If you or a loved one has found that standard therapy techniques just aren’t working for drug addiction, you may be looking for other answers. Other procedures are a good option to pursue, but you have to make sure that no one is taking advantage of you. Many people who offer quick, alternative solutions are scammers.
Thankfully, there’s an alternative, legitimate option. Reality therapy is a type of treatment that’s been around since the sixties and could help you. This article will walk you through the reasons why reality therapy techniques might be the best option for you.
Reality Therapy Techniques
So what is reality therapy?
Reality therapy in addiction chooses to not take the addiction at face value. It addresses the various influences going on in the addicted person to help them heal. It looks at the symptoms of addiction as coming from personal choices.
Let’s take a look at a few of the types of reality therapy techniques.
Understanding Five Basics Needs
One of the key tenants of reality therapy is based on human needs. Its founder, William Glasser, realized that by understanding how everything in our lives revolves around five basic needs, we can better approach our mental struggles.
The five basic needs that Glasner purported were survival, love, power, freedom, and fun. Obviously, these aren’t the needs of all animals, like food, water, and shelter. These are the specific needs that humans look for in contemporary life.
These are framed as needs and not wants, because not having them in balance can lead to someone’s ruin. Think of it as a diagnosis. By figuring out which of your needs aren’t being met, you can better understand your addiction.
Focusing on the Present
Whereas many standard therapy tactics focus on childhood, the past, and external circumstances, many people just don’t find that helpful. With reality therapy, you don’t work through your past, you learn to live in the present so you can transform your future.
A good reality therapy program will teach you how to effectively deal with your present circumstances, and make the choices that will suit you best. It will keep you from discussing your symptoms and teach you how to stop comparing yourself to others. By doing this, you’ll be able to live in the reality of your addiction, as opposed to the narratives that have been build about it.
Freud saw someone’s psychological foundation as a continent with a long history. Glasner’s therapy focuses on the here and now, and what we can do to change it. It live’s up to the serenity prayer’s dictum to focus on changing what we can.
Focusing on Reality
When you’re in treatment, it’s very easy to fall victim to the narratives put forth by yourself and pop culture. Reality therapy techniques focus on what your body and mind actually need, and work to treat them.
It’s frustrating to be told you’re receiving the best treatment, only to not feel any lasting results. If you’ve found yourself in this position, consider trying reality therapy today.
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