Role of Counselling
This article seeks to articulate the place for counselling in the treatment of addiction. With harmful and hazardous alcohol and drug misuse, education and prevention measures are preferred with some brief solution focused interventions (Department of Health 2012). For opiate addiction, medical interventions to stabilize and reduce harm are rightly to the fore (Health Service Executive Social Inclusion Unit, 2010)About Mick Devine
I am Clinical Director of Tabor Group, a Cork-based treatment agency guided in treating addiction by the Minnesota Model of care. This approach is based on a ‘disease concept’ of addiction and favours the long-term goal a ‘drug free lifestyle’ for clients. I am often asked “what is your success rate?” and in my experience, many who opt for ‘drug free lifestyle’ treatment options, relapse is common and is therefore seen as failure. To assist service users in achieving a drug-free lifestyle counselling is essential.Overview
In this article, I present the case for counselling in the management of addiction at Tabor Group and this article uses the American Society of Addiction Medicines (2011) definition of addiction to answer the question posed in the title. This definition will structure the article as I present addiction as- A ‘chronic disease’
- A ‘chronic brain disease’ that diminishes the person’s recognition of the problem.