Substance use disorders (SUD) have different components to them. An integral part of this is the psychosocial aspect. Psychosocial interventions play a pivotal role in one’s recovery journey. SUD comes about with a lot of stigmata which consequently attracts ostracisation. This can severely impact the individual’s engagement or retention in treatment. Psychosocial interventions combined with other modalities of treatment are vital. Pharmacological treatments, for instance, deal with the biological aspects of the disorder. This spans over physiological symptoms such as craving. On the other hand, psychosocial interventions deal with the disorder holistically. The aim of a psychosocial intervention is not to instil any ideas into the person. No advice or guidance is offered. It kindles the motivation in a person. Introspective thinking thus consequently makes the person claim agency.
This helps the person approach the problem through intrinsic motivation. Consequently, engagement and retention are increased.
A recovery journey from SUD is not the easiest path. It takes a while for the individual to come to terms with it as a problem in the first instance. Oftentimes, a drug or alcohol is taken up as an emotional coping mechanism. They feel justified about the use. However, the individual also appreciates the problems caused by the use in itself. They struggle to understand what they really feel about the issue.
A psychosocial intervention such as Motivational Interviewing (MI) supports an individual to sort this ambivalence. During MI, a therapist would listen with empathy. Providing a space of non-judgement allows the individual to explore their dependence. This gives them a safe space to confide why they use what they use.
The therapist acknowledges the individual’s expertise about themselves. Open-ended and leading questions are asked. These anchor the individual’s critical thinking. The connection between the need for change and a desired new reality is then realised.
The individual does most of the talking. This gives them a sense of empowerment and autonomy. Psychosocial intervention is often confused with counselling. It is directive, time-specific and definitive in terms of achieving a specific goal. This is in contrast to general counselling which can include non-directive methods. That said, counselling skills are an integral part of a psychosocial intervention. This is an important distinction to understand. Thus, the individual in drug recovery can make an informed decision about the course path that they wish to take. Interventionists are specifically trained to be non-confrontational and empathetic. Coupled with that, enhanced clinical assessments are administered. This helps to identify substance-specific psychosocial interventions.
Based on the length and premise, there can be many types of interventions. These can include brief opportunistic interventions, cognitive behavioural interventions, relapse prevention and contingency management, to name a few. When in drug and alcohol treatment, any form of psychological treatment works more than none at all. The effectiveness is enhanced when delivered with pharmacotherapies like for those in substitution treatment. You might be in addiction treatment and unsure of the psychosocial intervention to take up. As a first step, you could read up about the different interventions. Next, booking a formal consultation with a therapist can help gain further clarity. Don’t feel disillusioned if rapport is not immediately struck with a therapist.
A therapeutic alliance is developed over a course of time. This is very similar to any other working relationship. This can seem as idle as a Sunday afternoon and unproductive. However, it is important to honour the time-lapse. That said, sometimes a specific therapist’s way of working may not resonate with your personal preference.
In that case, it is essential to keep exploring other therapists until you find the one that best suits you. This can be daunting, tiring and time-consuming. However, finding the right therapist shall support you to reach your goals sooner than later.
(The author is a multidisciplinary professional who works in the UK.)