Monday, May 12, 2008

Is there online counseling for substance abuse?

There are hundreds or even thousands of people throughout North America who suffer from substance abuse, either with prescription drugs, street drugs or alcohol. Many of these people are unaware that help is just a phone call, visit or click of a button away; others are aware of the help available but they don’t feel that it will do them any good. Most are aware of the live help lines or the crisis lines they can phone in order to talk to someone, but most don’t feel that these will help them. What they need is therapy or proper counseling, but most will do their best to avoid talking to a stranger in person about their problems. For people who want help, but are uncomfortable talking with a therapist or a counselor in person, there is online therapy or counseling.

The idea of online counseling is still fairly new for many people and there are undoubtedly quite a few who are unaware of the fact that they could seek help for their substance abuse problem through a professional therapist or counselor online. Since online therapy and counseling first started, it has grown more popular all the time because of its easy access and its convenience. One might wonder how an online counselor could help someone who is suffering from substance abuse; online counseling is very much the same as regular counseling, the difference is that one has people talking face to face while the other has the counselor and patient communicating by messaging back and forth online. The online counseling can be just as successful as the regular therapy, but like regular therapy the person has to want to get over their addiction. The online counselor will work with the patient to help them get rid of their dependency on the drug and can also help the patient with any other problems they might have. Many people who develop a dependency on a drug do so because they are trying to hide from something that really bothers them.

Online counseling could be the answer for many people looking for help to get rid of their drug dependency. Many people will avoid regular therapy because this would require them to speak to someone in person, which can often be uncomfortable. Online counseling offers people the chance to ensure their confidentiality as well as get the help they need in the comfort of their own home. Online counseling takes away the need for having to leave the home to get the help; instead, people looking for help to deal with their problem only have to sit down at their computer and send off a message to an online counselor they find. The online counselor will then reply and the therapy can begin. This easy access to help makes it easier for people to get the help they need, especially if they are only looking for someone to talk to at first before they become interested in going into counseling. For many, online counseling could be the answer they have been looking for.

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