A form of therapy, mental-therapy is an essential component of addiction treatment. Psychotherapists generally utilize it in conjunction with family therapy, using various techniques like behavioral therapy in order to find the root of your addiction. The ultimate goal is to change the destructive thought patterns that lead to addiction, so that people remain clean beyond traditional treatment. You may have a family member who suffers from addiction and it may also come from you or from someone you know. Regardless of how you got addicted, you have to accept the fact that it is a problem that you have to deal with and you need a treatment plan. Psychological addiction is not just an addiction for those who take drugs and alcohol. There are many people who engage in dangerous activities like gambling, drug dealing and child abuse. All of these activities come with a mental element and if you cannot overcome your mental addiction to something, you may be dealing with a very difficult mental addiction. You can do all sorts of things to distract yourself from the problems that you have with your mind, but they are not going to help you until you face up to them and confront them. In fact, they may make the problem even worse. Mental-therapy helps a person who is addicted to address his problems at a deeper level than the physical substance. Psychotherapists will help a patient find the root of his addiction by evaluating the behavior pattern and finding out whether he is emotionally connected to the substance. Once this is established, the therapist will help him develop an action plan that will make him stop using the substance. Once the patient has adopted this action plan, he will need support and guidance to implement the plan. A counselor will work with the patient to help him set realistic goals and expectations. If you or someone you know needs addiction treatment, you should try to contact a mental-therapist to see what they can offer you.