Coming to terms with a chemical addiction problem can be one of the toughest, and one of the most rewarding challenges a life can offer. When you’ve already decided that you need help, things begin to change. Life might not suddenly turn for the better, and all the usual daily problems go away, but there is a profound shift that opens up the doors for recovery, and a full life lived comfortably in your own skin. As you start to look into the different types of therapies and treatments available for you or for the one you love, you’ll notice a wide variety of approaches, and here we’ll look at why individual therapy is important for recovery from chemical addiction.

For most treatment programs, in-patient and out-patient, there is usually a very strong component that stresses peer support. Studies have been suggesting for a long time that one of the best ways to treat addicts and alcoholics is to have them work with each other. People in different stages of recovery can help to shed light on the journey for others, they can share advice, and addicts tend to trust others who have been through the same thing rather than trained professionals who may not know what it’s like from the inside out.

At the same time, individual therapy is also extremely important. This gives the recovering addict the chance to really focus on their own issues, and their own process, and it gives importance to their own individual concerns. One of the most common distinguishing features of an addict is a rather pronounced self-centeredness. This is a personality trait that is formed after years of use and abuse, that leads to the spiral of addiction. By giving this self-centeredness a place in therapy, it has a place to find expression, ultimately leading to a breakthrough where they can discover that they are not unique, and not at all alone. In therapy, they can develop the necessary skills to talk about their own feelings, and this is one of the most important steps toward becoming a whole human being, free of addiction.