What to Expect From Addiction Therapy in Denver at the Men's Mental Wellness Center
As Gabor Mate eloquently stated, "The attempt to escape from pain, is what creates more pain.” With his approach and research in mind, you can expect a well rounded and holistic approach to treating addiction from our team of Licensed Clinical Counselors.
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We believe that human connection, accountability and vulnerability paired with empirically backed modalities such as CBT (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy), Family Therapy, Motivational Interviewing, DBT (Dialectical Behavioral Therapy), EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization Reprocessing) and more. (3) creates ultimate healing for addictive tendencies.
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We recognize that the field of addiction therapy is rapidly evolving and we pride ourselves on staying up to date on some of the latest treatments and modalities that treat addiction most effectively.
What is Addiction?
Therapists determine a diagnosis based on the DSM, a book with guidelines for interpreting behavior to see if it qualifies for a formal diagnosis. The DSM-V defines addiction as a behavior that creates "impaired control, physical dependence, social problems and risky use." The DSM continues to define addiction as when an individual uses "more of a substance than intended or using it for longer than you're meant to. Trying to cut down or stop using the substance but being unable to" is another common marker of addictive behavior." (1)
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Our team is able to formally diagnose you if that feels helpful, but for those who are not concerned with a formal diagnosis, addiction can be considered any behavior that is overused as a coping mechanism for an undesirable feeling. This is popularly outlined in Gabor Mate's book, In the Realm of Hungry Ghosts.
The Men's Mental Wellness clinic offers addiction therapy based off of much of Gabor's work as it sees addictive behavior in a humanistic and compassionate lens.
Let's Dig In:
Common Forms of Addiction
When understanding how to best treat addiction, we start by breaking it down into two categories: substance addiction and behavioral addiction. Both forms of addiction are treatable though the approach to working together may vary.
Substance Addiction
Common forms of substance addiction include alcohol addiction, drug addiction including cannabis, prescription pills, nicotine, etc and caffeine. When an individual consumes these substances, reward pathways of the brain are activated and dependency may result (2).
Behavioral (Non-Substance) Addiction
Common forms of behavioral addiction include pornography, work, eating, sex, gaming, engaging in risky behaviors and gambling. It is important to note that there is a high comorbidity rate with different types of addictions, meaning that if an individual struggles with one form of addiction, it is common for them to experience another form of addiction as well.
For example, a gambling addiction may often be observed with a drug addiction as it is easier to continue gambling when one is under the influence of a substance. This increases the complexity of treatment planning and is another reason why having a therapist that specializes in treating addiction is important.
Alternatives to Talk Therapy for Addiction
Neurofeedback for addiction therapy in Denver is a powerful tool for creating long lasting changes in brainwave activity that may contribute to behavioral patterns associated with addiction.
If you are interested in regulating your nervous system, healing from previous trauma and prefer a modality that doesn't include much talking - neurofeedback for addiction treatment is for you!
