Replacing unhelpful thought and behavior patterns with healthy coping mechanisms can help you with your addiction and find long-term recovery. Wavelengths Recovery offers CBT as a form of behavioral therapy that can help individuals find addiction recovery. An expert therapist performs CBT on a group and individual basis to help identify the thoughts and feelings that influence your behavior.
What is Cognitive Behavioral Therapy?
CBT is a talk therapy that was developed by Dr. Aaron Beck to treat depression but has been expanded to improve symptoms of various mental health disorders including addiction. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy has been developed through research and clinical practice. This scientific evidence supports that CBT can help produce changes in individuals.
This form of psychotherapy focuses on how an individual’s thoughts, beliefs, and attitudes affect their feelings and behaviors. CBT treatment usually involves efforts to change thinking and behavioral patterns.
CBT is based on the core principles:
- Psychological problems are partly based on unhelpful ways of thinking
- Psychological problems are partly based on learned patterns of unhelpful behavior
- People can learn better ways to cope with psychological problems which can cause their symptoms to be relieved
How does CBT Work?
CBT is a goal-oriented therapy that is a practical and collaborative effort between the therapist and client. CBT focuses on developing an awareness of unhelpful thinking patterns that are creating problems. After CBT, clients may be able to re-evaluate thought processes through a realistic perspective.
Through this therapy, clients learn to use problem-solving skills to deal with difficult situations.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy helps clients gain an understanding of others’ behaviors and motivations as well as themselves. CBT helps patients develop a greater sense of confidence in one’s own abilities.
CBT treatment helps individuals face their fears instead of avoiding them. This therapy teaches individuals how to calm their minds and relax their bodies. Therapists may use role-play techniques to help prepare the individual for problematic situations in the future.
The psychologist and patient work together to develop an understanding of the problem and what the best treatment strategy will be. CBT is designed to help individuals learn to be their own therapists. Exercises both in and out of sessions can help them learn to change their own thinking, emotions, and behaviors.
The focus of a CBT therapist is what is going on currently in the person’s life, rather than the past. A history of the client may be necessary, but the primary objective should remain to develop the client’s ability to cope with life.
CBT Techniques for Addiction
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy is generally effective for the treatment of substance use disorders. This therapy can help addicts recognize and find ways to avoid the situations where they are most likely to use substances. CBT also helps addicts deal and cope with situations, feelings, and behaviors related to their substance abuse.
The core techniques in CBT used for addiction include:
- Functional Analysis – identify the consequences and events or emotions that came before the substance abuse behavior which can trigger and maintain your substance abuse.
- Coping Skills Training – developing intrapersonal and interpersonal skills to manage addictive behaviors. Therapists will provide a session on the skill and role-play how to use the skill. After the session, homework is usually assigned to ensure the clients understand the new coping mechanism.
- Relapse Prevention – relies on functional analysis, identifying high-risk relapse situations, and coping skills, as well as additional features. Help the client gain a more positive self-efficacy and deal directly with the cognitions involved in relapse.
Benefits of CBT for Addiction
CBT may be a beneficial technique for treating addiction and substance abuse. This therapy may help change the behavior that leads to substance use because it focuses on thoughts and emotions leading to the addiction.
The benefits of CBT for addiction include:
- Strengthening control over behaviors and emotions
- Learning appropriate coping skills for continued recovery from substances
- Exchanging unhelpful thoughts for constructive, positive, and realistic thoughts
- Developing a stronger self-healing and self-esteem
CBT for Addiction at Wavelengths Recovery
Wavelengths Recovery offers Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for the treatment of addiction at all of our outpatient and residential facilities. CBT will be used in both a group setting and individual therapy sessions to address the feelings, thought processes, and behaviors surrounding the client’s addiction. In addition to CBT, we also offer Dialectical Behavior Therapy, meditation and mindfulness, and holistic therapies, to help aid our clients in their recovery.
If you or a loved one are struggling with addiction, please reach out to Wavelengths Recovery. Our empathetic and qualified staff will be able to answer any questions you may have and give you a better understanding of our program.
