Effectiveness of Intensive Outpatient Programs for Women
Substance abuse is life-wrecking and can ruin the addict's relationship with society, family, and themselves. If you are a woman struggling with substance abuse, you will be relieved to know that you no longer have to fight this battle alone. Help is right around the corner; you just need to ask for it.
As a woman, you might be struggling to cope with your addiction along with handling your work and let us not forget about the social stigma associated with women who are a victim of substance abuse. However, if you live in California, you will be glad to know that numerous intensive outpatient programs help women with addiction while giving them full control over the frequency of the treatment and the procedure. An intensive outpatient program in Orange County, CA, is made for women who want to treat their addiction while also wanting flexibility in the sessions. If you are looking for more information on IOP and are wondering how effective it is, the following article is here to help you.
Different Types of Approaches Used in IOP:
Intensive outpatient therapy takes different forms ranging from:
1. Personal therapy:
It is old-fashioned, but sitting with the counselor one-on-one and discussing your issues, triggers, and current mental state, especially in the early stages of the therapy, helps establish a treatment plan and understand each other.
2. Group therapy:
Now, one may be confused about why group therapy is part of an intensive outpatient program. Well, these therapies follow the same pattern as IOP, but instead of conducting personal therapy sessions, you meet similar people who are at different stages of their recovery. Fostering relationships with people who are currently going through the same thing as you helps build a community of compassion that consists of like-minded people.
3. Family Therapy:
Your family also goes through a lot of hardship when you are suffering from substance abuse. Therefore, family therapies can be helpful not only for you but also for the people you love. Through the session, one gets to understand how their addictions impact the entire family, thus giving them the strength to change.
Different Types of Treatments Used in IOP:
1. Behavioral therapy:
In behavior therapy, the counselor reinforces desirable behavior and discourages problematic ones. The therapy is rooted in the principles of behaviorism and emerged as a popular form of treatment in the 20th century. One of the reasons why behavioral therapy is so effective is because it focuses on an action-based solution and identifies that the behavior itself is a problem, and minimizing or completely eliminating it is the solution.
2. Cognitive therapy:
Cognitive therapy has been proven to reduce addiction-induced stress and anxiety. Cognitive therapy works on the idea that it is not just the event that occurs in our lives that causes stress and anxiety but also how we think has a huge role to play. Therefore, this therapy aims to target the mindset and thought process of the addict rather than the behavior.
3. Humanistic therapy:
Humanistic therapy is a combination of various therapies that focus on the unique personality of the human. It identifies that every human has their own unique abilities and potential and works on that in order to target substance abuse.
4. Psychoanalysis:
Psychoanalysis is a talk therapy that focuses on how the subconscious mind contributes to our thoughts and actions. In this therapy, the professional analyzes the incidents from childhood that contribute to their current behavior and develops solutions that target the root cause.
5. Strength-based therapy:
This therapy is based on positive psychology, in which the therapist shifts the patient's focus towards their strengths, what they have, and their abilities and uses this changed mindset to improve their quality of life.
Conclusion:
Intensive Outpatient Programs help patients attend sessions based on their availability, desire, and schedule. This flexibility helps prioritize their treatments based on their goals and needs. Moreover, IOP also prevents the risk of admitting the addict into a rehab center or inpatient mental health services. Hence, in many ways, IOP is useful, especially if you are a woman and want to keep your treatment discreet.
