The importance of social skills in overcoming addictions.

Here's how training social skills helps to leave an addiction behind.

Many times emphasis is placed on the idea that leaving behind an addictive disorder is a sort of personal struggle carried out alone, a mission that each person must face on his or her own, since being a mere matter of "willpower", the main battles are fought within one's own mind.

However, this belief could not be more wrong. First of all, because the existence of addictions denies the importance of a concept such as willpower, because if anything characterizes this kind of pathologies it is their ability to make people lose control of their actions. And secondly, because addictions are not overcome simply through introspection, but the social dimension of the problem (i.e. our way of relating to others) is also very important.

Thus, in this article we will see what role social skills training plays in overcoming addictions..

Why are personal relationships so important in overcoming an addictive disorder?

In every addiction, whether based on dependence to a drug or to an addictive behavior, there is a learned behavioral element. That is, an element that goes beyond pure chemical addiction (the mechanisms of addiction that take place in the brain when the nervous system is exposed several times to some substances that interact with neurons), and that has to do with the habits internalized by the person, his or her way of seeking friends and maintaining friendships, strategies for dealing with abstinence, etc.

In this sense, some of the aspects that can lead a person to make or not to make progress in his attempts to overcome an addiction have to do with the way they interact with those around them on a day-to-day basis.. Neither drug use, nor the references when it comes to knowing what to do when faced with anxiety or "the monkey", nor exposure to places that predispose to relapse are experiences that occur in an isolated and individual way. In all of them there is room for improvement or for exposing oneself to unnecessary risks of falling back into addiction.

What does social skills training consist of in addiction treatment?

With what we have seen so far, it is already beginning to become clear what role social skills can play in the challenge of overcoming an addiction. The better our ability to function in contexts in which we must relate to others, the more resources we will have to avoid obstacles in any therapy process, especially in addiction therapy, given that external influence plays an important role in the maintenance or reinforcement of this type of disorder.

Fortunately, social skills can be trained and improved through experience, which is much easier and more effective with professional psychotherapy support.

Let's take a closer look at the ways in which social skills training helps to overcome addiction.

1. It allows to develop assertiveness in the face of unwanted offers

Knowing how to say no at key moments is essential to get rid of an addiction.. Developing assertiveness helps a lot in this sense, because it consists in being respected but without seeking confrontation.

2. It helps to manage conflicts and their implications in consumption.

Addiction predisposes people to enter a state of irritability in which it is very easy to get angry at any setback. On the other hand, using drugs to relieve anger is a way in which those who have developed an addiction often "fall back"..

Social skills help to channel anger in ways that do not involve entering into conflictual dynamics when interacting with others, which also minimizes the risk of relapse.

3. Allows you to consolidate new friendships away from the elements of addiction.

Having the ability to establish new friendships away from the social circles frequented by the addicted person (in which drug use or the performance of potentially addictive activities was normalized) helps to escape the vicious circle of relapse partly due to social pressure and constant exposure to temptation..

4. Helps to develop new ways of managing discomfort.

Social skills can lead to new ways of coping with discomfort, both that generated by withdrawal and that generated by the other emotionally painful aspects of life. Sharing our ideas, concerns and feelings with others is one way to alleviate distress. is a resource that allows us to alleviate discomfort through what is known as emotional labeling: putting into words what we feel.

Do you want to count on professional support when overcoming an addiction?

If you are looking for therapeutic support to overcome an addiction problem, contact us. In Llaurant la Llum you will find a team of professionals specialized in the treatment of addictive disorders, both from psychotherapy and medicine.

We accompany our patients through all phases of the process of leaving behind the dependence on a psychoactive substance or addictive behavior, and we have fully equipped facilities for intervention through admissions and residential treatment of short, medium or long stay. You can find us in Picassent (Valencia).