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Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) plays a significant role in addiction treatment. Amongst other therapies, it gives recovering individuals the opportunity to look in. Through evidence-based methods and techniques, patients can begin addressing the roots of addiction.
CBT also allows individuals to address any co-occurring disorders they may have, such as depression or anxiety.
Kicking the habit of addiction is a major achievement. Detox is generally the first part of the treatment process, allowing patients to do so. Through medical care and supervision, withdrawal symptoms are monitored. Following detoxification, CBT can then begin.
Addiction is much more than merely a physical dependence on drugs or alcohol. Frequently there are underlying emotional and mental roots. These roots and underlying causes must be worked through in therapy.
Working through these issues in CBT helps prevent the chances of relapse from occurring. After treatment, it is normal to experience temptations and cravings. The key is to have a set of learned tools and coping mechanisms that help you to overcome them.
In CBT, you’ll learn how to work through triggers such as:
CBT is psychotherapy designed to deal with problem behaviors, thoughts, and emotional patterns. It is one of the most commonly offered forms of therapy in substance abuse treatment programs. Research has already shown that it can be effective in helping people whose minds have been altered by stress or other difficult circumstances.
CBT was borne out of psychoanalysis, which was pioneered by Sigmund Freud. Psychoanalysis was the most commonly found form of therapy up until the 1940s. It mainly consisted of talk therapy and prescribing medication to patients.
In the 1960s, experts began eschewing past practices by ensuring that clients knew it was their responsibility to change maladaptive behaviors. Again, the 1960s were a time of great social change.
Times have changed, and today, some people receive CBT online. CBT can be practiced in both individual and group sessions. While in-person sessions are preferred, online CBT sessions are practical.
Cognitive-behavioral therapy has many applications, such as helping clients with phobias, anxiety, depression, and substance misuse. Its main goal is to help participants recognize negative thoughts that can get in the way of their daily lives.
Eventually, clients should be able to notice thought patterns that have caused problems in their lives. Once these thoughts have been identified, they can be changed. If opinions are changed, the resulting behavior will also change.
You can expect your CBT treatment to go something like this:
Phase 1: Functional Analysis
Clients start identifying negative thoughts and beliefs. Most people who deal with substance abuse know they need to stop the behavior, but they make choices against this goal.
CBT is a great way to learn and understand why. This involves digging into the underlying issues that led to substance abuse in the first place. The therapist will assess the client’s motivation for change.
Phase 2: Behavior Identification
Together, the therapist and client will identify problematic thoughts and behaviors. During this phase, clients will learn strategies to change negative thoughts. This, in turn, alters the linked behavior.
Phase 3: Relapse Prevention
The final phase aims to prevent relapse. The client and therapist will identify triggers that could cause a relapse and devise strategies to deal with those triggers.
They also make a plan to end the therapy. CBT is not intended to go on indefinitely. There is generally a set end date, outlined by a certain number of sessions.
You can reasonably expect to attend 5 to 20 sessions when you start with CBT. Sessions usually last 30 to 60 minutes.
All clients are different, and you may deal with additional mental health issues that necessitate longer treatment.
The American Psychological Association (APA) outlines some estimates for recovery based on their research: Approximately 50 percent of clients improve after anywhere from 15 to 20 sessions.
Many clients and CBT therapists choose durations of 20 to 30 sessions for up to six months. This allows them to put their recently learned skills into practice more confidently.
Certain people may benefit from longer CBT treatment for some mental health issues or co-occurring disorders. This extended treatment regime can last 12 to 18 months.
Only a tiny fraction of clients require other therapies after CBT or a course of treatment longer than average.
Cognitive-behavioral therapists use specific exercises to help addiction recovery. Examples of CBT techniques used in addiction treatment include:
Recovering individuals learn to recognize negative thoughts in CBT. They then look for objective evidence disproving those thoughts. Through thought records, negative thoughts are dissected. Then, the patient will replace these negative thoughts with positive ones.
CBT behavioral experiments aim to contrast negative thoughts against positive ones. In other words, some people may respond better to self-kindness and others to self-criticism.
We must first understand how we best receive information to change our behavior. Behavioral experiments involve figuring out what makes you tick and then working with that to fix negative thinking patterns.
This technique helps to recover individuals recall a memory that produces strong negative feelings. They take note of every sight, sound, emotion, thought, and impulse at that moment. Remembering these painful memories can reduce the anxiety caused by them over time.
Creating a schedule that fulfills and fuels you is vital. This CBT technique helps the patient make a weekly list of healthy, fun activities to break up daily routines. The goal of these activities is to encourage positive emotions.
Scheduling these hobbies can also help reduce negative thoughts and temptations.
Cognitive behavior therapy is not the only treatment method for people with substance use disorders. Other therapies can also supplement CBT, thus making addiction treatment effective and well-rounded.
The following forms of evidence-based therapy are also commonly used:
Therapy is undoubtedly the core of treatment for substance use disorders. However, medication and support group participation is also vital pillars of recovery. The following are a handful of the many treatment services you’ll receive alongside CBT:
Support groups : Often in the form of 12-step groups, social support groups are led by people in recovery. They provide essential support for ongoing recovery. Also, they can be crucial during the early stages of recovery.
This is when the risk of relapse is often highest. People often need to visit and try out multiple support groups before they find the one that is the best fit.
Besides the well-known Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) and Narcotics Anonymous (NA) chapters, there are many secular and alternative support group options, such as SMART Recovery (smartrecovery.org) and Secular Organizations for Sobriety (S.O.S).
Medication : People may be prescribed medication that lessens withdrawal symptoms and alleviates cravings for certain substances of abuse, such as opioids and alcohol.
Besides, people who deal with mental health issues can be prescribed antidepressants, anti-anxiety drugs, or other medications to address specific disorders.
CBT has dramatically benefited those in recovery from substance abuse and those with various mental health issues. It works best when tailored to the individual and part of a complete treatment program.
At California Prime Recovery, we guide you from the beginning to the end of your treatment plan. We believe each member of our facility deserves a personalized approach, with their needs being put first.
If you have any questions, comments, or concerns, please don’t hesitate to find your location and reach out to us. We’re waiting for your call!
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