Massachusetts Center for Addiction

Using alcohol as a coping mechanism, or drinking excessively throughout the week, signals an alcohol use disorder.

A person with multiple mental health diagnoses, such as addiction and depression, has co-occurring disorders also called dual diagnosis.

Drug addiction is the excessive and repetitive use of substances, despite harmful consequences to a person's life, health, and relationships.

Guided interactions with trained horses, their handler, and a therapist can help patients improve their self-esteem, trust, empathy, and social skills.

Singing, performing, and even listening to music can be therapeutic. Music therapy sessions are facilitated by certified counselors.

Some traumatic events are so disturbing that they cause long-term mental health problems. Those ongoing issues can also be referred to as "trauma."

In a PHP, patients live at home but follow an intensive schedule of treatment. Most programs require you to be on-site for about 40 hours per week.

In an IOP, patients live at home or a sober living, but attend treatment typically 9-15 hours a week. Most programs include talk therapy, support groups, and other methods.

During outpatient rehab, patients attend a structured treatment program while continuing to live at home.

In a residential rehab program, patients live onsite, with access to daily treatment and 24-hour care. An average stay is 30-90 days.

These structured living environments help people transition out of rehab. Residents have more freedom than they do during rehab, but still follow certain rules.

A combination of scientifically rooted therapies and treatments make up evidence-based care, defined by their measured and proven results.

Providers involve family in the treatment of their loved one through family therapy, visits, or both–because addiction is a family disease.

Two or more people meet with a therapist together. Patients get valuable peer support, strengthen interpersonal skills, and improve self-awareness.

A non-medicinal, wellness-focused approach that aims to align the mind, body, and spirit for deep and lasting healing.

Individual care meets the needs of each patient, using personalized treatment to provide them the most relevant care and greatest chance of success.

Incorporating spirituality, community, and responsibility, 12-Step philosophies prioritize the guidance of a Higher Power and a continuation of 12-Step practices.

Patient and therapist meet 1-on-1 to work through difficult emotions and behavioral challenges in a personal, private setting.

A practiced state of mind that brings patients to the present. It allows them to become fully aware of themselves, their feelings, and the present moment.

This form of talk therapy addresses any childhood trauma at the root of a patient's current diagnosis.

Patients can connect with a therapist via videochat, messaging, email, or phone. Remote therapy makes treatment more accessible.

ABFT is a trauma-focused therapy that teaches you to form healthy relationships by rebuilding trust and healing attachment issues formed in childhood.

Animals can inspire trust and self-worth. In this experiential therapy, guided interactions are used to improve social skills and emotion regulation.

Inhaling or topically applying essential oils can help relieve stress, soothe pains, and relieve emotional distress.

Visual art invites patients to examine the emotions within their work, focusing on the process of creativity and its gentle therapeutic power.

Therapists use cognitive behavior techniques to challenge how patients perceive their body and their worth, rewriting negative thoughts and attitudes.