as a guideline for long-term recovery are the same.

Each meeting has its own format, and while they may be similar, each meeting is self-supporting and has its own regulations. This helps the meetings to maintain functionality in the long term. Having a full understanding of what to expect at a 12-step meeting can help someone to make a decision to attend one, and begin a life in recovery that can only help them to grow and prosper.

How Do I Know If a Meeting is Right for Me?

It is highly suggested that once you complete treatment to attend a meeting as soon as possible. Make a plan for when you get home, and include a meeting within that plan. It is best to go immediately and get plugged into a meeting so you can begin making new connections with people who are clean and sober, trying to do the right thing, just like you are. These people will help support you through the hard stuff and help guide you through the early stages of recovery.

What to Expect at a 12-Step Meeting

What to expect at a 12-step meeting depends on each meeting’s format. However, there are some general components to any meeting that are usually a part of all 12-step fellowship meetings. These can include things like the following:

Opening prayer
Reading from 12-step fellowship literature
Open sharing
Speakers (usually with 90 days or more of continuous recovery)
Denoting recovery lengths with chips or key tags
Time to share if you want to use or have used
Closing prayer

There are many myths surrounding 12-step meetings, the biggest of which is that you are joining a cult. The fellowships born from AA are a place to find love and support that can carry you through some of the tough moments that can and will probably arise during the first few months of recovery. That is the beauty of these meetings and the fellowship. What to expect at a 12-step meeting is love from a fellow addict or alcoholic in recovery that helps you maintain your own recovery.

How Long Are Meetings?

Generally speaking, meetings vary. However, more often than not, meetings usually go on for an hour, from opening prayer to closing prayer. They may run over a little longer sometimes, and this allows for people who need to get something off of their chest to be able to do so and could potentially be saving them from relapse.

What Happens After a Meeting?

What you can expect at a 12-step meeting—once the meeting ends—is the “meeting after the meeting”. This is if you choose to participate. This is where you will get to know the people in the meetings, and build friendships with those people. Whether it be going out for coffee, or going out to lunch or dinner. This will allow you to let down your guard, let people get to know you and you get to know them. This is not a requirement for attending meetings, everyone is welcome, it is just a place to get to know the people in the meetings.

How Do I Find a Meeting?

Each fellowship generally has its own website, and those websites are broken down into area websites that make it easy to locate meetings. Google can be your friend here!

Addiction Treatment in Lexington, KY

The beginning stages of getting clean and sober can have a rocky start. It can be difficult to maintain recovery on your own. The good news is, there is help available when you are trying to give up drugs and alcohol. At Lexington Addiction Center, we provide a safe place to remove the substances from your body, under the care of professionals, while you begin the process of starting a life in recovery. Seeking help is often necessary to achieve your goal of recovery, and we can help. Contact us today and begin your journey to recovery.

Eight Key Life Skills in Addiction Recovery

Written by Lexington Center on January 20, 2023. Posted in Life Skills, Mental Health, Recovery.

Life skills in addiction recovery are essential to learning how to live life productively. Learning and implementing these skills into your day to day routines is vital for moving forward in life and being able to maintain recovery long term, even on the hard days. But what are life skills? Why are they important? There are many different things that you could introduce into your daily routine that can help you achieve long term recovery. Seeking ways to learn different skills is highly recommended for those looking to stay clean and sober.

What are Life Skills?

As addiction progresses, people often forget how to be a “normal” person. Even the simplest of tasks seem far-fetched and foreign.

When someone gets sober, and is trying to change their life, they have to relearn some of the most basic things in order to be a productive member of society again. In such cases, aftercare services can be a lifeline. Here are some examples of what some essential life skills are.

Problem Solving Skills

Life skills in addiction recovery include problem-solving skills. This is a skill that can be used in all aspects of life, from family relationships to problems that can arise in the workplace. Problem-solving is an essential skill to being able to turn a negative into a positive. As addicts, people tend to run away from problems and turn to drugs and alcohol as a solution.

Of course, drugs and alcohol only compound the problem. Learning ways to effectively work through whatever is going on that is causing discomfort is essential to maintaining mental health and wellness.

Communication Skills

Lack of effective communication is a struggle that most people endure. Learning to clearly and effectively communicate feelings and boundaries can help to teach assertiveness and allow for someone to grow in self confidence. Being able to communicate when things are tough, and you are struggling can help you to maintain your recovery when you want to give up on the process. Hard days are hard. But being able to communicate when you’re experiencing a rough patch can help you to learn ways that others have made it through the same things.

Setting and Achieving Goals

Goal-setting is one of the most effective life skills in addiction recovery. Throughout active addiction, the only goal that was ever set was to get drunk or high. On most days that goal was achieved. Applying that same thought process to goals in recovery can help you to get where you want to be and all the while gaining self confidence. When you set a small goal and reach that goal, the good feeling of accomplishment can help propel you forward to greater and greater goals.

Financial Management

In early recovery it can be difficult and overwhelming to be able to hold onto money and not impulsively spend every penny you have. During your using, every cent went to maintaining your habit. Filling that void with spending money impulsively can lead to financial hardship and eventually it can lead to relapse. Money management and saving for your goals and future can help to set the path for a successful future.

Self-Care

Self-care is another of the most important life skills in addiction recovery. Being able to take time for yourself, so that you can do things that bring you joy and happiness, is crucial for balance. Recovery is a full time job, and having pleasurable and fun times is part of maintaining a balance. Between working a regular job, and doing recovery related things, having fun is a necessary component.

Develop Coping Mechanisms

The go-to choice for addicts and alcoholics is turning to drugs and alcohol. The old adage of “When I stubbed my toe my answer was to drink or use drugs” applies here. Rather than turning to drugs and alcohol to deal with day to day inconveniences, learning how to do positive and healthy things can be helpful.

Build Relationships

Having healthy, positive relationships in recovery, especially with people who are like-minded and on the same path is another of the healthier life skills in addiction recovery. Having people that can support and help you when times are hard is going to be one of the best things you can have to maintain recovery.

Perseverance

No matter what, don’t give up. You have come this far, and when you were drinking and drugging you never gave up until you got what you wanted. Recovery operates on the same concept. In conclusion, put the same amount of effort into staying clean and sober that you put into using and you can maintain recovery over the long term.

Learning Life Skills in Lexington, KY

If you or a loved one are struggling with addiction and looking to learn a new way of life, there is help out there. At Lexington Addiction Center we teach the necessary life skills that can help to maintain recovery. Contact us today and start the next chapter of your life.