Drug and Alcohol Counselling: How to Access and What You Need to Know

What is Drug and Alcohol Counselling?

What if you could tap into the ‘why’ behind your drug and alcohol consumption? With the guidance of a psychologist, you’ll unravel the connections between your habits and life,.

Counselling can be one-on-one, with a group, or even with family.

Am I Eligible for Drug and Alcohol Counselling?

Let’s start with a quick self-check. Are you:

• Drinking or using substances, more than planned?
• Trying to cut down but finding it hard?
• Do you spend a lot of time drinking, doing drugs, or getting better from your use?
• Do you often use drugs and alcohol, or are you attempting to overcome their aftereffects?
• Craving drugs and alcohol often?
• Skipping responsibilities because of drinking or substance usage?
• Use substances despite problems it causes?
  Cutting back on activities you used to enjoy?
• Reducing your participation in activities you once enjoyed?
  Drinking or using substances in risky situations?
• Do you need more drink and drugs to have the same high?
• Want even more booze to get the same level of drunkenness?
• Withdrawal when you abstain from alcohol or drugs?

If you nodded along to any of these, it might be time to consider drugs and alcohol counselling. To swallow your pride and say “help” is a fearless move that few can make.

How to Access Drug and Alcohol Counselling

Step 1: Initial Assessment

First stop, your GP or a psychologist. Your drinking or substance usage habits are a conversation starter – they’ll explore with you how your relationship with drugs and alcohol is either helping or hurting your overall well-being. This is like a health check-up for your mind. They might use tools like the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT) to get a clearer picture of your alcohol usage.

Step 2: Get a Referral

If they think counselling could help, they’ll write a referral letter and a mental health care plan. Fear not, it’s just a document that outlines your history and the recommended treatment. They’ll send this off to a registered psychologist.

Step 3: Find Your Psychologist

You can use online directories like the Chat Corner Psychologists, or a Psychologist service, or check out local community health services. 

Step 4: Book Your Sessions

Time to schedule your sessions. The first one is usually an initial assessment. Your psychologist will get to know you, understand your needs, and maybe use some standardized tools to assess your situation.

Step 5: Dive Into Therapy

In your sessions, your psychologist will work with you to create a personalised treatment plan. Try pinpointing the pressure points which trigger your drinking , then devise a strategy to sidestep or tackle them head-on. By combining therapies such as Cognitive-Behavioural Therapy, which challenges negative thought patterns, with Motivational Interviewing, which cultivates self-motivation, or Dialectical Behaviour Therapy, which promotes emotional regulation, they can develop a personalized approach.

Benefits of Drug and Alcohol Counselling

Drug and alcohol counselling is like having a toolkit for life. Here’s what you get:

• Personalised Support: Your psychologist tailors their approach to fit your specific needs.
• Evidence-Based Techniques: You’ll use proven methods to manage your drug and alcohol use.
• Improved Mental Health: Taking care of your drinking might make you feel better all around.
• Coping Strategies: You’ll learn healthier ways to deal with stress and triggers.
• Improved Relationships: Reducing drug and alcohol use can help mend and strengthen personal connections.
• Long-Term Recovery: Therapy aids in maintaining long-term healing and guards against recurrence.

A Few Things to Keep in Mind

Limited Sessions

• Insurance providers might limit the number of counselling sessions covered per year.
• Medicare Australia rebates under the Better Access scheme usually cover up to ten sessions a year.
• Tacking on extra sessions can come with a price tag.

Cost

Depending on the psychologist’s fees, there may still be out-of-pocket expenses even with Medicare rebates. Some psychologists charge more than the Medicare Benefit Schedule fee, so you might need to pay the difference.

Accessibility

Telehealth is a fantastic option, but accessibility can still be a challenge, especially in remote areas. Community health services and online platforms can help, but availability varies.

Alternative Options for Affordable Drug and Alcohol Counselling

Not eligible for Medicare rebates or need extra support? Don’t fret, there are other ways to get affordable counselling.

Community Health Services

Local community health services often offer low-cost or sliding-scale counselling options. When money is tight, certain programs step in to offer financial relief to those who need it most.

Online Counselling Platforms

Platforms like ours provide affordable, accessible counselling. You can have your sessions from home, which is super convenient.

Employee Assistance Programs (EAP)

Many workplaces offer Employee Assistance Programs (EAP) that include free or discounted counselling. Just check the confidentiality policies before diving in.

Private Health Insurance

Check your private insurance policy – you might be covered for psychological services.

Support Groups

Support groups like Alcoholics Anonymous (AA), Narcotics Anonymous (NA) or SMART Recovery offer peer support and community.

These groups are usually free and can complement individual counselling.

Personal Insights and Reflections

Working with clients from diverse backgrounds, we’ve seen the profound impact drug and alcohol counselling can have.

For example. a client with past baggage who was feeling emotionally overwhelmed, turned to booze to cope.

With CBT and MI as our guiding lights, we mapped out his personal triggers and built a custom set of awareness-exercises and self-protection strategies. The painstaking process of curbing his addiction yielded a welcome dividend: a decidedly improved state of mind.

Here’s another example: A client who worked with us used a two-pronged approach, using Exposure Therapy to face her fears and Mindfulness to find inner peace. Sometimes it takes a multifaceted approach to beat the overlapping struggles of addiction, anxiety, and stress.

It’s not a one-size-fits-all deal; evidence-based approaches tailored to each person are having a major influence on the success of drug and alcohol counselling. Treatment that focuses on the person, not the problem, leads to breakthroughs that stick.

The Journey of Drug and Alcohol Counselling

Drug and alcohol counselling is more than just talking about your drinking habits. Pinpointing the emotional triggers or patterns that lead you to drink can help you break free from the cycle.

Identifying the aspects that trigger your emotions or finding the patterns that influence you to drink can help break the cycle.

It’s like peeling an onion—layer by layer, you uncover the roots of your drinking and work on them.

For instance, some people drink to cope with stress or trauma. Others might drink out of habit or because it’s part of their social life. Taking the time to closely examine the relationship between your thoughts, emotions, and actions is exactly what your psychologist will work through with you. This may involve working with your psychologist within a process of recognizing and rewriting negative patterns.

Cognitive-Behavioural Therapy (CBT) for Drug and Alcohol Counselling

CBT is a common approach in drug and alcohol counselling. It’s a mental-refresh button that rewires your thoughts, feelings and behaviours for the better. If you tend to drink when you’re stressed, CBT can teach you new ways to handle stress.

Motivational Interviewing (MI) for Drug and Alcohol Counselling

MI is another technique used in drug and alcohol counselling. Think of it as a friendly chat where your psychologist helps you find your motivation to change. What’s at stake here is not just cutting back, but squarely facing the issue and building the courage to make a real difference.

Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT) for Drug and Alcohol Counselling

DBT combines strategies from CBT with mindfulness practices. If you’re someone who feels like stress is dictating your every move or emotions are holding you hostage, you’ll find this invaluable. Get the power to pause, reflect, and choose your next move wisely in challenging situations.

Real-Life Stories

Real-life stories can be powerful motivators.

Stories of turning to drugs and alcohol to cope with work stress, being stuck in a cycle of drinking and guilt and being trapped in a vicious loop of drugs and alcohol and experiencing guilt help one realise that we are not alone in this process.

Seeking a healthier work-life equilibrium, begins by setting firm boundaries and experimenting with stress-reducing techniques – yoga and meditation is part of the process towards drinking less and feeling more in control.

Many have stories where drinking is the norm. Some start drinking heavily in college. It was fun at first, but soon it became a problem.

With counselling, the need for social acceptance and finding new, substance-free ways to connect with friends come to light.

Coping Strategies

Counselling equips you with coping strategies for various situations. For example, if you tend to drink at parties, your psychologist might suggest having a plan—like bringing your own non-alcoholic drink or practicing ways to say no politely.

Other strategies include:

• Mindfulness and Relaxation Techniques: These can help you stay calm and focused.
• Stress Management: Finding healthy ways to manage stress, such as exercise, hobbies, or talking to a friend are an important self carel strategies.
• Creating a Support Network: It can be quite beneficial to be surrounded by individuals who share similar goals
• Creating a world of your own: Always surround yourself with like-minded individuals because they know your goals might be a game-changer.

The Importance of Follow-Up

To keep moving forward, try to set up regular check-ins with your psychologist – it’s a great way to get back on course and stay motivated. Think of these sessions as regular mental maintenance – a chance to tweak, adjust, and fine-tune your progress so you can keep moving forward.

Breaking free from addiction’s grip takes work, and staying on track is a daily challenge. That’s why preventing relapse is crucial – it’s the secret to long-term recovery.

One moment you’re making progress, the next you’re faced with the possibility of backsliding – don’t get caught unprepared. With your psychologist, you can identify early signs of relapse and develop a plan to address them. Coping with adversity can be a heavy burden, but it doesn’t have to be shouldered alone; consider enlisting the help of a trusted ally, experimenting with stress-busting tactics, or forming bonds with those who’ve faced similar hurdles.

The Final Word

Let’s reinforce the practical applications you can use to achieve success.

Getting sober is just the first step; working with an drugs and alcohol counsellor helps you tackle the root causes and get on the path to long-term recovery and well-being. Take the first step towards a brighter future – this guide puts professional support at your fingertips, helping you kick-start your recovery journey. Whether through Medicare rebates, community health services, online platforms, or other alternatives, there are many ways to get affordable drug and alcohol counselling in Australia.

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