Therapy is more than just venting about the current issues you are having. It is all about knowing what the reason is for seeking addiction and mental health treatment. By creating short-term and long-term goals, you will have a better chance of getting everything you want from therapy.
What are Examples of Short-Term Therapy Goals?
Short-term goals in therapy are goals that you can accomplish on a daily basis. Think about the constant annoyances that occur in your life. For example, you may feel like you are surrounded by triggers that are fueling your addiction. Your therapist can teach you what to do to avoid those triggers like figuring out a different route for you to take on the way home from work or what to tell your friends who want to go to the bar. You may be having issues with panic attacks and need to know how to control them. Your therapist can use cognitive behavioral therapy to change your negative thought patterns that bring about these panic attacks.
What are Examples of Long-Term Therapy Goals?
Long-term goals are goals you want to achieve that may take a long time. For example, recovering from trauma is not as simple as following a few instructions. It may take years before you recover. If you have been through trauma your whole life, therapy can help you open up about it and work through your painful memories. There are many steps to overcoming trauma such as processing the traumatic event, learning to overcome your fears, sleeping better at night, etc. If you are suffering from nightmares as a result of your trauma, those bad dreams are not going to go away overnight. Long-term goals require a lot of patience. It is important to remember that just because a goal can take a while to achieve does not mean that it will never happen.
How Can You Ensure Your Goals are Realistic?
Your therapist will know more than anyone if your goals are realistic. Your goals may change where based on the progress you are making, your short-term goal may turn into a long-term goal. Your therapist will be honest with you in how long it may take you to carry out these goals and how to further separate them. By coming up with a list of short-term and long-term goals, you will have a better quality of life and healthy mental health.
At Alta Loma, you will meet knowledgeable, compassionate professionals that understand addiction in all its forms. Alta Loma uses an integrative and holistic approach to treat addiction and mental health issues.
No treatment is one-size-fits-all, where you will have a team of experts prepared to create your customized treatment plan. We offer care for your mind, body, and spirit, so that you can heal from the inside out and look forward to a lifetime of sobriety and wellness. If you are ready to take the first step in your recovery, please call us at 866-457-3843.
