Many people are nervous about going to therapy for the first time. If you’re checking into a rehab facility, you can expect to spend a lot of one-on-one time with an addiction counselor. While the idea of therapy can be intimidating, understanding its purpose and benefits will make your first sessions much easier.
Therapy is designed to help people get to the emotional origins of their addiction. Whether it’s a dysfunctional or abusive childhood, low self-esteem or other issues, a therapist can help you tap into the feelings you’ve used substances to escape from and find ways to heal.
Addiction therapy teaches people how to acknowledge, accept and cope with their thoughts and feelings without the use of drugs or alcohol. Every therapist has their own approach, but here are some of the questions you can expect to be asked at an addiction treatment center.
Questions About Your Past
Many people have troubled pasts or difficult feelings that affect them well into adulthood. Your counselor will ask questions relating to your childhood and upbringing to get a better understanding of where you come from and any major events that might have influenced your decision to start abusing drugs or alcohol.
Questions such as “What were you like as a child?” and “How was your relationship with your parents growing up?” are common.
Questions About Your Drug Use
Obviously it’s important to understand when you started using drugs or alcohol, but an addiction specialist will also want to hear about why you chose each specific substance and how you started using them in the first place.
“What do you feel like when you’re high on heroin?” or “How do you feel before and after drinking?” could arise during a session. You aren’t being judged by your answers; the therapist just wants to understand your relationship with these substances and help you gain further insight into your addiction.
Questions About Your Relationships
Addiction often has a negative impact on people’s social lives. In therapy, you will probably be asked about your current relationship with your family or other people you’re close to. Your therapist may ask you, “Do you treat your friends or family differently when you’re drunk/high?” or “What do your loved ones say to you about your substance abuse?” to get a feel for the type of relationships you have in your life as well as how your addiction impacts them.
Only You Hold the Answers
Addiction is a battle, and you don’t have to fight it alone. While any therapist is bound to ask a lot of questions, you alone hold the answers. We’re here to help you find them. Call us today at 833-846-5669 to learn more about addiction therapy and how rehab can help you.