Fortunately, effective treatments are availableincluding online options.
Online therapy can be a viable option for people who are dealing with addictions.
Potential Benefits
Here are some of the benefits online therapy for addiction has over traditional face-to-face therapy.
Enhanced Privacy
Unfortunately, social stigmas still surround addiction treatment.
This can cause you to worry about being recognized when arriving or leaving an addiction treatment center.
As a result, you may not feel comfortable seeking help.
It can take some of the fear of treatment away.
Online options are also available anytime.
More Options
Online therapy can sometimes serve as an important first step toward more intensive interventions.
Effectiveness
Traditional addiction treatments tend to be underutilized and have a high dropout rate.
This suggests that these traditional options may not be completely meeting peoples needs.
Some research has indicated that online therapy may actually outperform traditional therapy in a few ways.
Potential drawbacks might include:
If you are experiencing thoughts ofsuicideorself-harmor experiencingpsychosis, online therapy may not be appropriate.
If you are having suicidal thoughts, contact theNational Suicide Prevention Lifelineat988for support and assistance from a trained counselor.
If you or a loved one are in immediate danger, call 911.
For more mental health resources, see ourNational Helpline Database.
There are a number of different online therapy options available for addiction treatment.
These include:
The approach that works best for you depends on a variety of factors.
The severity of your symptoms may dictate the intensity of the treatment you need.
In turn, your therapists comfort with technology also determines how the treatment is delivered.
One important thing to remember is that you dont necessarily need to choose just one punch in of delivery.
In many cases, you might end up with a combination of therapist-led, computer-assisted, and web-assisted therapy.
Just as with face-to-face therapy, it’s important to find a qualified therapist with whom you feel comfortable.
Find out which option is the best for you.
It can be an essential and effective tool in your treatment arsenal.
Talk to a doctor or therapist about whether this approach to treatment is appropriate for your needs.
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