“Knowledge is Power” – Sir Francis Bacon
How much do you really know about your addiction? Do you know what your triggers are or why you started drinking or using drugs in the first place? Now think about your mental health. Are you suffering from a condition like depression or anxiety that has led to your substance abuse?
If you’re having a difficult time answering these questions, you’re not alone. Many people struggling with addiction or a dual diagnosis disorder and know very little about their condition. But this lack of information actually makes it harder to recover.
This is where psychoeducation comes in. Beyond detox and healing your mind and body with proper nutrition and exercise, psychoeducation arms you with the knowledge needed to understand your addiction and manage it effectively following rehab.
What is Psychoeducation?
During the Eastern Zhou period in Ancient China, there was a Chinese general and military strategist named Sun Tzu who wrote,
“If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles. If you know yourself but not the enemy, for every victory gained you will also suffer a defeat. If you know neither the enemy nor yourself, you will succumb in every battle.”
Tzu’s strategy and influential work in The Art of War has continued to influence military thinking to this day. And it can even be applied to your battle with substance abuse.
Think about your addiction as Sun Tzu thought about his enemy; The more you know about your addiction, the more likely you’ll be able to overcome it and prevent relapse in the future. This is what psychoeducation is about.
Put simply, psychoeducation is the process of educating you about your addiction and mental health during rehab treatment. During individual and group therapy sessions, a therapist educates you about addiction and dual diagnosis disorders.
What You Will Learn in Psychoeducational Group Sessions
Psychoeducational groups in addiction treatment give you the chance to thoroughly study your addiction, just like a military general would study enemy behaviors and strategy plans. These treatment sessions cover many topics, including:
- Education about your specific addiction and associated behaviors
- The consequences associated with addiction
- Education on your dual diagnosis disorder and ways to manage it
- Solutions for personal growth and change
- Ways to be more self-aware
- What the process of recovery looks like and ways to prevent relapse
- Self-care strategies and tips
All this information is meant to arm you with the knowledge, tools and skills needed to get to the bottom of your addiction and recover.
Benefits of Psychoeducation in Addiction Treatment
The endgame of psychoeducation, especially at The Raleigh House, is to help you change your life for the better. But when you take a deeper look at it, psychoeducational group sessions offer many more specific benefits and outcomes.
For example, many people fight treatment and look at addiction as a shameful act they should have been able to fix on their own. With psychoeducation, those suffering from addiction are more likely to accept treatment and therapy. They’re also more likely to realize that addiction is a disease and they shouldn’t feel guilty or ashamed of what they’re going through.
This is also the case when families of those struggling with addiction or dual diagnosis disorders participate in psychoeducational group sessions. When they learn more about their loved one’s condition, they can end the stigma and more effectively support their child, spouse or friend through recovery.
Other benefits of psychoeducation at The Raleigh House that you can apply to your own life include many of the following:
- Psychoeducation can aid your understanding of the behavioral and psychological consequences of your substance abuse, so you can change your patterns of behavior accordingly.
- Psychoeducation gives you the chance to reframe the impact of drug use on your life and be more open to asking for help when struggling with addiction or your mental health.
- Psychoeducation can help you establish new behaviors and ways of thinking that you can use beyond treatment to keep cravings at bay and prevent relapses.
- Psychoeducation can introduce you to additional resources like support groups, relaxation exercises and spiritual development to aid your recovery.
Psychoeducation at The Raleigh House
Psychoeducation plays a major role in the addiction and dual diagnosis treatment offered at The Raleigh House, especially when you enter our outpatient treatment program. Where other treatment centers may fall flat, The Raleigh House understands how necessary psychoeducation is to the success of your treatment and recovery.
During outpatient treatment, you’ll participate in small psychoeducational groups to talk about your substance abuse and mental health. These fun, interactive groups are meant to educate you and arm you with the knowledge you need to address your situation head-on and improve your life for the better.
Tackle Your Addiction and Dual Diagnosis Disorder at The Raleigh House
Understanding your addiction and mental health is one of the most crucial tools to overcoming your substance abuse once and for all. And at The Raleigh House, we’re equipped to help you do just that with our evidence-based treatment approach and continuum of care that includes detox, residential treatment and outpatient treatment.
If you’re ready to learn more, we’re here to answer your questions and talk more about our unique and effective approach to addiction treatment. Fill out our form or contact us today to learn more.
