Does Psychological Counselling Help Alcoholics?

“I’m sober, have been for two years,” says Krishna, age forty-four. “I attend AA meetings faithfully and get a lot out of them, but I definitely have problems to work out. My wife struggles with her weight and feels ashamed of her body: we haven’t been intimate for years. I work long hours, which adds to the problems in my marriage. And my ten-year-old son was recently diagnosed with asthma. As much as I love Alcoholics Anonymous, the structure and methods of the program can’t help me deal with all these problems and the stress they create in my life.”

Krishna is physically healthy, intelligent, and financially secure. He owns a very successful business, exercises regularly, enjoys his close-knit family and many solid friendships, and embraces life’s challenges with energy and enthusiasm. He is also prone to depression and suffers from chronic anxiety and full-blown panic attacks.

Two years ago, he consulted a psychiatrist, who concluded that Krishna’s primary problem was psychological, and he referred him to a psychologist. The psychotherapist agreed that Krishna was probably not an alcoholic but a problem drinker who needed help controlling his drinking. Krishna continued his therapy with the psychologist to try and control his drinking: two weeks later, frustrated and distraught, he was admitted to a residential addiction treatment program.

After completing the inpatient treatment program at a rehab , Krishna continued to meet his addiction counsellor, who had a good insight into his issues and the disease of alcoholism. “I know that I have a disease, and I know I have to stay away from the booze. But I need to find a way to control my anxiety, and I’d like to work on my relationship issues.”

Krishna now attends sessions with his counsellor as a follow-up to his treatment, along with Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) meetings twice a week. While in AA, Krishna benefits from close association with other recovering alcoholics, sharing the triumphs and struggles of a sober life. His sessions with the therapist help him learn how to manage conflict, clearly express his emotions, and develop his interpersonal skills. Krishna says, “While AA has been beneficial for me, I am convinced without the individual therapy sessions, I would not have made it.”

An alcoholic’s challenges in recovery

Krishna’s journey from active alcoholism into long-term recovery is typical of many alcoholics. The disease affected his life in many diverse areas; as time went on and his recovery solidified, he began to feel better, both physically and emotionally, but his problems did not simply disappear. Like all human beings, Krishna faces daily stresses at work, at home, and in his everyday encounters with family, friends, coworkers and strangers. His ability to handle emotional situations and manage recurring problems in his relationships is complicated because he started drinking when he was sixteen; from that point on, alcohol became the most important relationship in his life. Over the next nearly thirty years, he learned a lot about how to pretend that nothing was wrong with him and how to avoid dealing with people who might confront him about his drinking. Still, he never learned how to manage stress or tension without picking up a drink, nor did he learn the fine art of creating and maintaining intimate relationships.

Individual counselling in addiction recovery

Individual counselling represents an opportunity for Krishna to discover lost parts of himself – elements of his personality and character that he did not even know existed. He is learning how to honestly and openly express his feelings, avoid impulsive actions and reactions, and empathize with others struggling with their limitations and crises. In therapy believes he is discovering how to become a better – more tolerant, more empathic, forgiving – human being.

In most long-term stay rehabs, individual counselling is part of the therapy process, apart from medical detox and group therapy. Moreover, an aftercare program provides support to the alcoholic or addict during their early stages of recovery when they are highly vulnerable. The individual learns relapse prevention strategies and basic skills of rebuilding and maintaining relationships on the path of meaningful and joyous recovery.